Andy Murray has earned his position among the top tennis players in the world. Murray confidence in tennis is growing with his four titles this year, and recently victory at the Madrid Masters in Spain. Murray became the first Brit to win four titles in a year.
Andy Murray dominated Roger Federer in the semi-finals 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Murray continued his winning streak defeating Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-6 (6) in the final.
He has been able to turn his weaknesses into strengths, which is a big boost to his tennis confidence and mental game under pressure. After his semi-final match, Murray said:
“Earlier this year a lot of people were saying that I needed to work on my serve and that it was one of my weaknesses. Now I think it’s one of the biggest strengths of my game. The serve was the key for me throughout the tournament.”
Andy Murray, like other tennis champions, knows how to improve the weaker areas of his game and does not ignore them. Murray learned from his losses and poor serving. He improved this part of his game, leading to greater mental strength and confidence overall.
Murray said that it’s tough to play in the finals when you are expected to win:
“He [Gilles Simon] was obviously more tired than me but I played a longish match against (Roger) Federer and emotionally it’s difficult to play against someone like him. To come out the next day and play a match you’re expected to win reasonably comfortably is tough.”
Murray’s consistency and determination throughout the tournament sets him apart from other players. Many players might have been emotionally drained after a big win over a top player like Roger Federer. Murray was emotional and mentally drained after the semi-final match, but was able to bounce back and regroup to play well in the finals.
However, Murray had no expectations of winning the title: “I didn’t come here expecting to win the tournament. I’d practiced very well but there is a difference between that and playing well. But now I’m building some more confidence,” said Murray.
Andy Murray realizes that transferring his practice game to competition is the key to tennis confidence and success. When it’s time to play, Murray must rely on his practice and preparation and trust in his skills. I instruct my students to not have any expectations, but instead play with confidence. Murray let go of expectations of winning and played with confidence – the ideal combination for your mental game of tennis attitude.
Andy Murray’s mind game and determination were the keys to help him win two critical matches in his career. Murray’s dedication to work on his weaknesses, improve confidence in his tennis mental game, and trust in his practice has helped him succeed in tennis.