Post-Match Routines

A good routine is always essential

A good routine is essential not only before a match, during, but also essential after a match. Professional tennis players all follow habits that they commit to fully and with strict discipline. When you look at post match routines, your goal is to recover and while you continuously prepare mind and body to accept what happened during the match completed and preparing yourself for the next match opportunity.

After the match is recovery important and immediately after a match jog on the spot and do some cooling down or and stretching for fifteen minutes. Then decompression starts and by that we mean that you need to take time to reflect on the match, what and how it happened. Time then comes to let go of emotions and move away towards the rest of the day. Ensure that you hydrate and carbohydrate within thirty minutes post-match too.

Post-match training is equally important and you need to talk to your friends, parents, or coach who watched the match. They have the full perspective and it is valuable to get their informed input. If you have any tactical or technical aspects to clean up, do so and do some reinforcing too. If needed changes and prepare differently if the match outcome was not as expected.

Your first dinner post-match should not comprise of fatty foods or pastries either, instead load up on carbs, veggies, fruit, and lean proteins. Later in the same day, you could consult with your coach and plan the next training session and mentally start dealing with any negativity that might be part of the match and make a commitment to deal with it. Now is the best time before bed to engage in something utterly relaxing especially when you have a possible next match the following day, like doing meditation, yoga or reading.