Rituals are an integral part of all sports and athletes will do almost anything to ensure they win. They range from carrying lucky items, eating certain meals, to wearing articles of clothing not necessarily meant for their particular sport or gender for that matter. When it comes to these rituals, tennis is no lingering second place to any sport.
Growing up playing competitive tennis from juniors through college I've seen quite few different ways that people approach a match. Players do all kinds of uncanny things to ensure they win. I've witnessed players wearing the same pair of socks throughout a tournament, not ever looking at the draw, listening to the same song over and over as well as being obsessed with the tension of their strings. During a match you get guys who love to talk on each change over and others who would rather punch you in the face than even look your way. Examples of rituals in pro-tennis range from today's Rafael Nadal, who is OCD with his in match quirks of pulling at the back of his shorts and scarfing a banana down on every 3rd change over to my favorite of the past, John McEnroe. McEnroe's tirades were not because he was a complete caustic human being but instead, were as much a part of his game and style as his serve and volley.
Me personally, my rituals include tugging at my left sleeve, bouncing the ball 5 times before each serve, taking a few deep breaths as I am getting ready for a return, and most of all straightening my string pattern after I've won or lost a point. This last one is particularly important to me due to the fact that I need to simply quiet my mind before the start of the next point.
You may think this is all completely nuts, to which I would agree, but these rituals are actually coached and encouraged in junior tennis. Unlike team sports, and with the exception of doubles, you as a singles player are solely responsible for the good and the bad on the court. This pressure, and the pressure to the win, is unbelievable on a kid and only slightly diminishes as an adult. My personal coach when I was young, Al, encouraged me to approach every match the same way each time and to clear my head of the noise. These rituals help me to follow a consistent pattern on the court which in turn helped to ensure a calm and balanced approach to the match.
Today, I still approach the game the same way, although maybe less intense, and follow my match rituals to a "T" to ensure success. I don't always win but like the old saying goes "I hate losing more than I like winning" and the rituals are the first step to not losing.
