Tennis is the only discipline, in my opinion, which combines features that occur singly in other sports - it requires coordination, great speed, thinking, agility and running at the same time.

What does tennis really teach us?

There is a conviction among experienced players and coaches, that there are many correlations and similarities between tennis and life. You might think that this is an exaggeration, but after looking at 3 simples examples, you are sure to notice that something about this actually might be true.

First of all - our attitude.

If it's negative, it influences us more than you would imagine. It makes us tense and unsure which automatically ruins our game. If your attitude is positive, just like in life, it's way more productive. Tennis is all about quick reactions to what your opponent is doing, predicting and the effective use of your own abilities to win. A good attitude and believing in yourself are really helpful.

Second - self-confidence.

Self-confidence is half of your success. If we play in a decisive way, we make the right decisions, and we don't panic when there is a new challenge - for example a tough opponent - we have a much bigger chance of winning. Trust your abilities, adapt your style to the situation, and don't let the opponent catch you by surprise. In other words - unhesitating reactions and trusting your abilities are the keys to success.

Third thing - concentration.

If we think about too many things at one time, we end up with an unproductive mess. If we concentrate on the most important things, the probability of coming up with something good increases. When we're on the court - the situation is the same. If you start concentrating on an unfinished report that you left on your desk at work, or what kind of shoes the pro on the next court is wearing, I guarantee - we won't get any precise forehands down the line.

The only thing that we should concentrate on is the situation on our court. There are far too many things that we need to control - the footwork, paying attention to the spacing on both your forehands and backhands, predicting what is going to happen... Being preoccupied with things that are not connected to this is out of the question.

... and what is the most important about it?

Tennis is much more than just the technique. When we have to play against an experienced player it might even turn out, that technique is suddenly not that important. There are various ways of playing the basic strokes - not just one way is correct.

For example we can play with the open stance position, standing parallel to the baseline facing the opponent. We can also play with the closed stance which is considered the classic way of playing tennis. Here you are turned sideways to your opponent. Each stance has its good and bad sides. Take the open stance for example - you need less time to prepare for the stroke, but the stroke itself has to be quick and precise. The second stance requires more preparation time, but the probability of getting the ball in, especially when it comes to beginners, is much bigger.

Every player should have a whole range of different strokes to be able to adjust to the circumstances.

Having your own strategy, your own style and the ability of adapting to the situation as well as being aware of both your own and your opponents strong and weak sides are things that are absolutely essential in tennis. For example if you notice, that your opponent likes playing from the baseline, but is reluctant to run to the net; tire them with your drop shots or volleys at the most difficult angles possible.

And remember - never give up. As long as you're trying it's always possible that you'll be the winner.