Temperament Key to US Open Victory

With sports stars, including the top tennis players in the world, reaching heights never before thought achievable, and players able to reach very similar levels of ability and talent (take, for example, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer), the difference between success and failure at the top is increasingly being put down to an ability to control temperament when it really counts. 

With stars at the top level of all sports increasingly turning to sports psychologists in order to help them keep their cool and take control of the mental aspects of their game, with a prime example of the success this can generate being Arsenal’s victory against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, the use of a psychologist is perhaps something that both Serena Williams and Andy Roddick could have done with recently; both players saw US Open exits (granted Serena’s last year being the more severe incident) aided by a loss of composure at the key moment.

With the heat at the US Open really not helping players keep their cool, this year’s competition is looking increasingly likely to be won by players who are able to endure the mental highs and lows that are part and parcel of every Grand Slam event on the tour.

With ATP tour betting pundits noting that individuals such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal the players who have shown themselves the most capable of pulling out all the stops when they are under pressure, compared to Brit Andy Murray who often finds himself like a rabbit in the headlights when faced with big mental challenges, making the final step and upping his game in a final of a Grand Slam event is something he needs to work on. 

If Murray is going to make this step up, Online Tennis Betting pundits believe he will need to avoid the pitfalls that both Serena and Andy Roddick failed to avoid.