In order to progress in tennis,  it is essential to be able to compete, and this involves playing in tournaments. With more people being introduced to tennis via "short tennis" and "grass roots coaching courses", there is demand for numerous tournaments for all ages from six upwards, and for players of different ability levels. 

Competition should be fun and enjoyable. It should be seen as a challenge, but how does the serious player prepare for competition?

In the first instance, a player sees the competition as fearful, frustrating experience, and he is worried about losing. He is negative and pessimistic, and is likely to look for all sorts of excuses if he loses the match.

Conversely, the positive thinker sees the competition as a challenge; he is enthusiastic and inspired, and will not make any excuses for failure. The only difference is how the situation is perceived in each player's head.

There are at least six major components required to produce a true champion

1) speed: Tennis requires players to have great multi-directional speed. Because of this, some of the fastest players are not the quickest. There are some players that can accelerate to near top end speeds in only half the court’s distance, yet when they need to change direction they are slow. Why is this the case? read on.....

2) stamina : Stamina refers to your ability to sustain a physical activity. Building your stamina when jogging allows you to run longer distances and take on more challenging courses.

3) strength : How to Build Strength Without Lifting Weights. You don't need a fancy gym with weight training machines or barbells to build muscle strength. You can get stronger by using the physics of your own body force, and you can do it anywhere, anytime. 

4) skill : Build skill. Coaching and instruction works because it allows for the immediate input of new growth focuses that could otherwise take months or years to discover.

5) flexibility : Keep your joints and muscles lubricated.Start with a full stretch without warming up and do not halt...Do stretches every day and work at it progressively. You can't become flexible overnight.

6) mental toughness : Read sports psychology and mental toughness articles. Learn mental toughness skills to boost your performance in sports.