Tennis Random, Random (On Court)

[ti-amie]

[Cuckoo4Coco]

I don't know about zero pressure heading into the US Open for Emma but she is kinda right that she is only 19 and that is the time to be all loosey-goosey and go into the tournament and have a blast with it all. I know she has the task to defend the championship but she in my opinion is doing it with the right attitude.

[ponchi101]

Uhm... both valid points. But I side with Emma. She is really only 19, with a wonderful life. If she really feels no pressure, good for her.

[meganfernandez]

Uhm... both valid points. But I side with Emma. She is really only 19, with a wonderful life. If she really feels no pressure, good for her.

Yeah, I’d side with… the person themselves. Not the complete stranger who can’t relate to her.


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[JTContinental]

I side with her, but I don't believe her that she's feeling no pressure.

[ponchi101]

I side with her, but I don't believe her that she's feeling no pressure.

The reason I said IF...

[Deuce]

Yes... it seems rather obvious to me that this is Emma's attempt to deflect the pressure by pretending (at least publicly) that it doesn't exist.

If she has felt no pressure to win after the U.S. Open, then why is her post U.S. Open record so poor? Loads of 1st and 2nd round losses, along with many withdrawals and in-match retirements.
Remember - this is a player who, by her own admission, was so emotionally overwhelmed by finding herself winning a few rounds at Wimbledon last year that she was hyperventilating and had to quit in the middle of a match.
With each win at Wimbledon last year, she was under more and more pressure to win her next match (thanks mostly to the media, who were desperately looking for a 'hometown hero'). And that pressure obviously affected her and resulted in her having to retire from a match because of anxiety.

That circumstance at Wimbledon made her U.S. Open win only a couple of months later all the more impressive - and full credit to her for that, absolutely.
But I don't believe for a second that she feels no pressure now - not only at the upcoming U.S. Open, but at all tournaments. And her poor results seem to confirm that.

[Cuckoo4Coco]

I feel every single player on that tour feels some sort of pressure going into any tournament unless it is some sort of exhibition or something like that. I don't care what age the player is or if they never won a match in their life or have won 10 Grand Slams. They still have some sort of pressure going into a tournament.

Heck, I feel pressure in the tournaments I play and they are just for a trophy not a huge amount of money. I also think having a little bit of pressure doesn't mean you can't have fun at a tournament as well and enjoy the experience of it. I think Emma is going to do that too.

[ponchi101]

I know I am a severely nervous person, but: this sport is as if some sick, twisted, maniacal pervert designed it to IMPART pressure on you. It has got to be the sole sport in which you can be crushing your opponent, be one point away from winning, and lose the match, despite scoring many, many more points (Sabatini Vs MJ Fernandez at RG).
If she says it, fine. You don't want the locker room to be saying "oh, Emma is under pressure, this is a good time to play her". But sure, if she really felt no pressure today playing at CC as the clear crowd favorite, she should quit tennis and become a mental strength guru. I'll buy the book.

[meganfernandez]

I know I am a severely nervous person, but: this sport is as if some sick, twisted, maniacal pervert designed it to IMPART pressure on you. It has got to be the sole sport in which you can be crushing your opponent, be one point away from winning, and lose the match, despite scoring many, many more points (Sabatini Vs MJ Fernandez at RG).
If she says it, fine. You don't want the locker room to be saying "oh, Emma is under pressure, this is a good time to play her". But sure, if she really felt no pressure today playing at CC as the clear crowd favorite, she should quit tennis and become a mental strength guru. I'll buy the book.

I think she meant doesn't feel extra pressure, beyond what's normal for any tennis player. The special pressure to live up to these new expectations. Not that she doesn't feel any pressure at all playing matches.

[Deuce]

Anyone who wins a Major has a target on their back for a while. And this is especially true if you are young and you come out of nowhere to win a Major. Even Leylah, as a Finalist who beat several top players along the way has had a target on her back ever since.
This is because the older, more established players resent the fact that these kids came from nowhere and achieved what the older players wanted to achieve.

And that creates a pressure that is in addition to the media pressure and the pressure/expectations from fans.

I agree that if Emma doesn't feel all of that additional pressure, then she has tapped into something truly magical. But I don't believe for a second that that is the case.

[Cuckoo4Coco]

I am going to try and put a kids(teens) view on this Emma no pressure thing.

Teens have this happy go lucky way of thinking or everything is a complete doomsville attitude when it comes to just about everything. I think you can all relate if you have raised a teenager like me who at one minute can be bouncing around the house with no cares in the world and then the next minute it is like the world is ending. I think it is just the way we are wired.

Emma, Leylah & Coco although they have a lot more responsibilities than me but still they all have parents and families taken care of a lot of the crap that goes along with the pressures of being a professional tennis player. Yeah they still have to go out on the court and play the matches and that has to be normal pressure like any sports competition is but it also has to be a blast being a teen and playing a game at the level they play it at and in many ways I think they see it that way.

I love the attitude that Emma has and if it makes her feel awesome going into these tournaments than more power to her.

[ponchi101]

...a teenager like me who at one minute can be bouncing around the house with no cares in the world and then the next minute it is like the world is ending. I think it is just the way we are wired.

...

And I got me some bad news for you, sunshine (1). I have known 40 yo "grown ups" that still behave that way. It is not only a teenage thing; some people are just like that.

Off Topic

(1) Quote from a song.

[Cuckoo4Coco]

...a teenager like me who at one minute can be bouncing around the house with no cares in the world and then the next minute it is like the world is ending. I think it is just the way we are wired.

...

And I got me some bad news for you, sunshine (1). I have known 40 yo "grown ups" that still behave that way. It is not only a teenage thing; some people are just like that.

Off Topic

(1) Quote from a song.

I guess that does happen too.

[ptmcmahon]

...a teenager like me who at one minute can be bouncing around the house with no cares in the world and then the next minute it is like the world is ending. I think it is just the way we are wired.

...

And I got me some bad news for you, sunshine (1). I have known 40 yo "grown ups" that still behave that way. It is not only a teenage thing; some people are just like that.

Off Topic

(1) Quote from a song.

I'm a 42 year old who just bounced up the stairs in the middle of doing laundry and then stubbed my toe. I've live all these emotions in the last minute Although often yes feel like the world is ending for serious reasons often too.