The Psychology Of A Grand Slam: What Alcaraz, Djokovic And Top Stars Must Overcome At US Open | EXCLUSIVE
With Carlos Alcaraz back from injury, Novak Djokovic chasing history, and Alexander Zverev carrying more weight of expectations, the US Open presents different challenges to top players.
The US Open is almost here, bringing in familiar questions of form, fitness and favourites. Carlos Alcaraz will make a return to tennis after a four-month layoff due to a wrist injury. Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz’s greatest rival at Grand Slams, meanwhile, has withdrawn due to a knee injury. Novak Djokovic will arrive with another opportunity to chase history, while Alexander Zverev will enter with a major weight lifted off his shoulders after finally ending the Grand Slam drought at Roland Garros.
These are very different stories; however, they are connected to a question – what does it actually take to survive the mental demands of a Grand Slam?
Romanian tennis coach Catalin Nedelescu, who has coached players on both the ATP and WTA tours, believes the answer goes far beyond playing the best tennis. For Catalin, the defining quality of a Grand Slam champion is not perfection, but the ability to adjust when perfection disappears.
“Grand Slams are rarely won by playing perfect tennis for two weeks. You cannot play perfect tennis two weeks in a row. It’s impossible. I think they are won by managing imperfect moments better than other players,” he told Sports Now.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Biggest Test May Not Be His Tennis
Carlos Alcaraz hasn’t played a competitive match since picking up a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open. He’s been training for the US Open for weeks, but Catalin believes there’s no substitute for match practice and the pressure of an actual game.
“First he has to trust his body again when he’s playing points and the competitive match that he hasn’t done for four months,” he said.
Alcaraz will enter the tournament as defending champion
Meanwhile, Alcaraz will also enter with greater expectations after Sinner’s withdrawal, and Catalin believes it could create another psychological challenge for Alcaraz.
“The moment you start thinking, oh, okay, now my biggest rival is not here. Maybe the tournament should be mine. I should win this trophy. This creates additional pressure to you,” he explained.
But there’s another side to Alcaraz’s long lay-off – freshness. The Spaniard might lack match rhythm, but the time away from the game could also be a slight advantage over players who have spent months on the court, playing back-to-back Grand Slams and ATP events.
“Freshness can be an advantage for him, especially physically and also mentally. Because he had that time to rest and think. But, you know, there is no real substitute for competitive matches.”
Novak Djokovic’s Greatest Weapon May Be His Ability To Reset
Novak Djokovic is after the historic 25th Grand Slam, but he hasn’t been able to crack the Sincaraz Code. The Serbian is no longer the physically dominant force he was at his peak, and the younger generation presents a significant challenge over the best-of-five format. But psychologically, there’s hardly anyone better than him. His ability to move on quickly from difficult moments is one of the major reasons he has remained competitive at the Grand Slams.
“The best players have an incredible ability to reset. They don’t interpret one bad set as, oh my God, I’m going to lose today. I’m playing badly today. I cannot do anything. They accept what’s happening. They are trying to identify what they can change and focus on the next point,” Catalin added.
Novak Djokovic last won a US Open in 2023, which was also the last major he won (AP)
For Djokovic, the hunger to win the 25th Grand Slam could work both ways – it can motivate a player who has won everything in life, but can also create enormous emotional pressure because every Grand Slam becomes another opportunity to make history. Catalin believes Djokovic’s relationship with that pressure is complicated.
“I’m sure he would like to win the 25th Grand Slam. But I think it can be both. Pressure and motivation. You know, because he achieved almost everything. And records give you another reason to keep pushing yourself. And he is chasing for history.”
Catalin feels if Djokovic can avoid long, draining matches early in the tournament, he’ll give himself a great chance of being physically capable of pulling off a Grand Slam win.
Zverev Learned The Hardest Grand Slam Lesson
Alexander Zverev offers another fascinating example of Grand Slam psychology. At the French Open, with Alcaraz out due to injury and early defeats of Sinner and Djokovic, he became the favourite to win the tournament. That expectation was difficult to process. Zverev admitted that he could not sleep after finding out that his biggest threats have been knocked out. It revealed the uncomfortable truth that being the favourite to win does not necessarily remove pressure, but sometimes can increase it.
Alexander Zverev end his Grand Slam drought at French Open (AP)
“As an underdog, you have freedom because people don’t expect you to win. And for many players, being the favourite is psychologically harder,” Catalin said.
Why The Second Week Changes Everything?
The opening rounds demand adaptation. The players are adjusting to the conditions, trying to find their rhythm and, sometimes, simply surviving. The second week, however, becomes more challenging as the opponents become stronger, the body becomes tired, and the trophy feels close enough to imagine. This is where players who are mentally stronger go on to win the Grand Slam, and others, who are equally skilful, succumb to pressure.
“You start to feel, okay, now I’m getting closer to that trophy. Now I’m getting closer to the finish line. But that also creates a different kind of pressure for yourself.”
“This is where Grand Slam champions separate themselves. By the second week, nobody is fresh. Nobody is playing perfect tennis. The player who survives is often the one who can remain emotionally stable when their best weapons are not working,” Catalin said.
A Coach Cannot Solve A Mental Problem For A Player
There is also an important lesson for coaches. Catalin feels that a coach cannot simply walk onto the court and tell a player how to think.
“If you are coming from outside and telling him all the tricks, what he could do, I don’t think that helps him a lot. It will help him when he realises, yes, I need to solve. It’s not a problem. It’s just something that it’s in me, and I have to take it out,” he said.
Novak Djokovic trains with Andy Murray (AP)
The player himself must realise what is happening before a coach can work on it.
“A player might recognise that he becomes stiff at 4-4 in a deciding set, that negative thoughts spiral after a lost set, or that expectations change his behaviour when he becomes the favourite. Once the player can identify the pattern, the coach can begin working on a solution.”
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports
