2
High Performance Coaching
Vol. 11, No. 2
The USTA Newsletter for Tennis Coaches
2010
The USTA Newsletter for Tennis Coaches
2010
Q: You mentioned the young players trying to make
that breakthrough. Do you see some of them as
getting close?
I think so. I had Melanie on my first team last year in
Arizona and she came through huge when we were down
2-1 [in the quarterfinals vs. Argentina] and then she made
a huge breakthrough in the summer and had that great
run at the US Open. So we're sort of waiting now for that
next player to do the same.
Coco had a great week [at the Mercury Insurance
Open] in San Diego where she beat {No. 9-ranked Vera]
Zvonareva, so that was a big step for her. She's quite
powerful and has a really good serve and she's starting
to come into her own. Christina McHale is a very hard
worker, very disciplined, very determined. She's been
doing well. Sloane Stephens won the junior doubles this
year at both the French and Wimbledon.
The real positive that I see in these girls is that they all
work hard and want to get better. It's fun for me to follow
them and track their progress.
Q: What do you see from these girls when you have
them with the Fed Cup team? Do you see a change in
them in pressure situations?
Well, you definitely see the intensity going up a bit, but
they seem to handle it well. I think what Patrick McEnroe
has done with the Player Development program in getting
them together at the training centers has been great for
their development. They're playing against each other,
practicing together, working together, and pushing each
other. That's a really good approach. I see it during Fed
Cup because they're trying not only to work together as a
team, but also to push each other to be the best they can
be. A big part of getting better as a player is to have that
competition and have someone pushing you.
Q: When you have these players during Fed Cup weeks,
is there one message that you try to drill home with
them--something they can take away that might help
them in their development?
One of the speeches I make to the young players is that
there aren't a lot of things that you can control on a tennis
court, but there are a few of things that you do have in
your control--and that's how fit you are, how hard you
work, and your attitude.
And that's what I try to emphasize during the Fed Cup
weeks--hard work pays off. The fitter you are, the better
off you're going to be. You've always got to be positive
and you've got to be willing to play one more shot than
your opponent. That's an attitude that's always going to
work to your benefit and give your opponent one more
thing to think about and fear.
Q: So there is a real power to positive thinking?
Absolutely there is. And I think that's one of the hardest
things for a young player to really get, because every
player goes through a tough streak. I don't care who
it is, it's easy to get discouraged at times. But to have
that belief in yourself and always, no matter what, be
positive--that can be a real difference maker.
Q: That wouldn't seem to be something you can teach
or coach.
Maybe not, but as a coach, you can reinforce it. As
a player, even if you're not having the best results,
you've got to walk the walk and just believe in yourself
and know the results are going to come. That's one
area where I think these younger players can look
up to someone like Melanie, who is not tall, does not
have huge power, but has the most fantastic attitude
that you can possibly have. She's always positive and
always determined. She is the definition of a fighter--
and that makes a very big difference when you're
out there on court trying to fight your way through.
Regardless of what the score is, you would never know
by looking at her.
Q: Do you think the Fed Cup experience has helped
some of these young players believe in themselves?
I would like to think so. Again, one of my main goals as
captain is to get these players to believe in themselves.
We've been the underdogs almost every time we've
played, so having that belief in ourselves individually and
as a team has really made a difference for us. Once the
match starts, anything is possible. And that's the attitude
I want to see in my players, because it's an attitude that
makes better players.
"I think these younger players
can look up to someone like
Melanie, who is not tall, does not
have huge power, but has the
most fantastic attitude that you
can possibly have."
Fernandez at the 2009 Tennis Teacher Conference during the US Open.