WTC, March 26, 2021 (by Steve Pratt)
Imagine talking tennis with three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker. You get mesmerized by Becker’s German-inflected English, as he dives deep into the psychology of winning and how a proper mindset can make all the difference.
That’s the message Becker delivered during his Day 1 session of the World Tennis Conference. Becker’s presentation was part of a star-studded Day 1 of four days of the WTC, scheduled all online from Thursday, March 25 to Sunday, March 28.
For access to the conference, click here to download the to register for the conference.
All of the conference sessions will be archived for later viewing. Conference attendees will have access to all the video sessions for 30 days after the conference ends through the TennisONE App.
Becker, 53, sat down with two junior players as part of his role with the Top Level Tennis online training platform.
“You practice the confidence part, the mentality part, every single day outside of tennis,” Becker explained via a crystal-clear video presentation on a mobile phone. “Mentality is a lot about controlling your emotion. Confidence in your own abilities doesn’t just start with the match, it starts with how you approach life.”
Becker relates to average players and people by putting you completely at ease by using his own self-deprecating, humble style.
“Believe me, there are 10 different situations a day I could scream,” Becker explained. “People disrespecting me, people being nasty, people don’t understand me. Ultimately, I hurt myself. By breathing in and out, try to understand the other person and why he is like that. So when you go on the court, and there is a difficult situation, breathe in and out, and don’t let your emotions take over. That is the secret.”
Becker’s entire online course with encompasses 10 video lessons. The WTC’s opening presenter on Thursday was Toni Nadal, who discussed “the principles and values to develop from the beginning” of a player’s journey.
Former ATP stars Andrei Medvedev, Andres Gomez, Janko Tipsarevic, Jacco Eltingh and Ivan Ljubicic will also take part in the conference. Nick Bollettieri, the 89-year-old coaching icon, will discuss his history of developing high-performance tennis players. His session is scheduled for Sunday, March 28.
In addition, the conference will include a talk by former top-10 player and current coach to recent Australian Open champion Dominic Thiem, Nicolas Massu. Massu, who won two Olympic gold medals during his playing career, will discuss the nuances of “being a great player on the road.” Former Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier coach Gabe Jaramillo will reveal the details of “making champions.”
Registration is available through the TennisONE App, available free for Android and Apple devices. A full four-day pass is available for $110, while individual days are offered for $45 each day. A Headliners pass for $60 is also available.
