Tomas Berdych defeated Juan Martin Del Potro 6-1, 6-4 to win the Japan Open and capture his first title this year. Berdych had a tough road to the final, with surprising wins over Andy Roddick and Fernando Gonzalez.
After the tennis match, Berdych discussed the importance for focus on the court and said:
“In this condition and at this level of tennis, I think the most important thing is to… just be 100 percent on the court — then the results can come.”
Berdych understands the importance of mental strength on the court. If you focus on what you can control on the court. Berdych is able to focus on one point at a time (or execution), rather than match outcome. Thinking too much about the future, or the outcome of the match can cause players to become over-anxious, focus on errors and under-perform.
“Everyone is so close, everyone is so tough, it’s all about confidence and feeling on the court,” Berdych said. “If you can win one or two matches, everything comes together.”
Most ATP tour players are on an equal playing field in terms of ability. Berdych realizes that confidence and mental toughness can give players the mental advantage. High self-confidence can help a player win with less talent and ability than the opponent. Players with confidence hit out on the ball and take chances when they are down.
Berdych, ranked 21, strives to reach the top 10:
“So I’m looking forward to going out there. My goal is to get back to as close as possible to the top 10, and next year I have a lot of chances to bring my ranking up,” he added.
Berdych isn’t satisfied with maintaining. He has the confidence to up – to improve and to challenge himself. The top ATP players are always striving for higher and higher goals. They thrive on personal challenges to improve. His goals are the road map for his future tennis achievements.
Tomas Berdych stayed patient, confident, and waited for the right time to capture his first title of the year. The mental keys to his success included his ability to focus on the process, stay confident and staying motivated to reach his goals in tennis.