From rackets to shoe recommendations to advice around different techniques, the world’s top professional tennis players answer your tennis questions. Whether you want to learn about the best ways to train or which equipment would help achieve your goals, browse informed answers from our curated list of tennis experts.

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Tara is a nationally recognized expert on nutrition, fitness, and health. She is an author, TV show co-host, and nutrition consultant to the NBA, USTA, and UCF. She holds a BS in Dietetics and Nutrition, Fitness, and Health, MS in Health Promotion, and is RDN, LDN, CSSD, and ACE-PT certified. She was inducted into the Purdue University Alumni Hall of Fame in 2013. Tara has consulted for Walt Disney World, Rodale Publications, Tupperware, and others, and has overseen weight loss research projects.

Justin Russ is a Strength and Conditioning Coach with 10+ years of experience working with athletes of all ages and abilities. He has coached Grand Slam Champions, Olympic Gold Medalists, and Division 1 athletes in all sports. He holds certifications from multiple sporting organizations and designs and delivers training programs for professional athletes and general population clients. Justin also provides consulting services and training resources to teams and organizations and is an experienced speaker at fitness industry conferences.

Lisa received her Bachelor of Science from Duke University in 2008 where she played rugby for 4 years. She then went on to receive her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Boston University. She is a board-certified sports clinical specialist and completed her sports physical therapy residency from Proaxis Therapy in Greenville, SC where she completed a research study involving humeral adaptation differences between high school baseball and softball players. Lisa has worked at several sports medicine clinics working with athletes of all ages and skill levels. She has participated in clinical research, assisted in teaching in residency programs, and has volunteered at local high schools and colleges assisting in the athletic training room and with on-field coverage of events. She currently works for the Women’s Tennis Association which fulfills her passions of working with high-level athletes as well as traveling.

David O'Hare is a retired professional Irish tennis player. He reached his highest ATP singles ranking of 1438 and highest doubles ranking of 117. He still plays for the Irish Davis Cup team and is the coach of the No. 1 doubles pairing Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, leading them to two masters titles and retention of their US Open title in 2022.

Green is a physical conditioning specialist with 20+ years of experience on the ATP & WTA Tours. He has worked with Tomas Berdych, Alexander Zverev, and is most known for his success with Andy Murray.

Jeff Greenwald is an acclaimed sports psychologist, author, and two-time world champion in platform tennis. He is a renowned expert in sports psychology, helping athletes of all levels reach their goals and reach their full potential. Jeff has written several books, including the best-selling Fearless Tennis: How to Conquer the Mental Game. He is a sought-after speaker and coach, giving talks and workshops at top tennis academies and coaching professional players. His methods have helped recreational players to world champions gain a mental edge over their opponents.

Brad Stine became a USTA national coach Sept. 15, 2014. Prior to joining the USTAPD, Stine founded and operated the 360 Tennis Academy in Fresno, California. In his career, Stine has worked as a personal coach for such players as Jim Courier, Sébastien Grosjean, Andrei Medvedev, and Mardy Fish. He was also a successful collegiate coach with the Fresno State men's tennis team and led the Bulldogs to their first-ever Top 20 NCAA Division I national ranking. Stine's primary responsibility is to assist in the development of the top prospects at the USTA Training Centers as well as at other locations, as well as assisting USTA/USTAPD coaches and players in a better understanding of clay-court development.

Great question. How do you avoid choking in big moments? The problem with choking is that most players, most athletes, when this happens, they get overly conscious, self-conscious, thinking too much, overthinking technique, and what we call "get in their heads." So the problem is just overreacting. You feel nervous. You're having negative thoughts. And it's really easy to get swept away in that. And of course, yeah, the brain gets activated. Adrenaline kicks in, and it feels really overwhelming sometimes. But really, it's so important to expect that occasionally, you're going to get nervous. You're going to have negative thoughts. So when it does happen, you can accept it. You can accept it in the moment, not overreact, and use your tools, use some of the things that I'll be discussing in some of these questions, whether it be breathing or shifting your focus to something that's relevant, the task at hand. You really need to be disciplined in this regard. But of course, the feeling when you're, quote, "choking" and overthinking is so inconsistent with how you feel when you're playing well. So there's this sort of tendency to evaluate subconsciously how different it feels, and so there's that overreaction and panic. So it's so important to accept what's happening, as hard as that is. And then you are-- it's really important to shift your attention away from yourself and onto the target and what's relevant at the moment.

When choking in big moments, it's important to accept it in the moment, not overreact, and use tools such as breathing and focusing on what's relevant in the task at hand to refocus.

How do you avoid "choking" in big moments?

Mastering the Mental Game: Avoid Choking in Big Moments

To avoid choking in big moments, it's crucial to address the tendency to become overly conscious and self-conscious. Many athletes and players overthink their technique and get caught up in negative thoughts, which leads to getting in their heads.

The key is to avoid overreacting and getting swept away by nerves and negative thoughts. It's important to expect occasional nervousness and negative thoughts, accepting them in the moment without overreacting. Utilize tools and techniques like breathing exercises or shifting focus to the task at hand.

Discipline is essential in staying focused and not letting the feeling of choking and overthinking derail you. It's natural for the feeling to be inconsistent with how you perform when you're playing well, which can lead to panic. Therefore, accepting what's happening becomes crucial.

Shifting attention away from yourself and onto the target or what's relevant in the present moment is vital. By redirecting your focus, you can regain control and perform at your best even in high-pressure situations.

So week of training for us, I would say probably nine months out of the Year while we're training in the college season would be, we have, we have to hit three morning practices a week and but there's morning practice offered every single day of the week. Monday, through Friday. We just have to pick the three that we want to go to, but everyone's required to going Monday. So you have Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, to pick for two more mourning practices that are about an hour and a half long. And then the afternoon or We Day from 3:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday, Saturday mornings at 9:00. And then we have lift on Monday and Thursday around noon and dry land on Tuesday, and Friday at the same time. So, on our Double Days, where we have left their drawing in between, it will be wake up, practice at 6:00 to 7:30. Then we'd typically all have class during the day and then we will do lift or dry land, we'll eat lunch then go to lift or dry land and then we'll typically I'll just go straight to the pool and hang out for an hour or so before practice from three to five and that's typically our training during the year. And then during the summer, it's a little different since we don't have class right now, our main practices the morning. So we'll practice I guess our schedule right now is Monday, and Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And Saturday. We just have one practice from 9:00 to 11:00 on Monday and Thursday. We're lifting from 11 to 12 and then Tuesday and Thursday. Right now we have practice from 7:30 or 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. and then practice again from 3:00 to 5:00 at night and that's Tuesday and Thursday.

We have three morning practices a week (Monday-Friday, one hour and a half each), afternoon practice Monday-Friday from 3:00 to 5:00, lift on Monday and Thursday at noon, and dry land on Tuesday and Friday. During summer, we practice Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 9:00 to 11:00am and Tuesday/Thursday 7:30/8:00 to 9:30 am and again from 3:00 to 5:00pm.

What does a week of training look like for you?

Intense training schedule: Double practices, lifts, and dry land - a glimpse into a swimmer's week!

During the college season, a typical week of training for us consists of three morning practices, which are about an hour and a half long. We have the option to choose which three mornings we attend, but Monday is a mandatory practice for everyone. In addition to the morning practices, we have afternoon practices from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and a Saturday morning practice at 9:00 AM.

We also have lifting sessions on Monday and Thursday around noon, as well as dry land training on Tuesday and Friday at the same time. On days with double sessions, we start with a morning practice from 6:00 to 7:30 AM, attend classes during the day, and then have a lift or dry land session. After lunch, we head to the pool to hang out for an hour before the afternoon practice from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.

During the summer, our training schedule changes since we don't have classes. Currently, we have morning practices on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. On Monday and Thursday, we also have a lifting session from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Additionally, we have morning practices on Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 or 8:00 to 9:30 AM, followed by an afternoon practice from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.

Overall, our training schedule varies depending on the season, with a focus on morning and afternoon practices, lifting sessions, and dry land training.

The number one all-time, most favorite moment of my career was being on the ice when the clock counted down to zero, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, and the Edmonton Oilers had won their first Stanley Cup, and I was in the net for the final game. It was the single most exciting hockey experience I ever had in my life, and it will be for the rest of my life. It was that impactful and that important and that exciting. There's no question that was the number one most important sports moment I had.

Winning the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers was the most memorable sports moment of my career.

What's your all-time favorite sports moment?

Unforgettable: Edmonton Oilers' First Stanley Cup Victory

My all-time favorite sports moment was being on the ice when the clock counted down to zero, and the Edmonton Oilers won their first Stanley Cup. I was in the net for the final game, and it was the most thrilling hockey experience of my life. This moment will forever hold a special place in my heart as the most impactful and exciting sports moment I've ever had.

The answer to this one, for me, is pretty easy. I would define a great practice session as any practice session where the players that you're involved with have great attitudes, they work at a very, very high intensity rate with focus, concentration. And during that time frame, at the same time, they find a way to balance all that with having some fun in what they're doing. And then finally, in the last portion, let's see if we can also add to those things that we're adding some new skills, improving areas that we want to improve, whether that be focusing on our strengths because maybe we're closer to a competition, or whether it's developing some of our weaknesses because we have a little bit more time and a training block to work on some areas that we want to focus on and try and get better within our game. But always, first and foremost, Attitude and Effort, A&E, those are the two biggest things.

A great practice session would be one where players have a good attitude and work hard, while also having fun and working on new skills.

How do you define a great practice session?

Attitude, intensity, and fun: The key to a great practice session

Defining a great practice session is quite simple for me. It involves players with positive attitudes, working at a high intensity with focus and concentration. They also manage to have fun during the session. Additionally, it's important to use the time to add new skills, improve areas of weakness, or enhance strengths depending on the upcoming competition or training block. However, the two most crucial elements are attitude and effort. These factors, represented by A&E, are the foundation of a successful practice session.

The question is, "How do I keep poor performances from affecting my confidence?" Well. So this really is an opportunity to become more aware of your tendencies, the things that tend to affect your game, and often it is about fear of missing, being too tight, not really being decisive. So there is the mental and emotional aspect, of course, that you need to become more aware of, and when you are able then to make better adjustments and identify those things that are affecting your game, your first-serve percentage, your ability to release, your forehand, using your strengths, are you really targeting their weakness? So there's tactic as well. So all of these factors make this game so interesting, and it's a constant project to just keep chipping away at the most important aspects of your game, particularly as it relates to match play. So awareness is really important to help you actually fix some of those things. And practice them. So practicing the things that are actually going to win you points with your matches. I'd also just like to say that after a string of poor performances, if you haven't effectively adjusted, you could start to lose confidence, but remember that you have an identity as a player. And I think this is a really important idea. Who are you as a player? You're an aggressive baseliner. You attack the net. You're solid, consistent. You build the points well. How do you how do you like to play? What does it mean to play on your terms? Because if you can continue to stay true to yourself in terms of your identity as a player, I think you'll be less vulnerable to the performances that kind of go up and down. So getting clarity on that. Who are you as a player? How are you going to play, and being in the driver's seat, as I like to say. So I think these are some important ideas related to your performance and making them more consistent.

To keep poor performances from affecting your confidence, become more aware of what affects your game, practice tactics that will help you win points in matches, and get clarity on your identity as a player by asking yourself how you like to play and staying true to yourself.

How do I keep poor performances from affecting my confidence?

Mastering the Mental Game: How to Keep Poor Performances from Shaking Your Confidence

To keep poor performances from affecting your confidence, it's important to become more aware of your tendencies and the factors that impact your game. This includes addressing the mental and emotional aspects, such as fear of missing or being too tight. By identifying these factors, you can make better adjustments and improve your game.

Tactics also play a role in maintaining confidence. Focus on practicing and implementing strategies that will help you win points during matches. Target your opponent's weaknesses and utilize your strengths effectively.

It's crucial to remember your identity as a player. Define who you are on the court, whether it's being an aggressive baseliner, a net attacker, or a solid and consistent player. Stay true to your playing style and maintain clarity on how you want to play the game on your terms. By being in control of your identity and playing style, you'll be less vulnerable to fluctuations in performance.

Overall, awareness, practice, and staying true to your playing identity are key to maintaining confidence and improving consistency in your performances.

So I have all my paralyzation on Google Sheets. So I broke down into phases and you can see the colors which basically make up a weeks of pink is aerobic. Greatest, fresh old blue is 200 raised paste, green and Sprint, purple's 100 row space and light blue is meats and then basically I work away from the main meat which are with a British championships and then I I kind of you know there's taper and then basically we work towards that and I've factored the trains. We start off with more aerobic and fresh, hold work. And then we end up again, you see, more green, purple and blues and no more threshold. We're just going on to the Aerobic System. So look, fresh older sort of stop. Here's a Sprint, Sprint, periodization and you can get me, write, you your own Sprint periodization on middle-distance periodization on my website, wcmu.org, co.uk, I have age. Group program, Sprint programs middle-distance programs are for postal. Coach program, and a master's program is great for triathletes Open Water swimmers to works. So, if you need any more help and I also, you know, as a coach for a club, you can buy any of these programs and I'll help you write sessions for your program.

I have designed a periodization plan on Google Sheets to help athletes prepare for a British Championships. This plan breaks down into aerobic, threshold and sprint work, with tapers before the championship. I also have programs available on my website, wcmu.org, co.uk, for age group, sprint, middle-distance, and masters athletes, as well as for coaches and triathletes and open water swimmers.

How do you structure your tapering and preparation periods for competitions?

Optimizing Competition Prep: Structure & Tapering Tips

To structure my tapering and preparation periods for competitions, I use Google Sheets to organize my plan. I break it down into different phases, each represented by a different color. For example, pink represents aerobic work, blue is for 200-meter race pace, green is for sprinting, purple is for 100-meter race pace, and light blue is for competition days.

I work backward from the main competition, such as the British Championships, and plan my tapering period accordingly. I adjust the training focus as I progress through the phases. Initially, there is more emphasis on aerobic and fresh work, and as I approach the competition, there is a shift towards more intense work, such as sprinting and threshold training.

If you're interested, you can find sprint and middle-distance periodization programs on my website, wcmu.org.co.uk. These programs are suitable for different age groups, including masters and triathletes. Additionally, as a coach, you can purchase these programs and I can assist you in customizing sessions for your specific needs.

Feel free to reach out if you need further assistance or have any questions.