Why some make it and others don't make it.

[kiteboard]

Every serious player has some talent. Some have more than others. Some have more speed. Some have more will. Some have more access to good pro teaching. Good equipment and sponsors. Wild card entries to big tournaments. Access to good practice partners. Good parents willing to pay for all the up front bills to start with. A good coach not only schools technique, but also confidence, consistency, mental psych ability, injury recovery, and suggestion at the right time for the right issues, to the point, so that the student learns the right thing and the right lesson at the right time! And yet, there are thousands of guys all over the world with the same types of training, same types of talents, same types of equipment, all crushing the ball, playing hard as they can, taking serious pathway towards improvement. Some make it and some don't make it. Why is that? Uncle Tony said, "I heard Jack Nicklaus say: "First learn to hit it far, then learn to keep it in.", and I taught this to Rafa."

Is it greater will power?

Is it greater psych ability or resistance to psyches?

Is it greater talent?

Is it better string/stick/shoes/socks, etc?

Is it greater hand eye speed/vision speed?

Is it greater strength/speed/flexibility?

Is it simply more confidence whether the confidence is deserved or not?

Anyone with any athletic training, or competition, knows what it feels like to come up against someone who is better than you are. You just know you are going to lose. They hit stronger shots. They are more consistent. They are more accurate. They are faster. They are more fit than you are. We also know what it feels like to come up against someone who is about the same level as you are. For different reasons. They are more consistent, but have no power. They are faster, but have no consistency. They are smarter tactically, but cannot hit a winner. They hit a shot you don't like but also cannot handle your kick serve.

What is the most important reason why some make it and almost no one does make it?

 

[Mick]

I pick all of the above

 

[kiteboard]

I would say it's mainly due to the lack of an uncle Tony type mentor. Kids need that to make it the most. To believe in themselves, takes some help beyond a normal person's ability to give and be believed. The island of Mallorca, about 3/4 of a million people,(790,763) producing two #1 players. (Moya made it for about a week or so.) Nadal had Moya to hit with. He had Tony making suggestions. He was able to believe in himself despite loss/injury/weaknesses.

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

Haha, the poll title is "the most important reason some make it and most don't", yet Kiteboard voted for every option.

 

[LeeD]

I consider myself somewhat of a knowledgeable blabbermouth, but especially THIS subject, have more experience than most any of you, or combined.
I find the single most important factor for getting to a top level pro ranking is..... NOT GETTING INJURED! By far, the most important. No other single factor.
You can get pretty good without paid coaching.
You can overcome most of your physical limitations, and we all have a few.
You can learn how to win, learn how to accept losing, learn to compensate.
But you cannot overcome a significant injury that lingers in your mind, even after you're fully healed.

 

[kiteboard]

True. I wrote every option. Just wanted no one option to feel left out.

 

[LeeD]

And remember, an injury can be a mental injury, as well as a physical one. Our mind usually sets the limitations of our ability, one way or the other.
Injuries cause distraction, and a distracted player is not focused, can't practice effectively, and suffers either walkabout or temporary loss of focus, at a moment when focus is the most important factor to winning.
Since most of us who tried to get decent at one point in our lives did it when we were single and independent, there is no excuse for NOT playing in a tennis enviorment as well develop our game. We MOVE to a tennis enviorment! If you want it bad enough, you are not gonna stay in HoobokenCounty, Alaska, out near Whitehorse. You're gonna MOVE to California, Florida, Texas, or Georgia....Arizona, NewMexico...etc.

 

[kiteboard]

There are lots of players out there who have not been injured. Having been injured myself, many times, I can see the point. Permanent injuries to my elbow/shoulder/hamstring. Popping and cracking does no good for your game. All top players get hurt. All top juniors get hurt. Only a few make it past the injuries, but all are playing hurt.

 

[LeeD]

Hurt? Yes, most top developing players do get injured a bit during their formulative years.
Very few can recover from serious injuries, like compound fractures, multiple debilitating injuries, knee damage, or lower back problems.
I've seen it in every sport from surfing to waterskiing, from windsurfing, to golf, tennis, basketball, snowboarding, skiing, even competitive combat pistol shooting. I've seen ONE serious injury just totally devastate a rising youngster's confidence, just totally killing his changes for advancement.
And as we age, we get more than ONE telling injury.

 

[kiteboard]

Seeing as you are 61 and I am 54, we know what it's like to play hurt! I can remember being light and fit, yet cannot remember being not hurt.

 

[tennis_balla]

Funny how everyone here talks about what they think is needed yet you all forgot about one main thing that without, you're s.o.l.

MONEY

Without it, I don't care how good you are you're not going anywhere. Could be your own money, a financial sponsor, being backed up a federation etc. but even to begin with you need some sort of finance to get to that level to even be considered.

Lessons, traveling, shoes, rackets, clothing, hotels, gas, food, indoor courts etc. It adds up quick

 

[kiteboard]

Any time any top junior comes along, sponsors line up to give them things, as do agents. Take a look at Venus/etc. At 12 they had them lining up. Money comes easy for those top talents.

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

Any time any top junior comes along, sponsors line up to give them things, as do agents. Take a look at Venus/etc. At 12 they had them lining up. Money comes easy for those top talents.

But becoming a top junior requires money as well.

 

[LeeD]

My take, you can leave it if you think I'm ridiculous.
Talking top potential, still developing, with some real weapons. Play ONE tournament, and you start to get stuff.
Do well for one season, and your expenses are paid.
C'mon guys. I was 27 years old, did well in ONE A/Open, got free rackets, free clothes, free shoes, tourney entry to LAOpen twice (but I was alternate in the Q draw both times). Free hitting partners? Well, I'd already practiced with A women, some better, and plenty of B and A NorCal men.
Just how much money do you really need? I lived on $450 a month then, as I have in the last 3 years.

 

[kiteboard]

There you go. He eats at Taco Bell, cheap, good food.

 

[eliza]

Go baby go

And remember, an injury can be a mental injury, as well as a physical one. Our mind usually sets the limitations of our ability, one way or the other.
Injuries cause distraction, and a distracted player is not focused, can't practice effectively, and suffers either walkabout or temporary loss of focus, at a moment when focus is the most important factor to winning.
Since most of us who tried to get decent at one point in our lives did it when we were single and independent, there is no excuse for NOT playing in a tennis enviorment as well develop our game. We MOVE to a tennis enviorment! If you want it bad enough, you are not gonna stay in HoobokenCounty, Alaska, out near Whitehorse. You're gonna MOVE to California, Florida, Texas, or Georgia....Arizona, NewMexico...etc.

Agree 100%
Any youngster who is half good, go ahead. Sure, you need money, but funding is relatively easy, start asking around, tell your parents, relatives, friends, teachers, make noise.
And yes, move to tennis-friendly states..............

 

[eliza]

Go baby go

And remember, an injury can be a mental injury, as well as a physical one. Our mind usually sets the limitations of our ability, one way or the other.
Injuries cause distraction, and a distracted player is not focused, can't practice effectively, and suffers either walkabout or temporary loss of focus, at a moment when focus is the most important factor to winning.
Since most of us who tried to get decent at one point in our lives did it when we were single and independent, there is no excuse for NOT playing in a tennis enviorment as well develop our game. We MOVE to a tennis enviorment! If you want it bad enough, you are not gonna stay in HoobokenCounty, Alaska, out near Whitehorse. You're gonna MOVE to California, Florida, Texas, or Georgia....Arizona, NewMexico...etc.

Agree 100%
Any youngster who is half good, go ahead. Sure, you need money, but funding is relatively easy, start asking around, tell your parents, relatives, friends, teachers, make noise.
And yes, move to tennis-friendly states..............

 

[tennis_balla]

You guys are delusional

 

[Manus Domini]

all of the above

and anyone who thinks they have more talent than a top 50 player, tell me the score next time you play

 

[kiteboard]

What does that mean? No one on the board thinks that. Even the top pros posting here, which no one knows who they are, would cop to that belief.

 

[LeeD]

TennisBalla.....
You are 6'6". Obviously had/still have a solid game and a big serve. What stopped you from making it thru Q's to a main draw?
Were you injured those years? Were you lacking confidence?
Where you that level THEN?
You often speak about lack of finances. Didn't you get all EQ paid for, entry fees and some travel expenses from racket or clothing companies?
You MUST have played some A/Open events.
I'd certainly have put your chances right even with ClintT, Lawman, and TonLars.
What really happenned, to disillusion you?

 

[tennis_balla]

Well, to say move to a part of the world/country where tennis is big is easier said then done. Its easy to sit here and give advice online but its much tougher to do it in reality. Not everyones parents can just get up and move to another part of the country and have a job there and an income to support the whole family including siblings, or even move to a different country if need be. Thats not always an option, rarely is.
Some can afford to send their kids off somewhere like an academy or travel with a private coach, or have one of the parents go with them so they are not alone but again that goes back to how much finances you have.

Theres a ton of talent out there scraping by going from tournament to tournament trying to make it and make ends meet. Thats not to say they are stupid for doing it, I respect them and it takes a tough individual and discipline to be able to do that. It will always be the deciding factor even for the pro's who've you could say have made it.
A pros' break even point is somewhere around Top 250 the world, depending how good you are at managing your funds. Now imagine you were the top 250th baseball player, or hockey or football (soccer, real football ) player in the world, you'd be making a heck of a lot more money then in tennis at that point thats for sure.

Sure, even if you get good and have free training and a place to train for free, a sponsor who gives you clothes, rackets, strings etc your travel expenses to go play Futures and Challenger tournaments will not be paid for. If they are you're already the top elite, under USTA or another national federation. Those players are few and far between, everyone else has to at least for the most part do it on their own. Thats the reality of it.

By the way, I'm around 6'3/6'4 only

Edit:

I'm not being negative about finances or funds etc, I'm just trying to point out how important it is in a players career. Its everything combined. Talent, luck, coaching, fitness, mental toughness, etc AND money to be able to do it. Thats all

 

[HunterST]

Tennis balla, to some degree, I would combine money with "will."

A lot of pros didn't come from crazy rich families, but their families risked virtually everything in the belief that their children could be tennis stars. Obviously you have to have enough money to put down, but many families just took the huge (perhaps unreasonable) risk of investing money into their children's tennis career.

 

[LeeD]

Most excellent reply, TennisBalla, and good luck to you whatever you do.
I guess I was in a slightly different boat, being from no money, eschewing the chances to actually get an education and making money, to go for the idea (dream) of making Pro at some sport.
I didn't need a salary, as I was already working partime in the business (stringer and part time surfboard shaper), so $$ money was no issue. I never got any of the goodlife when I was younger, so going bottom basic bracket was always OK.
It was the Dream that led me for a few years, and it was injury (collarbone) that ended my tennis. I've always mixed in a few sports, and motocross was one of those that could lead to injury. I could race just fine with a 14 day old clavical break, but couldn't serve a tennis ball for almost 2 years. By then, any chances of playing tennis at a decent level just left me and my brains, or what little of it I had.
At least you can still be an instructor in this sport. That I gave up when I broke my collarbone in practice (motocross practice).
But for every closed door, they say another door opens, you just have to keep your eyes open and be cognizant of the fact.
I'm 61 now, should be applying for my SS benefits sometime today, instead of senselessly jabbering on this site. $562 a month is better than a kick in the head.

 

[kiteboard]

If consistency is more important than power, for all levels, why did uncle Tony teach Nadal the other way around first? When I watch good players hit, the ones I remember, are the ones who can hit very hard, not the back board types.

When I am playing at the top of my game, my hard game is not missing at all, hardly, and is close to the lines, for a lot of winners/forced errors. To play like that, I have to be against a top guy, who I think is going to beat me if I don't play well. The adrenaline runs harder, as I am under a greater threat. My energy flow is fast and free, and my transition game is on and my movement aggressive to the max. This doesn't happen much anymore. STill looking for a consistent string with great spin/control/tens. main. Closest so far is blue gear ultra with blackcode cross, or vs team with bc cross. Why Bc cross feels like it has more control? It's a pentagonal string, 1.18mm best, which they call 18g. Maybe the main gets locked in on a plane, in a crisp way, and stays on that plane for the 3 ms of contact.

 

[yemenmocha]

Funny how everyone here talks about what they think is needed yet you all forgot about one main thing that without, you're s.o.l.

MONEY

Without it, I don't care how good you are you're not going anywhere. Could be your own money, a financial sponsor, being backed up a federation etc. but even to begin with you need some sort of finance to get to that level to even be considered.

Lessons, traveling, shoes, rackets, clothing, hotels, gas, food, indoor courts etc. It adds up quick

+1

Couldn't believe this wasn't in the original list. You MUST have lessons early on, well lessons all along the way, as well as general coaching - some pro must be watching your matches, giving feedback, etc. All of this must be done from early on until either college tennis or the tour as a teenager.

NONE of the other factors matter worth #@*#& if you don't have money for lessons, coaching, and related costly aspects of player development.

 

[TheBoom]

Funny how everyone here talks about what they think is needed yet you all forgot about one main thing that without, you're s.o.l.

MONEY

Without it, I don't care how good you are you're not going anywhere. Could be your own money, a financial sponsor, being backed up a federation etc. but even to begin with you need some sort of finance to get to that level to even be considered.

Lessons, traveling, shoes, rackets, clothing, hotels, gas, food, indoor courts etc. It adds up quick

Right on the dot with the concept however you can have all the money in the world but without a will you would get creamed :twisted: probably why i'm not a high level junior right now i've had to pay for 80-90% of my stuff.....

 

[LeeD]

Yeah, like RichardWilliams was blessed with a boatload of cash, so spent the time buying coaches, trainers, and advisors for his two daughters.
If you need money to make it on your own, you just don't care enough to put in the effort to make it.
If you need a fancy sport's car, nice new clothes, that blondie cheerleader, and enough cash to play the nightlife, you're not going to make it anyways.
Life isn't always the easiest path chosen.

 

[kiteboard]

No one has ever made it to world class at a later age, not to the top of the game. It's brutal even to make 4.5 over 30, let alone 4.5 over 50. What would a man have to do to make world class from 4.5? Virtually all top players were top juniors, who made 4.5 at a very early age, and have trouble finding anyone at all good enough to beat them locally, so they have to go out and travel for partners/coaches/competition. I hit with a guy who is seeded in many opens, norcal, who cannot find anyone to play at his level. Even when I knew where he was hitting to, I got winnered.

 

[kiteboard]

Is will more important than talent?

 

[Nellie]

I say look at siblings in tennis playing families and ask yourself why one sibling makes it as a pro and the others don't since you assume the siblings receive the same coaching and opportunities. For example, on the men's side:

Murry has a brother who is taller but slow;

Djokovich has two young brothers who are okay players but not on his level - for one, they are not as tall as him;

Roddick has a couple of brothers who are not as tall as him.

My conclusion - you need all of the conditions in the world (coaching, equipment, opponents, opportunity, health) plus natural talent .

 

[kiteboard]

And Sampras had a sister, as did Evert/many, and so on. Blake's brother never made it. Will and talent can differ from sibling to sibling. Oudin's sister was no good. Many top players have low grade siblings who have had the same opportunities.

 

[TheBoom]

And Sampras had a sister, as did Evert/many, and so on. Blake's brother never made it. Will and talent can differ from sibling to sibling. Oudin's sister was no good. Many top players have low grade siblings who have had the same opportunities.

Murray's bro is another example.....

 

[CoachingMastery]

Let me share my view on this from two different perspectives.

As most know, I've been an instructor for some 35 years. I've seen players that seemed to lack great natual ability/talent surpass those who had tons of athleticism...and, I've seen those who had all the talent and money fail in reaching their potential.

The key for those who indeed "made it" (assuming we are talking about players who made it well out of the typical 3.5 realm and proceded to continue improvement to a full potential or a recognized level of skilled play), is that those who did were disciplined within what I call an "advanced foundation." (A method of learning that does not teach rudementary means that must change at some point for a player to reach high levels of play.) Those millions who get stuck at the 3.0 or 3.5 level typically use those methods that are generally "introductory".

Regarding money: yes, it is helpful to have funds to seek out instruction and the means to practice or play regularly. However, a player can, if disciplined, seek out proper instruction through many means, (web sites, books, dvd's, etc.) and then hope to a) recognize what these patterns are, b) can define why such patterns are desirable, c) can emulate these patterns in practice and in competition, and d) not revert or fall victim to moving back to or into patterns that are less desirable, (but might be easier at early points in development.)

That said, I personally was able to teach myself with few lessons. (I was able to analyze top players of the day, understand their methods, and I was also very good at knowing what my own body was doing in practicing these methods I was emulating.) Thus, I agree that money is not always necessary, at least tons of it as many might believe. Could I have been a better player with better initial instruction? Yes, I do believe I would have. But, I also would not have developed, I believe, a keen sense of self-awareness, nor critical thought if I had been "told" what to do. (Which, is why in my teaching career, I have always tried to teach the "why" as well as the "How" since I want my students to understand both and the be self relient when necessary.)

However, many people CAN'T replicate proper movements on their own, and often do need an observant and corrective eye to help them recognize the right patterns to practice. This can save such players a ton of time and frustration. (If they developed poor habits early on.)

Many believe that through simple attrition, (hitting thousands of balls), they will somehow, someday, become highly skilled. This is seldom true. While most players will be able to figure out how to hit a ball high enough over the net and hard enough (or soft enough) to land in, many will only develop patterns that will prohibit them from developing more prolific and advanced strokes. And, usually, such players fail to reach their potential.

Now, if we are talking about players making to the world-class level, obviously, they too will need to develop proper mechanics early on, but they will also have to have a healthy dose of: Desire, Dedication, Drive, Discipline, and athleticism. And, they will usually need to have the means to employ these elements often and regularly. They will also have to usually be able to travel, compete with many diverse advanced players, and enter many tournaments to gain competitive experience.

This is a long winded reply, certainly. But the question and subsequent answer to the original posted question can be diverse and have tons of exceptions. But, if you want to reach the highest level of competitive play you are capable of, you will first and foremost, want to develop a game that is on par with those levels you are seeking to become. Anything short of that will prevent most players from not just reaching their potential, but from reaching beyond the stars...if such opportunity was in the stars.

 

[sureshs]

In reality, no one is making it today without professional tennis coaching from a young age.

 

[kiteboard]

Both posts are true. How many have we seen spend thousands of hours playing/practicing and make no improvement at all, regardless of their will or talent levels? Almost no one is actually getting better out there. No video feed back for one. No real coaching for another.

 

[kiteboard]

Mentors are the real reason some make it and some don't. They tell you what string to use, what stick, they help with coaching, confidence, motivation, so that the player starts out on top of someone elses' shoulders, already at a high level! No one makes it without a top level mentor, making suggestions all along the way, how to improve, how to handle loss, how to heal up injuries, etc.
That being said, plenty of players with great mentors end up feeding balls for a living! Talent/will/mentors, are the real building blocks, without which no one improves to world class, and even still, plenty of talented willful mentored people never make it past 6.0 levels.

 

[DownTheLine]

Murray's bro is another example.....

Murrays brother is/was actually pretty good in dubs.

 

[kiteboard]

So is Nadal's friend, if he plays with Nadal. You are only as good as your partner in doubles!

 

[TennisCoachFLA]

Coach Smith, always enjoy your input. The proper fundamentals early on are huge.

I was asked to consult with a player who recently won huge junior tournaments in the 14s. I will not disclose the gender as to not give too much info away. This player has been winning big in the 10s, 12s, and now 14s. The player and parents and day to day coaches have the player pegged for the pros.

The first thing that jumped out was the forehand. Straight and low take back and little core rotation. I prepared a video montage of every current male and female top 10 player showing the off hand cradleing the throat, high take back, shoulder rotation, off arm extended down the line, etc.

It was so obvious that every single top pro had one stroke pattern and this top junior had an entirely different one.

Needless to say the 'audience' for this information on the basic fundamentals of the juniors forehand did not take my critique well at all.

Sadly I would expect this top junior to come crashing down some day due to the basic flaws in the stroke. So here is one case of somebody who might have "made it" but will not due to improper early fundamentals that still allowed for junior success.

 

[Mick]

i watched a sharapova interview. the press asked her what it would take to win a grand slam title. she said experience and luck.

 

[LeeD]

Luck is huge.
Luck of the draw.
Luck you make your connections on time.
Luck your g/f is not ragging on you.
Luck your opponent is walking about.
Luck you happen to be "on" when you play a better opponent.
Oh, are those really excuses?

 

[CoachingMastery]

Coach Smith, always enjoy your input. The proper fundamentals early on are huge.

I was asked to consult with a player who recently won huge junior tournaments in the 14s. I will not disclose the gender as to not give too much info away. This player has been winning big in the 10s, 12s, and now 14s. The player and parents and day to day coaches have the player pegged for the pros.

The first thing that jumped out was the forehand. Straight and low take back and little core rotation. I prepared a video montage of every current male and female top 10 player showing the off hand cradleing the throat, high take back, shoulder rotation, off arm extended down the line, etc.

It was so obvious that every single top pro had one stroke pattern and this top junior had an entirely different one.

Needless to say the 'audience' for this information on the basic fundamentals of the juniors forehand did not take my critique well at all.

Sadly I would expect this top junior to come crashing down some day due to the basic flaws in the stroke. So here is one case of somebody who might have "made it" but will not due to improper early fundamentals that still allowed for junior success.

Thanks for the comments...I believe we have similar experiences which help us understand the power of an Advanced Foundation.

We have seen your example many times in So. Cal, AZ and UT...(states I've done extensive teaching in). Kids with pros or parents that want them to dominate at the juniors often teaching them stroke patterns that sabatage their chances at prolific play later. I see this with pros teaching flat serves with eastern grips, pushing strokes or volleys with eastern grips, (because these are traditionally easier for kids to hit more balls over the new with.)

While this is not done intentionally, or consciously very often, pros and parents and even kids themselves often play to win "today" instead of working on patterns that will allow them to compete with better players later in their career.

It is always important to learn to "win," it should not be the priority for kids or even adults who are looking to progress and compete at higher levels down the road. Players who traditionally work on desirable stroke elements in pressure or competitive play, even if it may be not as comfortable at the time or doesn't always produce successful points, tend to produce players who may not win early on but almost always surpass those players who do whatever it takes to win in those same situations.

We can almost always examine exceptions, but that is exactly what they are, exceptions.

If we have a hundred readers here, (or if I have 3500 students), I will want to give ALL of them the greatest chance to reach their goals and potential.

Thus, I would be a very poor professional if I taught to the exception rather than the rule. (There may be elements that can be considered "exceptions" in the training process that are still part of the "advanced foundation" concept I've mentioned.)

Thanks again for your input and sharing your experience!

 

[kiteboard]

In my experience, the mentor effect is missing in most promising kids. They usually have the parent as mentor, and the parents in most cases can't hit a ball past 4.0-4.5 at best! (Nor can most coaches period.) Nor can most coaches instill confidence, due to their lack of ability to play themselves. Bolletiere was an exception, if you've ever seen him hit a ball, it's not pretty. Rich Williams also was not a good player, who was able to teach how to kill the ball. Curious, how some players bond so well with the parents as coach, and now, Davydenko, using his wife as coach, due to their bond confidence wise, and Roddick using his own brother, as did Chang. I saw Carl play for cal. He wasn't too good, at #6. Blake also uses his brother as co coach, as do many other pros. Sometimes, a family member can provide enormous support in the mind and body, and cue the player up to play his best.

And you see even top pros searching for mentors, and firing current mentors, due to one reason or another, such as Murray, Federer, Roddick. A glaring example of someone who needed a mentor besides his childhood coach: Blake. If he had hired Gilbert, who then would have taught him the lull game, he would have done better, instead of sticking to the blaster mode ala Safin/Korolev/etc.

Blake said, "That's my game. I'm not going to change it. When I try to dial it down, it's not me."

The pure blasters can never beat the lull/jam/blasters, such as Murray, Nadal, Fed, Joker, under pressure. Delpo was an exception, due to Fed's draw down too much to the lull game in the 5th set, and his choke on second set serving for that set.

Some learn how to play all paces, the lull game, the jam game, and the blast game, and how to transition from one to the next without errors. Not without mentor help. Usually the parent coach is feeding, teaching foot work, consistency, and has no real idea how to hit a 130mph serve, nor how to return one.

And I've never seen an older player learn these transitions, or how to hit the ball harder, for winners, under pressure, or how to serve on a world class level, or how to develop a killer volley game. Why is that, if so many have such a strong desire to play and improve, the person who has improved the most on earth as an adult is Rafa? Does that come down to will? Or talent? Or a great mentor? He turned his serve into a weapon, his volley into a weapon, and his bh into a weapon, only after he turned 18. Before then, all were far weaker shots. Why don't more of us have that insane desire and will to improve? Maybe part of it is peds.

 

[LeeD]

Geez, I'm just plain guilty of enjoying the good life, going out for a hit wid me mates, hit for personal performance but not necessarily to WIN.
I figure either I'm a winner in life or a loser, and winning a few tennis matches makes little difference.

 

[r2473]

What do you mean by "make it"?

 

[LeeD]

Well, ONE guy gets to be numero uno, so the rest are really losers.

 

[Mick]

Luck is huge.
Luck of the draw.
Luck you make your connections on time.
Luck your g/f is not ragging on you.
Luck your opponent is walking about.
Luck you happen to be "on" when you play a better opponent.
Oh, are those really excuses?

but then you they say "luck favors the well prepared"

 

[LeeD]

Of course, there are always two sides to every story!
But can you prepared for this east coast bad weather? What if you had a match scheduled last week in NewYork? And you lived on the WestCoast or anywhere else? Major drama involved.
Some things you cannot control, no matter how prepared you are.

 

[dozu]

look at this issue from a different perspective -

the very definition of competition is that for every winner there are 63 or 127 losers.... so statistically, for every champion, there are many many more chimps, regardless of talent, effort, blah blah blah.

tennis is just about the most sucky way to make a buck, unless the player really really loves it.