Temper tantrums are more or less a thing of the past for Dinara Safina, who said on Tuesday that her rise to the world number one spot had been helped by her efforts to stop her angry mid-match outbursts.
Ditching most of the rages — which culminated at last year’s Roland Garros with some unsuspecting flowers near the court being decapitated — seems to have worked for the Russian as she stayed on track for a maiden grand slam title by reaching the French Open semis (although she did break one racket along the way).
It got me wondering how many more titles her big brother Marat might have won if he’d learnt to control his fury.
One of the most naturally gifted players of his generation, he claimed the 2000 U.S. Open and 2005 Australian Open and also held the number one spot — relatively slim pickings when you consider his talent.
Safin estimated four years ago that he had destroyed 300 rackets and it must be at least another hundred by now.
Did the inability to stop himself boiling over on court cost him more grand slam trophies?
Roger Federer used to be a hothead but has put his temper in check, becoming the model of serenity in his charge to 13 grand slam titles. Pete Sampras, the man whose record of 14 major titles Federer is chasing, was level-headed to the point of machine-like.
Getting angry wastes energy - which you would think would be worth conserving during a match.
Mind you, the fans would miss the entertaining shows of frustration if the players kept their cool. And if anyone proves you can still be a winner and behave badly on court it is John McEnroe — seven grand slam titles and countless swear-athons, damaged rackets and fines.
So go on, Dinara, let’s see a few more rackets being smashed!
PHOTO: Dinara Safina reacts during her quarter-final victory over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the French Open, June 2, 2009. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
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Temper tantrums do waste energy on court, but more importantly what tennis players think about while playing impacts their performance. So, it is good to be disciplined mentally. Facing break point? Focus on what forehand to hit and to where, instead of worrying about whether the point will be lost or won. Or, even more often for professional athletes, it’s better to not think, but keep focused on the situation at hand.
John McEnroe has always seemed like someone to throw tantrums very naturally and so my gut tells me regaining focus is easy for him. It seems as if his tantrums help him focus, in fact.
- Posted by OrtonI think that’s right. One should control their temper on court. Look at the Williams sisters. They play like they were in a party! But Safina probably has too much emothion to be able to hide ‘em. She can cry, she can react, she can express! I guess sports also means emotion…of a very overwhelming type…coz it sweeps nations off their feet! Think about it…3 cheers for this thought provoking article.Luv, Meg.
- Posted by Meghna Sonkar