Ciao, I'm Elena!
And I'd play tennis all day ☀️ and night 🌙 just to get better. You too? Well, turns out there's no need to 🤫👇.
We can all speed up our progress by learning from others' experiences, even while off the court. That's why I share mine!
Want to start with a bang 💥? Learn to scout your future opponents the way I do!
TENNIS NERVES AND FEAR - HOW I GOT OVER THEM
Ever played a much better player and totally messed up your own game just because of fear and nerves? I did 😫: and not only once, countless times! But not anymore.
2020 TENNIS GOALS REVIEW - INJURIES, CHANGE OF PLANS AND NEXT CHALLENGES
In this blog, I reflect on what happened during this crazy 2020, report on my last 3-4 months progress and plan out my next goals. Amazing where baby steps can take you!
TRAINING MORE THANKS TO BETTER RECOVERY - WHAT I LEARNED FROM WHOOP
Wish you could play more tennis?! Tweak these habits to speed up your recovery and you'll get to play so much more! I give you my word (and WHOOP's).
WHERE TO STAND ON THE RETURN OF SERVE - AND BETTER COPE WITH HARD SERVES
Have a hard time returning well placed, bomb serves? Adjust your position the right way, and you'll increase the effectiveness of your return!
TENNIS APPROACH SHOT - THE ONE MISTAKE THAT WAS COSTING ME LOTS OF POINTS AT THE NET
Not sure where to place your approach shots? I finally got it, and now my percentage at the net is through the roof!
I LOST MY FOREHAND (BUT FOUND IT BACK!)
You lost a stroke too? Have a read to what happened to me and what worked and what didn't: it might help you find yours back!
HOW I PREPARE FOR MY TENNIS MATCHES
Want to be sure you're giving yourself the best chance to win your next match? Take a look at how I personally prepare for my tennis matches, because yep, the match starts well before you step on the court!
WANT A FASTER SERVE? HERE'S HOW I GOT 20 KM/H MORE IN 1 MONTH
All I found out was wrong with my old serve, what I've changed about it and the progress I made so far.
TENNIS GEAR FOR A MATCH - WHAT'S NEVER MISSING IN MY BAG
Not really sure what tennis equipment do you need for a tennis match? Here's how I pack my tennis bag for a match and what tennis gear I consider essential and what not.
MY TENNIS GOALS, ONE YEAR LATER - STILL ON TRACK?
Not only the report of my progress on the latest short-term goals and the plan to achieve the next ones, but also a checkpoint on my long-term tennis goals. And guess what, I have some breaking news you don't wanna miss 🤫.
FORCED ERRORS - HOW TO MAKE YOUR OPPONENT MISS
Did you know you can do well even without winners❓ Oh yes, you bet! So whether your winners are already great or still a work in progress ⏳, don't forget there's another way to take matches after matches home: I'm talking about forcing your opponent into errors 😈!
HOW I GOT MORE POWER ON MY STROKES WITH THE SWEET SPOT
Want to hit effortless yet powerful strokes❓ The sweet spot might just be the missing puzzle piece 🧩 to turn your already technically-well-executed shot into a dangerous weapon 💣. I know it was for me! In this post I'm gonna tell you everything about the sweet spot (and the dead spot), why it's so important and how to train hitting it.
HOW TO SET INTENTIONS TO REACH YOUR TENNIS GOALS
Want to make sure you'll reach your tennis goals by setting intentions, but don't know how❓ In this post we'll talk about the exact steps 👣 to set your intentions and live by them, so you can maximize the chance of achieving your tennis goals no matter what.
THE POWER OF INTENTIONS IN SETTING TENNIS GOALS
What if I told you that setting goals alone might not work as well as you think? You know, during the lockdown 🔒 I've had time to think and experiment, and that's exactly what I found out. Goals without intentions are not gonna work out so well, if at all 😳.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TENNIS QUARANTINE
As we're pretty much all stuck at home due to the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19 👑🦠, why not make the most of our quarantine and make sure we'll be in the best possible shape (physically and mentally) once it's GO-time again? Even though there's nothing like hitting yellow balls 🎾, let's focus on what we can do rather than what we cannot.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE HIGH PERFORMANCE TENNIS FITNESS PROGRAM
Lately I've been training like crazy, especially off the court 🏋🏼♀️. Because I realized that if I wanted to step up my game, I needed to take my fitness to the next level. So if you want to do the same, here's my experience with the High Performance Tennis Fitness Program I've just completed. ❗️Warning: if you want something soft, that's not for you!
TENNIS COURT POSITIONING
Don't get how some players can get to every single ball 😤? They have great court positioning, that is they always recover to the right position 📍. If you want to get just as good, here's an entire blog about the importance of good court positioning in tennis and a few simple strategies to find the correct recovery position that guarantees you optimal court coverage.
HOW I WARM UP BEFORE A TENNIS MATCH
Ever been sent to the tennis court for a match before you even had time to warm up? I was, not too long ago. And it wasn't pretty 🤯. That's why lately I've been perfecting my pre-match warm up routine: to keep it short, effective and fun, so there's absolutely no reason to skip it.
HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR POST-TENNIS RECOVERY WITH TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
If you're anything like me, you're training quite a lot to achieve your tennis goals and I'm sure you're familiar with those feelings of soreness and stiffness 😩 that come the day after a tough workout and accompany you for a few days. If so, you absolutely need to make trigger point therapy a habit. Because when it comes to relieve muscles pain and recover fast, trigger point therapy is unbeatable.
LEARNING THE FEDERER FOREHAND - PROGRESS UPDATE #1
As you already know, about 3 months ago I decided to say goodbye 👋🏻 to my WTA forehand and switch to the Federer forehand. So it's time ⏰ for a quick progress update! I really feel like I NEED to share not only my forehand's progress with you, but also the lessons I learnt and the mistakes I made along the way. ① For myself, so I stay motivated to keep working on it. ② And for you, so you can hopefully avoid some troubles, learn faster and know what to expect.
TENNIS GOALS UPDATE - BEGINNING OF 2020
The new decade is here 🚀! And with it, my thoughts on my recent tennis achievements and my new goals, expectations and plans for the quadrimester to come. Are you curious to know if I smashed all my past goals, or if I miserably missed some❓And what's in store for me next? I hope you are!
TENNIS SHOT SELECTION STRATEGIES
How many times have you been told to play the right shot at the right time? I have sooo many 🤭! And yes, it's easier said than done. But don't worry, I've got you covered! In this post I'll tell you everything you need to know about shot selection: what it is, why you need to get good at it and how to make it automatic in no time.
TENNIS TEMPO
Ever wondered what the heck your opponent is doing instead of getting ready to return 🤨? Or you're like my old me and sometimes find yourself rushing during the changeover 😰, just because your opponent has already picked up the balls and is ready to serve? Either way, you can prevent that from happening! Did you know❓In fact, it's pretty easy once you know about tennis tempo!
TENNIS SCOUTING 101 - HOW TO BEAT YOUR OPPONENT BEFORE THE MATCH STARTS
If I had to name one nerdy skill that's helped me to win more matches 🏆 since day 1 (even when I had all the odds against me on paper ⚖️), scouting would be that skill. It is that important. So why not share what I know about it, so you can skyrocket 🚀 your chances of victory too❓
TENNIS SHOT SELECTION MADE EASY - ZONAL TENNIS
If I say zonal tennis, does it ring a bell 🔔? I hope it does! If not, here's what you need to know: zonal tennis is one of the strategies that can help you learn and automate proper shot selection. So you better get good at it!
GIFT IDEAS FOR A TENNIS PLAYER - AKA MY TENNIS WISH LIST
Christmas is just around the corner and, with the first snowflakes ❄️, even the first wish list investigations have come. And even though I'm a surprise lover in the DNA 🧬, this year I've decided to write down my wishes. Who knows, maybe Santa Claus 🎅🏻 will read my letter and bring me one of the things on my list! Plus, why not kill two (or three) birds with one stone? What I'm saying is, you may find something you want to add to your own list too! Or, why not, something to buy for that friend of yours who seems to be thinking about tennis most of the time 💭🎾.
TENNIS SHOT SELECTION MADE EASY - THE DNO THEORY
We all know that every ball is different 🎾⚽️🏀. And yet most of the time, we approach different balls in the same exact way. Why? Because choosing wisely (aka shot selection in tennis jargon), especially when under pressure 🤯, is not an easy task. Not at all! But lucky for us 🍀, the DNO theory comes to our aid and makes it much easier. Ever heard about it?
TENNIS JOURNAL - WORTH A TRY?
If you're wondering whether keeping a tennis journal is actually useful or just another trend, welcome to the club: I've been there a few years back!
DO YOU REALLY NEED TENNIS SHOES? HERE'S ALL I WISH I HAD KNOWN
I lost count of how many times I wondered whether playing tennis in running shoes 👟 was a good idea or not, so I figured I'd share my humble opinion on the subject now that I finally have one! You know, I'd be really happy if my years of trial and error didn't go to waste 🗑, but helped someone else instead 😊.
I'M LEARNING THE FEDERER FOREHAND! HERE'S WHY AND HOW
My forehand has been my weak groundstroke since foreverrr: it's never come natural to me, NEVER! And it's not even like I've been neglecting it compared to my backhand and serve, not at all! Instead, I've always practiced it a lot more, just because it never really felt right to me. Hence I think it's time to acknowledge the fact that the WTA bent-arm forehand is not really my thing and move on.
HOW TO OVERCOME FEAR DURING A TENNIS MATCH - MY EXPERIENCE
Fear is an ugly beast: you cannot hide from her, and you cannot escape from her either. Yet some players always seem to be fearless, no matter the circumstances. How do they manage?
MY TENNIS GOALS
What's in that crazy head of mine right now? What am I working hard for? Where am I heading to? Do I even know it myself? Or I'm just playing tennis for the pleasure of playing? I'm sure you can guess this one :P But for the others, just keep reading and you'll figure everything out!
MY SECOND-FIRST TENNIS TOURNAMENT - THE EMOTIONS
Ever wondered how you'd feel playing your first tennis tournament? Or, in case you're a tennis player and have already played tens of tournaments, do you still remember how it felt that first time?
HOW I IMPROVE MY TENNIS TECHNIQUE WITHOUT A TENNIS COACH
Think you cannot improve your technique without hours and hours of practice with a coach? Think again! If you are on a tight budget, like me right now, then don't even think you're done with tennis. Because you're not!
MY TENNIS COMEBACK
Curious to know how tennis and I made peace after 4 long years of absolute silence? I know you are. After all, even I had lost hope after such a long time and didn't think it was possible. But as 99% of the time, when you least expect it, things fall into place.
HOW I GOT STARTED WITH TENNIS
If you want to know when / why / how I started playing tennis, here's the right place. To be honest, not many people know the whole story. Which is kind of weird, since the tennis court has been my happy place for so many years.