Author: Dr B

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For the Love of the Game: A [true] Tennis Player’s Reality

The onslaught of the game to the highs and lows and everything in between is the reality of what a tennis player signs up for with the sheer driver of love pulling and pushing them all the way. It’s a hard truth but equally a beautiful reality when performance merges with this passion and equates with Grand Slam success. It’s the pinnacle of play and a heart filled with desire — bursting at the seams to lift that elusive trophy. Whether it be once, twice or twenty times more, the truth is forever etched in a player’s core driver — their love of the game.

The onslaught of the game to the highs and lows and everything in between is the reality of what a tennis player signs up for with the sheer driver of love pulling and pushing them all the way. It’s a hard truth but equally a beautiful reality when performance merges with this passion and equates with Grand Slam success. It’s the pinnacle of play and a heart filled with desire — bursting at the seams to lift that elusive trophy. Whether it be once, twice or twenty times more, the truth is forever etched in a player’s core driver — their love of the game.

Quite simply, it’s home on earth that happens to travel with you — wherever that ball may take you.

So with a heart full and a passion bursting that drives each player towards that next peak performance and so on and so forth until the Top 100 becomes a reality, then it gets that much more real. Another season will pass followed by the next and then the Top 50 becomes a firm reality before the Top 30 soon follows. But don’t be mistaken — this is only the reality of the 8% for the 92% will rarely get this far to begin. And so for this scarce player that is beholden to their heart and the game that lights up their eternal soul from within, the work gets harder and even more gruelling for all of a sudden that life away from the tennis court that could have been — a simple “9 to 5” without the pitfalls to pressures of what it means to wear your heart on your sleeve. But then again, in reality these really are comparable although that’s not the point.

By this time the dollars are being raked in and financial longevity is set for those who learn how to manage these winnings. After all, that “9 to 5” isn’t breaking your body in those initial 10 to 20 years of Play in contrast to the player who is increasingly likely to deal with surgeries to “sick leave” directly caused by the game itself. However, this doesn’t have to be if you follow the 7 Keys. The point here is to do with a lifetime of earnings done so in essentially one fifth of the time and yet this can readily be mismanaged by those who are too young to know the dos and dont’s for their heart is in the game and their mind is all-consumed by the ball and those strings before the reality of the outside world comes crashing back into place — maybe a decade too late.

That is an anomaly for the 8% for these are the players envied by the 92%. These players will continue to try and will continue to fight but equally reach a plateau that rests inside the Top 100 but more often than not outside the Top 20. For most, especially WTA tour players, this is akin to earnings of a standard “9 to 5” if not worse off due to equal pay “up for grabs” not being dispersed evenly across tours. But they won’t budge and they’ll continue to fight in search of those elusive 8 Keys that will ignite their game towards that next peak performance. For some, it’s all worth the while for they’ll get a taste of what it is like to be at the top of the game and inside the 8% for even just a week or two from an almighty run at a Grand Slam for it only to be short lived.

But then there are those who will stay at the top of the game for the best part of their career and then those who will not make that run because quite simply they’re in denial of those initial 7 Keys and thus the 8th Key remains elusive — akin to supernovas that beckon the midnight skies of eerily late night matches.

That’s just a little absurdity and/or beauty — dependent on your perspective, to tie in with the truth of what it all really means. But back to the main premise here which is undoubtedly erred on by the love of the game. From one ball to three, five to ten and before you know you’ve lost count after hours on hours. It’s a zone that is so much better than the twilightand it’s an out of body experience that is simply by nature — a continuation of skill and merit. By sheer conditioning and hard work coupled with that drive for one more ball and that insistent attempt to learn what that feeling really must be before one day you find it and that feeling has your heart forever more bursting at the seems.

You bet, truth is in the reality of the game.

From The Long Game to The Pathway the reality of it all, irrespective of the juxtaposition shared, the reality is in the data and our [NEW] analytics that safeguard players from heartache (*injury*) and those that succumb due to financial stress and/or being quite simply stuck at a performance plateau. If you’ve been looking for the sign, this is it — here and now.

This week’s change of pace was prompted by Nadal’s potential finale in Madrid, Thiem’s constant battle with his ailing wrist, Badosa with her rankings slide along with Raducanu who’s been sidelined on/off for the past two seasons along with dozens of other players who struggle with their love of the game, managing injuries to knowing what it really [truly] takes to secure that Top 10 tennis ranking.

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 80+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today.

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The Week that was across the Tennis World, BJK Cup, Davis Cup, Saudi Arabia, Nadal and More

This week on Beyond Top 10 Tennis featured the Billie Jean King Cup through to Monte Carlo and Nadal’s return to Barcelona with a significant emphasis on some key ranking progressions and regressions. If you haven’t tuned in already, I’d encourage you to do so to get a better grasp of where we’re going and how this is being shaped to afford further context to a Top 10 tennis player, their ranking and ultimate standing when it comes to claiming that maiden Grand Slam or notching up that extra two, three, four or more.

First and foremost, the BJK Cup is a far cry from the original Fed Cup and its ‘brother‘ — the Davis Cup. The ties are smaller and done so in a shorter period and the crowds are a little lacklustre in comparison to what use to be. That said, I’ll be the first one to say that irrespective of these changes it has helped players on both the WTA and ATP tours with their scheduling. Quite frankly, they’re over-cooked come end of year when these events would take place and/or would miss out on valuable points if they opted to play. Simply put, players shouldn’t need to make a choice — the calendar should open up for them to play.

Interestingly, this is exactly what the WTA did this week with only a handful of smaller tournaments that were in action and/or underway. The same isn’t necessarily the case for the ATP but it comes pretty close. Arguably and for some reason unknown to be frank, the ATP still offers more tournaments in contrast to the WTA for players to not simply participate in and/or play, but offer the very fact of affording a ‘livelihood’ from their sport. And that’s the catch. Equal prize money should be on both sides of the playing field.

Money, money, and a little bit more. From the WTA succumbing to the dollars and saying yes to the season finale to be held in Saudi Arabia is an absolute pitfall of the game. Honestly, it’s incredibly sad. Super disheartening and all the rest. Why did the WTA need to go so ‘low‘ as to say yes to a country that does not have a universal level of equality throughout their country? Granted it is a women’s sport and the best of these women for the 2024 season will be now going there to play the season ending Championships but it is now somehow a terribly ironic situation granted that women who call this country home are not afforded the same levels of respect and freedom.

Two primary pillars the WTA has fought incredibly hard for and with the BJK Cup qualifiers playing out the past week, it’s a timely reminder that the WTA really needs a shake-up at the top to put these women and their rights front and centre in contrast to making poor ‘monetary’ decisions.

The ATP is booming in comparison. Yes, more tournaments throughout the year for prize money to be up for grabs. Sure, they’ve also gone for the money-grab especially in reference to the Davis Cup and the shamble that has followed, but women’s rights is something the WTA has actually fought for in contrast to the ATP not necessarily making these inroads simply because men were never at a disadvantage. That said, the ATP has gone as far as starting to offer minimum prize pursues for players ranked outside the Top 100 to ensure they can make a living whilst the WTA has yet to take any (public) action in this respect.

Tennis is an expensive sport. The reality is a lot of players cannot afford to continue their quest towards the Top 10 simply because of the cost. This is why AM8 International was built with a firm precedence of accessibility and affordability. This means no matter where you’re based in the world, you can access our resources. The same applies for affordability. By designing these resources to guide you alongside a subscription option, players can save upwards of $300,000 over the course of a 10 Year playing cycle. And in reality, if you decide not to subscribe and stick firm to our resources and take advantage of the Elite Performance Package each quarter, you’re saving ten-fold that amount whilst accessing quite literally the best in the world.

What is equally upsetting in this regard is that first and foremost, I’m a huge fan of Nadal — I mean, who isn’t? Though his recent association with Saudi Arabia isn’t doing the WTA any favours. Sure, there have been other names associating with the country but both Nadal and Federer have lifted tennis to another level. I can see where they’re coming from by all accounts, but with a woman’s safety needing to be the #1 priority this still remains upsetting on a wider scale and deserves the full attention of both governing bodies to restructure their approach on inclusion and where events are held.

This week has also been quite a significant one in respect to player rankings with emphasis on our predictive analytics and the anticipation of results. What does that mean? Well, for some time now I’ve been sharing a few primary insights from our data with key player indicators. In January it was Fritz who was noted as regressing outside the Top 10 and possibly a brief stint back inside the Top 10 prior to regressing once again. Check. Next was de Minaur who would break into the Top 10 — double check! Whilst de Minaur is just outside the Top 10 at this stage, this is really a matter of time and a game of points on the line. Insofar as performance is concerned, de Minaur remains ripe for the Top 10. Then there was Tsitsipas, however, with those additional points from Monte Carlo he has surged back inside the Top 10 when in reality it should really look like a #10 and/or #9 ranking at best. Rudd’s ranking progression is slightly different as he has been making traction this year and he was predicted to be more comfortably inside the 8% by now — double check-check. Next comes Rune who has been predicted this season to regress outside the Top 10 and this has finally come to fruition. Of no fault of his own, granted he did actually have a reasonable performance at Monte Carlo, rather it really is his level and results up until now that have finally caught up to his ranking and as such aligns with his current level of play.

By all means, if Rune pieces together his performance from Monte Carlo and continue to build on this momentum, then he will be back inside the Top 10 come the French Open.

 

And what about the WTA tour? Given that is was a relatively quiet week on tour with the BJK Cup underway, there were some surprise performances. Svitolina went down and so did Garcia. Radacanu and Osaka picked up some solid wins. Pegula had some tight matches and Swiatek breezed through. Overall, Swiatek was the primary player in action this week whose performances aligned with her ranking whereas a number of other players did not necessary align with their ranking whilst those ranked outside the Top 100 (i.e. Radacanu and Osaka) delivered. Arguably, Osaka has been playing in line with a Top 50 ranking and at times, a Top 20 ranking with some fluctuations. Therefore those results are of no surprise. The bigger surprise was Radacanu taking the win over Garcia — a noteworthy performance. Yet there were some key players missing from action this week but that is also due to team selection, availability and current ranking. Without getting into the politics of it all, it’s fair to say some teams had more robust and well-rounded players inside the Top 20 that were in action whilst some teams were quite simply underdone.

Last but not least, Nadal deserves more of the limelight. Despite not going further at Barcelona he had an almighty task against de Minaur. Sure, even a season or two ago Nadal would have been the favourite and on clay I’d say he’s favourite any day of the week but unfortunately for Nadal, his body won’t allow him to play the level of tennis we know he’s capable of playing and de Minaur took the advantage.

However, don’t be fooled, not every player would have been able to achieve this result with the sheer aura of Nadal forcing many to their knees before the first ball.

My primary hope for Nadal, of course albeit bias, is for him to lift his Roland Garros trophy one final time and if it’s not to be, for his run at the French to be solid, deep and if someone is to take Rafa down for it to be in 5 brutal sets that leave his opponent knackered but also, if they’re good enough to overcome him on clay, then for them to be good enough to go all the way and lift the trophy as the ultimate reward.

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 80+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today.

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Tennis Rankings and How to stay on track towards the Top of the Game

With 12 Books to my name and 11 of those that have specifically noted the ‘how’ behind developing a Top 10 tennis ranking alongside Grand Slam Championship wins to ‘how’ to win that maiden Slam to achieve replicated success, if there’s something remarkable to achieve across the tennis landscape there’s a very good chance I’ve researched it, investigated and compiled the data, put in the hard yards, used various analytical models developed over the past twenty years, and delivered on these outcomes.

You don’t get to be at the Top of the game as its leading scientist and authority behind these key metrics without putting in the work. Truth be told, the likes of Swiatek to Alcaraz and their respective ascension to the Top of the game was all noted by these predictive analytics. And whilst I’ve previously shared this, it’s an incredibly important reminder that what has been uncovered — this new wave of data and insights, really does deliver what no Academy and/or Club across the world really does — on repeat.

Sure, you’ve got Serena’s former coach and their Academy. You’ve got various ones here in Australia. Next you’ve got Ferrero to Henin and Clijsters, plus Nadal’s and there’s definitely a two dozen others across the landscape — then ten-fold. By all accounts, you primarily only hear about two or three of them essentially because these coaches are on the ATP tour (primarily) working with Top 10 players. That said, Serena’s former coach did not develop Rune from scratch nor Halep — they’d already peaked.

Ferrero and Alcaraz are a unique story. Same applies for Swiatek and even Jabeur to Rybakina and Sabalenka. That is to say, the WTA has done the hard work and these are not from “big name” Academy’s (at the time) — and that’s the point.

If anything, it’s about the journey and finding those who are willing to be with you on the way to the top. From inception — a new feature on AM8 International I’ve developed to help guide players and coaches, in cohesion, through to delivery-centric outcomes — that Top 10 tennis ranking and more, there’s really a lot more to it than meets the eye.

The funny thing is hundreds if not thousands of potential players are based at these Academy’s around the globe with some Clubs bigger than others. The irony here is that they’re not privy to this data nor have they repeated their results at scale. That’s the difference between them and AM8 International — I let the data do the talking. Which essentially means names from De Minaur to Ostenpenko — Top 10, Collins to Dimitrov who are having stellar seasons and one has already landed back inside the Top 10 with the other on their way, have been tracked in alignment with our data to indicate that these are by no means surprise results.

But promises are a funny thing. A romance of sorts between the dreamers to desires and bringing them to life. But can they really? Try not to fall into the trap unless they have PoW (Proof of Work) and your ranking continues to ascend alongside your performances. Granted, one can be great, but without the two you’re lopsided — you’re missing a key piece to the puzzle. And that’s okay given that 50% of the current Top 10 are missing these key metrics and are lagging so far this season.

But it starts at the foundations. The same applies for time off with injuries and how to mitigate these. But guess what? It comes down to your technical metrics and these technicalities if you may have been built and designed by yours truly — and are attributed to these ranking milestones and their respective achievements. If your coach is not privy to this ‘new’ wave of technical prowess, that Top 10 status is behind the eight ball. Alas, that’s why I designed the 8 Keys to ensure each and every player and coach has access to become the best in the world and join the next generation of play.

The catch? There is none, not really. It simply requires consistency and hard work. The commitment to learn the 7 Keys before the 8th Key runs your game home. And where’s home? Well in this context, comfortably inside that elusive 8% — inside the Top 10, opposed to the 2% that will regress each and every season (as a baseline).

If you’re not inside the Top 10 sure enough you have a long way to go. But that’s what The Long Game was built for to ensure you have a Pathway to follow without getting lost in all the jargon and over promises. For real, to bring dreams to life in contrast to letting them go due to injury and/or underperforming.

Oh, the best part? It’ll also save you ten-fold in the long run. Why? Quite simply I wanted to ensure AM8 International remained affordable and accessible for all which means irrespective of your socioeconomic background, there’s a PoI for you and a place you can go to for guidance and advice whilst keeping you up to speed with the latest insights behind progressing towards that Top 10 tennis ranking — ranked inside the WTA or ATP Top 20 or Top 10, or at the other end of the spectrum — developmental and/or a current high performance player, there are inroads to take (and tackle) step by step.

The best part? The epitome of the tennis world awaits and we’ve got the data to support it. But if anything, today’s lesson really is about caution — not everything you are told is always the truth. As in life, ulterior motives are a truth so if those dreams are as dear to you as my commitment to delivering on our promises, take a few minutes (or an hour, to be thorough) and sieve through AM8 International — then track back in a few week’s when our new upgrade becomes available. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. If anything, you’ll be more informed and better understand the more intricate details that go on behind the scenes and where to get started — irrespective if you’re Top 500 and/or Top 50 on the WTA or ATP tour, we’ve got a place for you to ensure those dreams become a reality.

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 80+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today.

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How a Tennis Ranking is NOT the whole Truth of Top 10 Tennis Players

Alcaraz won Indian Wells. Sinner won Miami. Medvedev showed up in the Finals and Semi-Finals respectively. Djokovic fell in the 3rd Round of Indian Wells and opted out of Miami. Sinner fell to Alcaraz in the semi-finals of Indian Wells whilst Alcaraz fell to Dimitrov in the Quarter-Finals of Miami. Dimitrov made the Finals in Miami and fell to Medvedev in the Round of 16 at Indian Wells. Zverev made the Semi-Finals in Miami and the Quarter-Finals at Indian Wells.

Swiatek won Indian Wells and fell in the Round of 16 at Miami. Sabalenka fell in the Round of 16 at Indian Wells and the 3rd Round in Miami. Gauff made the Semi-Finals in Indian Wells and fell in the Round of 16 at Miami. Sakkari made the Final at Indian Wells and fell in the Quarter-Finals to Rybakina in Miami. Pegula lost in the 2nd Round at Indian Wells and made the Quarter-Finals in Miami. Rybakina opted out of Indian Wells and made the Finals of Miami. Collins fell in the 2nd Round to Swiatek at Indian Wells before winning Miami. 

Are you keeping pace? By simple deduction, the rankings are wrong.

The truth of the matter is that when we narrow our focus on the current crop of Top 10 players they simply are not holding their own on a consistent basis. These cyclical performances that afford pre-conditioned peak performance outcomes are off the mark for many. But these primary players offer a glimpse into these fluctuations — back to back performances and their subsequent results. A very simple snapshot of the Top 4 to 5 players on the ATP and WTA tours at this moment in time.

But there’s more than meets the eye. Recall the 8% and those susceptible to regressing — denoted by the 2%. And here, it’s a small window that affords a glimpse into these rulers that govern the best tennis players in the world.

And that’s important. It’s a snapshot of this period of the calendar year. After all, Sabalenka won the opening Grand Slam of the season and hasn’t been able to live up to the hype. Swiatek on the other hand has continued to outperform and gain further traction with her ranking. The Australian Open Finalist — Zheng, has yet to showcase the same level of play despite her Top 10 ranking. This is one of many snippets that show a current flaw in the rankings. Meanwhile, Collins is outside the Top 10 and almost inside the Top 20 after her Miami title and yet continues to outperform 50% of the Top 10. 

Go figure. Numbers don’t lie. But also only tell half the truth.

Alcaraz has been backing it up with Top 2 to Top 8 performances or greater. Sinner is Top 2 and Top 4 respectively, or greater. Djokovic is out of the equation when considering these metrics. Medvedev is Top 2 and Top 4 but does’t receive as much hype as deserved. Zverev is Top 4 and Top 8 whilst Dimitrov is Top 2 and Top 16. And that’s the reality of the cutoff. Both Rudd and De Minaur are Top 16 and Top 16 — just scaling inside.

Swiatek is Top 2 and Top 16, or greater. Sabalenka is Top 16 and null (given that 16 is the marker here for inclusion if coupled with a greater performance). Gauff is Top 4 and Top 16. Sakkari is Top 2 and Top 8. Pegula is null and Top 8. Rybakina is null and Top 2. Collins is null and Top 2, or greater. Navarro is Top 8 and Top 16.

Therefore the ATP tour is led by Sinner who is followed by Medvedev, then Alcaraz, Zverev and Dimitrov before Rudd and De Minaur. That rounds out the Top 7 followed by Djokovic simply because he deserves inclusion. And remember, Sinner won the Australian Open and Medvedev was the Finalist. Both are living up to the hype.

The WTA tour is led by Sakkari followed by Swiatek. However, there is reason for slight caution here as Sakkari has only recently found her Top 10 form again whereby Swiatek has been a trailblazer ever since her early exit at the Australian Open. On this basis, there’s greater leverage to note Swiatek — alongside her current ranking, to be followed by Sakkari (although in reality, Sakkari would sit closer to 5). Gauff follows before Navarro if consistency is the name of the game. Rybakina, Collins, Pegula and Sabalenka follow. However, there is a significant level of ambiguity here as other players ranked outside the Top 10 did make the Round of 16 or greater but only the mentioned players are 1) inside the Top 10, or 2) made the Finals and/or 3) had Top 16 or greater results in back to back tournaments. It’s a tough bar but reasonable for someone with the caliber of a Top 10 player.

But why aren’t all Top 10 players included?

By deduction, Swiatek, Sakkari, Gauff and Navarro are the most consistent players across both events. In contrast, that’s 4 WTA players who have consistently been performing — 3 inside the WTA Top 10, whereby 7 have been consistently performing on the ATP tour with 5 inside the ATP Top 10 before and after these events, whereby Dimitrov is now ranked back inside the Top 10, De Minaur was and now has been pushed outside the Top 10.

On the WTA tour, Pegula (5), Jabeur (6), Zheng (8), Vondrousova (9) and Ostenpenko (10) round out the Top 10. With Rybakina’s Finalist result coupled with her performances so far this season, although she trails Swiatek, both of these players have a level of play that exceeds their fellow Top 10 on a consistent basis. Sakkari has the recent results but it’s a matter of consistency. Ostenpenko did have the results but has not performed the past two events to her new baseline (capacity). Pegula follows whilst Jabeur, Zheng and Vondrousova have not lived up to their respective rankings this season with the exception for Zheng with her Finalist result.

On the ATP tour, Sinner has earned his place as the new No. 2 whilst Djokovic undoubtedly holds onto the No. 1. Alcaraz is then firm at No. 3 and is closely followed by Medvedev. Both 2 and 3 will continue to be interchanged unless Medvedev claims another Grand Slam and/or Djokovic takes a hiatus for a few months. Zverev holds his place at No. 5. Rublev, Rune and Hurkacz round out the Top 10 and these players have not been living up to their ranking expectations over this snapshot — period in time (as in now, 2024 — primarily the month of March).

Interestingly, the ATP has a more consistent level of play in the Top 5 whereby the WTA holds true to its Top 4 with Sakkari still inside the Top 10. There are null newcomers to consider on the ATP with standout wins (per the set inclusion). In contrast, the WTA has Collins with the Miami title and Navarro with a greater level of consistency than >50% of the current Top 10 — again, over this snapshot.

The truth therefore is not entirely in the rankings.

But rankings take time and consistency. I’d argue then (along with the data) that if the Top 10 was placed on a performance scale with room for slight fluctuations and a Round of 16 result a prerequisite 75% of the time — or greater, for a Top 5 ranking, 50% of the time for a Top 10 ranking — as a minimum, we’d see something quite different. But, a few seasons ago this was the case for the true rankings and results. At this point in time, to see and understand the whole truth it has become a matter of deduction and not all Top 10 players are living up to these expectations.

It’s hard, but it’s truth. So much so, a player does not garner traction for inclusion in our data (extensively published) unless these Round of 16 results become a reality — at the Grand Slam level. It’s one thing to win significant tiles alike Indian Wells and Miami, but another to play at the same level or greater at a Grand Slam. But this is where it starts and yet if the Australian Open is anything to go by, the ATP tour has been living up to its key expectations whilst the WTA simply has not with the No. 1 — Swiatek, finding her feet again and surging, whilst Sakkari finds a new lease on her game — for how long we’ll soon find out.

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 80+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today.

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How Does a Tennis Player NOT get Injured and Know the Difference?

A topic that is probably as old as it is has been asked — for decades and then some more. Then add a little extra. A question that essentially remains the catalyst from my playing days — forever getting injured from my earlier years before my later transition into coaching — how to help tennis players to not get injured, before pushing it a little further — a Masters in this very area before eventually tackling my PhD. In other words, no page was and/or has been left unturned. If there is someone who knows the answer to this in the tennis domain — here I am.

In equal merits, these answers have been pulled across multiple fields as my doctorate was and remains incredibly diverse. Whilst being responsible for uncovering a scientific first and for the tennis player and coach, this was by no means an easy task. After all, the very nature of a doctorate is to fill a void in the literature and to contribute something ‘new’ to our understanding of the world and/or those who live in it. Incredibly broad to accommodate the varying fields, my doctorate was based between not one but two schools — Allied Health (think High Performance, Sports Science, Biomechanics and more; and Education (think Human Behaviour/Psychology, Communication theory, Learning theory and more) — then you’re starting to understand the depth of how far I had to go to really find the answers to this worldwide unknown.

But that’s what 12 x Books and my doctoral thesis have dived into to most recently my new release: How to Develop a Top 10 Tennis Ranking and, Beyond Top 10 Tennis — a Podcast designed to address these very queries including our latest episode that includes both Indian Wells and the Miami Open.

Although that’s not why we’re here. By all accounts, to really understand the nature of this question and its breadth to its corresponding endpoint — a Top 10 tennis ranking to achieving Grand Slam success, that’s where these respective publications come into play. So, eat them up and get started.

For a quick run down on this predominantly unknown, let’s start with the basics: coach education. Unfortunately, how coaches are educated and continue to be educated does not account for this overriding question. Rather, a coach is performance based to optimise a player’s playing capacity in contrast to safeguarding them. This concept of protecting the player is not in the nature of a coaches “learned” pedagogy — rather, their pedagogy is one that is taught through various providers, simply because the essence is in the performance and results in contrast to knowing how a player can reach the pinnacle of play and stay without being derailed. There is a reason why most tennis players that are accepted into a national tennis academy and/or its adjoining federation and its respective pathway — do not achieve a Top 10 tennis ranking let alone Grand Slam success. In Australia nonetheless, this is incredibly rare for good reason. Universally, the odds are not in a player’s favour if they align with such national bodies.

Why? Because put simply, safeguarding is not the name of the game — results are.

Funding and grants come from noise which is attributed to results that shout — over and over again. But there’s a reason why a tennis player’s body in their adolescent years is able to peak over and over again due to a greater pliability at this age in contrast to the tennis player that matures into a young adult and no longer has this level of elasticity on their side. Sure, there’s much greater ‘give’ for a 20-something in contrast to a 30-something but the damage has been done in these earlier developmental years that often halt a player’s progress towards the Top 100 and ultimately the Top 10 for the simple fact that the technical parameters a player’s game is comprised of are not aligned with the key technical properties attributed to not simply a Top 10 tennis ranking — but longevity at the top.

Put simply, these technical properties remain unknown to 92% of the tennis playing cohort. How do I know this? Revisit the earlier paragraphs. That leaves 8% with this knowledge — but there’s a catch. These percentages are merely representative of the Top 100 on the WTA and ATP tours. This means that these percentages are much MUCH smaller on a global scale. The knowledge of these principles is scarce — minute. How do we overcome this? That’s a good question. A big reason why I put pen to paper in a manner of speaking and have published 11 specific Books in this area — to educate tennis players and coaches on a global scale to have access to what it really takes to develop a Top 10 tennis ranking and to maintain this level of play at the top of the game.

You see, my research was lucky enough at the time to be in sync with the peak performative results of Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Interestingly, but by no means surprising, is that Djokovic was the one to trail the initial three at this time — but, if he followed the findings and continued to implement these key properties in his game (which he already was at the time), he would be able to maintain his course and overtake the likes of Federer and Nadal — leading at the time, and eventually, Serena herself. Fast forward a decade and we all know what has transpired.

This is why I love science — the data, the work, the unfolding. It’s super cool. Why some are surprised the by the ailments of Nadal, I am not one of them. The same goes with Federer on his comeback that wasn’t to be and why Serena wasn’t able to regain that peak performance she was so use to recapturing after time away from the training grounds. Djokovic however, that’s another story.

But there’s equal merit in why it has taken so long for new players to rein at the top of the game. From Swiatek to Alcaraz there’s a reason why no other player in the last few seasons has been able to successfully hold their own at the top of the game and overcome their fellow Top 10 with such ease — although Medvedev was there first. Sure, there’s the odd fight here and there but the percentages are in their favour. The same can be said for Sinner and then Sabalenka — although her percentages do fall behind. But that’s no what this is about.

It’s fair to say that in answer to ‘how does a player not get injured and know the difference’ is precisely where the 8 Keys come into play. Don’t know them? Odds are you’ll get injured. Know of them and are actively integrating them into your game? Odds are you’re following The Pathway and embarking on The Long Game towards a Top 10 tennis ranking. Want to know the difference between getting injured and not getting injured? Ask your coach if they’re not simply aware of the 8 Keys (start with the initial 7 Keys), but also for the tennis player — if they’re actively integrating them into your game. The same applies for a Top 10 player to achieve Grand Slam success and a Top 900 player looking to ascend towards the Top 500 inside the next 1-2 seasons or sooner.

But you’re still at the Club and/or Academy level? That’s okay. If you don’t want to get injured, get to know the 7 Keys as your starting point. How do I know the difference? That’s simple. Check with your coach — for the players, if they know the 7 Keys before integrating the 8th Key. And if they don’t? That’s simple, too. Together, actively work on them and integrate them into your game.

Any coach worldwide — yup, that’s a big call, that promises a tennis player ‘Gold’ at the 2024 Olympics to future Grand Slam success and does not have their finger on the pulse with these specific publications available at AM8 International (or Amazon for that matter), is letting you know what you want to hear — without the factual (*scientific*) truth. And trust me, I’ve been in your shoes and was promised the same results. But for that, I’ll leave to another time. Most importantly, because I’ve walked in your shoes — players and coaches alike, I wanted to make the road to the top quite literally possible and within reach for both of you. Not just the player, but the coach, too. Why? Because it truly does take a team and by both player and coach working together with the 7 Keys followed by the 8th Key, that is quite simply how a tennis player does not get injured whilst knowing the difference on their way towards claiming that Top 10 tennis ranking.

To learn more about AM8 International check out our selections of Books to options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 75+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today.