If I was they type of person who had tennis, tennis, tennis all the time and I went to bed and ended up dreaming about tennis, I would go nuts. – Marat Safin

​“I eat, sleep, drink, and breathe tennis.” It sounds noble doesn’t it? But, for all intents and purposes, it is more of an inspiring slogan than a realistic piece of advice for your training. When you are preparing for anything physical, refusing to allow some form of rest and recuperation increases the likelihood that you will endure some form of injury. Too much physical training without enough recovery is not a good thing. Constant training, preparation, and competition can be physically and mentally draining.  You want to ensure that when it is time for competition that you are operating at the highest possible level. Allowing yourself time off to recover will provide you with the necessary energy to perform when it is time to train and compete, but when you are focused on accomplishing a goal, it can be difficult to force yourself to recover. However, there are measures that can be taken to allow you to recuperate.

The primary means of allowing yourself to mentally recover from training in tennis is to have interests, hobbies, friends, and family that can serve as a temporary distraction from tennis. Reviewing your goals, focusing on the things that you did right as well as areas for improvement, and all of the other forms of mindset training can be viewed the same way as physical training. They are essential, but there is also a need for recovery in order to perform to your highest potential. Having interesting and fulfilling hobbies can provide a relief from the mental taxation of pursuing your goals in the sport of tennis. The same can be said of having friends and family that can discuss things other than the sport of tennis. Training and competition is the time for focusing on achieving your goals in tennis. Outside of those times, it is important to have constructive distractions from tennis. This recovery is necessary for lasting success!