Focusing on your controllables is as easy as remembering your E.A.G.L.E.

E = Effort

A = Attitude

G = Gratitude

L = Learning

E = Enjoyment

S = Sportsmanship

(the plural is the bonus – did you display good character while competing?

(c) Angelo A. Rossetti, author or Tennacity, The Tenacious Mindset, On & Off the Court

My online course Tennacity: The Tenacious Mindset, On & Off the Court is based directly on my book. ENROLL in the online course Tennacity. Here are what others are saying about Tennacity:

“I am sure Angelo and his twin brother Ettore were faced with everything from A to Z when they set a Guinness World Records™ title of keeping a ball in play for 15 hours! Can you imagine what their minds were experiencing?…

Look in the mirror and tell yourself the truth that you won’t break down and you will do whatever it takes to change. Andre Agassi said, “you can’t change the last point, but you can change the next point.” Tennacity is a must-read (and must-take course).

“What the Rossettis have accomplished is truly amazing.”

“Mike, Bob and I have known and admired the Rossetti twins for a long time. They are so very dedicated to our sport and to the players they work with. And they always do lots of extras, including several special events for charitable causes. This new book (and online course) is chock-full of good insights and information that will make you a better player and person.”

Wayne Bryan, Coach & Father of The Bryan Brothers, World #1 Men’s Doubles Team for 438 weeks

“To the Rossetti Bros. You’re #1 too!”
– Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan, 16-time Grand Slam Champions

“I just love Tennacity! The name of the book speaks for itself. Having the “Tennacity” to excel on and off the tennis court is not luck. It requires deep skill that can be practiced and cultivated over time. The content, stories, and practical tips and strategies inside this book are priceless and provide a framework to become a better competitor AND better person. One of Angelo’s favorite strategies to teach his students is to “control the controllables” and his book, Tennacity, succeeds in teaching this valuable skill along with many other mindset gems. I highly recommend this book for athletes and coaches alike.”
Jeff Salzenstein, Founder, Tennis Evolution, Former Top 100 ATP singles & doubles player, 2 time All American & national champion at Stanford, USTA High Performance Coach, & USPTA elite professional.

“We all understand that the technical, tactical and physical sides are important in the game, but in the end, it all comes down to your mindset. I can’t think of a better person to write a book (and develop a course) on this than Angelo, someone who has also achieved two world records that relied on a champion mindset.”

Allistair McCaw, Sports Performance & Mindset Coach and Author of 7 Keys to Being a Great Coach, Champion Minded, and Becoming a GREAT Team Player.

“I’ve been working with Angelo on my mental game for about a year. Recently, I was playing a match at a tournament where I lost the 1st set 6-0. I played better in the 2nd set, but still found myself down 5-3 match point. Angelo was the voice in my head as I saved match point and rallied to win the 2nd set 7-5 and the tiebreaker 10-5. I don’t think that would have happened without his help. I can’t think of a better person to have in your corner.”
-Ava S., high school player

“As a past tennis pro, I can attest that beyond nearly any sport, tennis prepares you for life by honing your mental strength, drive, and discipline. Angelo Rossetti has this tenacious mindset. Angelo’s new book (& course) Tennacity is an innovative guide to develop yours. It gives a glimpse into the mind of someone who is the best in the world at something. Learning from someone who has done it is the best type of aspiration and education. Develop your champion’s mindset to accomplish your dreams and goals through Tennacity.”
Frank McKinney Real Estate Artist, 5-time International Bestselling Author (in 4 genres), superhero meets Robin Hood, Philanthro-Capitalist, Ultramarathoner, Actor, and Visionary, frank-mckinney.com

“Angelo brings great knowledge & enthusiasm to the game in Tennacity. He understands the power of your mindset and how important it is. Having a positive, can-do mindset enables you to have success on and off of the court.”

‘Gentleman Tim’ Mayotte, Former ATP Top 10 singles player & Olympic Silver Medalist

“Angelo is a thoughtful and committed tennis coach who knows first-hand how to excel under pressure.”

Jeff Greenwald, author of The Best Tennis of Your Life.

“I really enjoyed coaching Angelo in college. He was a feisty competitor, who always found a way to compete at a high level. His problem solving and mental toughness were two of his best strengths.”
– Glenn D. Marshall, Director of Tennis, University of Connecticut

“The continued success and achievements of the Rossetti Bros and their related worthy charities are unparalleled and truly special. This kind of “giving back” is what makes the ‘tennis family’ so very special!”
Dick Gould, Director of Tennis, Stanford University, Coach of 17 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships

“Wow is all I can say. Incredible!!! The most neglected part of tennis teaching is the mental side of tennis.” (referring to the Rossettis’ first Guinness World Record™, rallying 14 hours & 31 minutes)
– Johan Kriek, 2-time Australian Open Grand Slam Singles Champion

“Angelo’s positive attitude and outlook is both inspiring and contagious.” 
– Matthew Olson, Executive Director, USTA New England

“To the World Record Twins! Congrats!”
– Murphy & Luke Jensen, 93 French Open Champions

“Seek clarity in moments of doubt, stay calm, and have complete faith in your abilities.” Being a champion “takes a strong mind.”
Pete Sampras, 14X Grand Slam Champion

Angelo has also been the best in the world at a sport we both love: tennis. What’s important is not just world records. It is also finding joy in both the journey and helping others be their best along the way. Rallying over 14 hours without missing takes mental strength, self-belief and, most importantly, what Angelo coins “tennacity.” That’s the title of his book, which shares how to develop the tenacious mindset on and off the court. Whether it’s setting world records or winning gold balls, having grit and persistence is a key to excellence and winning with integrity.I know you will find lasting value in this book as it will inspire you to great things on and off the court.”

Bob Litwin, author of “Live the Best Story of Your Life, performance coach, 25x USTA National Champion & former #1 in the world senior player

Angelo has created a great resource in his latest book & online course TENNACITY. I know both players and coaches will love what he has to share.

Jorge Capestany, USPTA Master Professional and PTR International Master Professional.
Hope College, Manager – Dewitt Tennis Center, Director – Professional Tennis Management (PTM)

Refreshing Compilation of Mindset Mastery
A great read and mental preparation for the trials, tribulations of tennis and how to master inner thought, expectations, winning/losing and loving the journey on the tennis court!
Mitch Granger 

Angelo Rossetti has been my tennis coach for three years. I have had the privilege of taking private lessons with him on a weekly basis.
In my 20s, I played some recreational tennis, had a break of 15 years and started playing at a competitive level in fall 2011. At that time, I had no technical and mental tennis knowledge and started competing as a singles player at the lowest USTA level. As I lost all my matches, I asked Angelo to become my coach and mentor.
With his outstanding tennis skills, high level of energy, positive attitude, great social competencies and professionalism, Angelo helped me to quickly and significantly improve my technical, tactical and mental game. I started as a 2.5 rated USTA player in September, reached a 3.0 level in December, a 3.5 in August that very next year. Today, only two years after working with Angelo, I am playing singles on a 4.0 team. Our teamwork was awarded by my participation at the District Championship during the Summer 2013, having won 3 matches out of 4. I should also mention that I had a shoulder injury at the beginning of the year and Angelo taught me how to play with a 2-handed forehand like Monica Seles.
Angelo immediately identifies improvement areas, translates them into clear guidance and always creates an encouraging environment to stimulate positive change. He uses a creative approach to finding solutions and adapts his methods based on the achieved results. He updates me regularly on the latest techniques and strategies to play high-quality tennis. He is outstanding in building and winning the trust of players and knows perfectly well how to transmit his exceptional background.
I appreciate Angelo’s teaching style, integrating all technical, tactical, and strategic aspects together with the mental and emotional components. I have found Angelo to be inspiring, knowledgeable, empathetic, and committed. His enthusiasm for the game is contagious. His positive and professional attitude makes the challenge of improving my game fun and achievable.
As 5 members of my family are playing tennis at his club, I had many opportunities to be in contact with Angelo, assuming his responsibilities of the Director of Tennis. In any situation, he demonstrated a high level of professionalism, integrity, empathy, and care for the customer. He follows projects with passion and is well respected for his competencies, management skills, and leadership. He is a gifted person, having a rare combination of a bright leader, an effective instructor, outstanding mental coach, and an excellent communicator.
Three of my children (17, 16, and 14 years old) have the chance to take a weekly mental toughness training course conducted by Angelo. They love his way of teaching and become mentally stronger and inspired after every session. My 7-year-old son is coached by him as well!
I am delighted to recommend Angelo without reserve as an exceptional Director of Tennis and a truly superb Tennis instructor.
Stephanie P. adult USTA tennis player

On a personal level, Angelo is probably one of the most gracious, personableand giving individuals I have had the pleasure of knowing. He is actively involved in causes and charities close to his heart and does a tremendous job of creating awareness and organizing events outside of his work schedule.
He has a tireless work ethic and many times he is deserving of credit for his accomplishments but rarely accepts it or quickly deflects it as he does these things from the heart and not for personal gain or accolades. This is particularly refreshing quality of his that I value highly. I have had the opportunity to witness Angelo’s approach to teaching tennis up close for several years. This would include private lessons as well as group clinics. He has a very loyal following of clients who participate in his private lessons/clinics and enjoy his energetic style and positive approach to teaching.

Lou G., Former ATP Touring Professional

“There’s no excellence without ‘tennacity’ in anything” after reading the book Tennacity.
Tim Gallwey, author of The Inner Game of Tennis and known as the “father of coaching.”

Enroll in the online course TENNACITY.

TENNACITY: The Tenacious Mindset On & Off the Court

If you are an athlete or a coach and you’d like to improve your (or your student’s) mental skills, confidence, tenacity, and mindfulness, you’ll find high value in enrolling in this course. Learn from someone who rallied a tennis ball longer than anyone in history and volleyed a ball longer than anyone in the history of the sport of tennis! Angelo is USPTA, PTR, and USTA HP/Mental Skills certified.

You can enroll now!

The Tennacity Course will help you with at least these 10 things:

1. Improve your confidence and your decision-making quickness/ability (Chapters 2, 3, 5, 24)
2. Improve task switching (i.e. adapting to stressful situations) (Chapters 4, 24)
3. Expand your peripheral awareness (4, 24, 29)
4. Create improved situational awareness (4, 24)
5. Improve your focus (4 & 22)
6. Build mental triggers to improve mental endurance (6, 7, 25)
7. Improve managing fear, anxiety, and nerves (3, 5, 12, 29)
8. Find JOY in the process not just the outcome (3, 7, 8, 12, 21)
9. Modify your practice to improve your mental fitness & your performance (11, 13, 20, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30)
10. Learn how to stretch your goals and accomplish your dreams! (3, 21, 26)

This is a special day: 1. It’s Roger Federer’s 39th birthday 2. It marks our 5-year anniversary of our 2nd Guinness World Records™ Title – the longest volley rally (30,576 consecutive volleys taking 5 hours and 28 minutes). We chose this date 5 years ago to honor Roger Federer’s impact on the sport of tennis as well as to raise over $112,000 for the Save the Children charity.

You can enroll now or preview the curriculum!

Complete the form below to subscribe to our emails.

Want to improve your tennis? The world’s best tennis strategy courses are on sale right now. From my friends Craig O’Shannessy with some mental/emotional skills course with my friend Jeff Greenwald. Check it out! https://www.braingametennis.com/buy-products/?ref=36

In order to be able to focus on the things that are important, we first must clear our minds of the things that seem urgent. With this pandemic going on right now I’ve developed 10 Coronavirus Controllables to help others be able to control their controllables and not focus on or worry about the uncontrollables.

If you’d like a free .pdf file of the 10 tips listed above please email angelo @ tennacity .org. You may also find value in my book TENNACITY: The Tenacious Mindset On & Off the Court is available online Softcover color on Amazon and Hardcover & softcovers on BarnesandNoble.

You can learn more about a couple of tennis GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ that I have been a part of:

Our Inspiration – 2 World Records 2 Minute Video
FOX News Story
MSNBC News Story
Inspirational Tennis Story: Tennis Begins with Love

If you found this article of value please consider joining my newsletter by emailing angelo @ tennacity .org or making a donation to Save the Children. Otherwise, please share this article so that we can educate, inform and inspire others.
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1/3 = 100%

This equation may not seem correct. It isn’t correct to a mathematician but for high-level tennis players it most certainly is accurate.

Tennis has unique scoring. Even if you win more points or more games you may not win the match. Scoring isn’t cumulative for the entire contest like most sports. Every point is not created equal. Therefore, it’s not just how many points you win but which points you win that usually separates winning and losing. Having the right mindset before you start your point is critical to success in tennis. This match charting shows the win probability as a game goes on. Just like the Patriots in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons where their win probability fluctuated throughout the game and was anything but certain until the last play of the game, with the Pats winning 34-28. Tennis is the same way. When you are up, do what you did that got you there or put another way, “dance with the person who brought you to the dance.”

 

If you are up 40-LOVE, then all you need to do is win 33% of the remaining points or one of the next three points and you will win the game 100% of the time. Likewise, when you’re up 40-15, then you just need to win 50% or one of the next two points to win the game 100% of the time. If you are at 40-30 then you need to win two of the next three points or 67% of the remaining points to win the game 100% of the time. And finally, when you are at deuce, you need to also win two of the next three points or 67% of the remaining points to win the game 100% of the time. This does not take into account the ability level of both players or teams nor does it consider a player’s particular strengths (either front-runners or players who play solid when down). But the importance in understanding this foundation fact for tennis scoring lies in your mindset approach to playing the point. For example, at 40-LOVE, going for an ace is overkill and quite frankly and unnecessary risk, contrary to popular belief. You just need to play with low risk, high win probability – just enough to win one of the next three points. This whole concept is where I like to say “Moneyball meets the Inner Game.”

Knowing the proper percentages to win points, games, and sets will win you matches. Your mindset dictates how you’re going to start playing the point. The same holds true for when you are down but that gets a bit more complicated. When you are down LOVE-40, then you need to win five of the next six points with the important caveat that you need to win three in a row to get to deuce. If you are down 15-40, then you need to win four of the remaining six points which includes the first two in a row as a necessity. Finally, when you are down 30-40, you must win three of the next four points including the first point as a must-win point.

This same metric holds true for the set score. If you are up five games to zero (5-0), then all you need is to win 20% of the remaining games or one of the next five to win the set 100% of the time. If you are up 5-1, then you just need to win one of the remaining four games of the set or 25% to close out the set 100% of the time. If up 5-2, then all you need to do is win 33% of the remaining points or one of the next three and you will win the set 100% of the time. Likewise, when you’re up 5-3, then you just need to win 50% or one of the next two games to win the set 100% of the time. If you are at 5-4 in the set, then you need to win two of the next three games or 67% of the remaining games to win the set 100% of the time (assuming you lost the first game). And finally, when you are at 5-5 you need to win two of the next three games (one “game” being the tiebreak) or 67% of the remaining games to win the set 100% of the time. This assumes nothing about player level.

Why is this so important? Because the human mind cannot maintain concentration for an entire tennis match. Knowing which points you need to really apply your focus on and also what to focus on at the beginning of these points will be critical to your success and a huge advantage for you. For example, taking risk when you are up for 40-0 would be unnecessary. Winning those games any less than 100% of the time would be unacceptable in my opinion. Knowing that you have to play in such a way that will win you 33% of the remaining points gives you the mindset to create a road map for victory.

If players think “I’m ahead, I have nothing to lose” then they will be sorely mistaken as you do have something to lose – the lead. When you are down is when you having nothing to lose as you will lose if you don’t change something. Current ATP Tour world #1 Novak Djokovic said “Tennis is a mental game. Everyone is fit, everyone hits great forehands and backhands.” I completely agree. Knowing what mindset to play with based on the game or set score is critical to your success.

I always welcome feedback at angeloarossetti @ gmail .com. The above content is proprietary. Please ask me for permission to reference or use in any way. I’m a proud Wilson Advisory Staff Member.

If you are interested in my upcoming new book TENNACITY: The Tenacious Mindset On & Off the Court, please complete the form below.

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The expression goes you are what you eat. In sports and in tennis you are what you focus on. If you focus on diagnosing your problem then the problem will occur more frequently because that’s what you are visualizing and thinking about. What you did wrong. You want to focus on the cure. Have the cure be your present. Have the cure be your primary focus and your secondary or peripheral focus should be the cause or problem or weakness or illness.

Rather than be a doctor who tries to determine what your illness is, focus on the medication. Say, for example, you are hitting your serve into the net. Rather than focus on that fact, focus on the placement of your toss. Placing the toss slightly “nearer” to you will open up the racquet face on contact, enabling the ball to clear the net. Pivot to the cure from the cause. Report to yourself where the serve is missing only long enough to find and focus on the right cure. Feel free to track where the misses are happening but only in the periphery of your awareness. But if you just try to diagnose your error for too long you will make more errors. You do need to be peripherally aware of the error but right away visualize and imagine the solution. But people and players and competitive athletes want to know what they did wrong. Focus on what you do right and when something goes wrong focus on what you need to do right.

In the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open Nick Kyrgios was playing against Roger Federer. In watching the match, I noticed that Nick was berating himself after missing some first serves. His serve broken for the first time in his last service game of the first set, losing 6-4. Several games AFTER he missed those serves, in the second set, he was muttering to himself about missing those serves in the first set. He had only lost one point on serve in his first 4 service games prior to his mental let down. He was focusing on the cause or problem: missed serves – rather than on the cure – toss adjustment perhaps. Not only that, but it showed he wasn’t staying present when he was playing. He was living in the past with a focus on the cause. Unfortunately, he never recovered from this line of thinking, losing in three straight sets.

And when you lose the first set to a front-runner like Federer typically it’s game over.

Rather than ask yourself or your coach “what did I do wrong” ask “what should I do right.”

Focus on your cures not on your problems and you’ll have a better outlook on and off of the court.

I always welcome feedback at angeloarossetti @ gmail .com. The above content is proprietary. Please ask me for permission to reference or use in any way. I’m a proud Wilson Advisory Staff Member.

If you are interested in my upcoming new book TENNACITY: The Success Mindset On & Off the Court, please complete the form below.

In life there’s a saying that patience is a virtue. In sports, be like a boa constrictor not a rattlesnake. You want to be patient and methodical and wear down your opponent. You don’t just want the quick strike. You want to be silently strategic and not warn your enemy when you are about to strike. In tennis, you want to move the ball side-to-side. Drop shot then lob. Pin your opponent by using your battering ram. Outlast your opponent. Silently build your strategy. Only pull the trigger when you’ve earned it. If you get lucky and hit the lines then you’re happy but not satisfied. You want to be satisfied with ensuring the victory. Ensure winning the point by setting up your shots and then closing out the point.

Hitting a great shot when you earned the setup shot is fine but randomly hitting a great shot, say from a defensive position, can be low percentage and quite frankly lucky. Hope is not a strategy. You don’t want to hit and hope. You want to know. You want to play aggressively consistent or consistently aggressive at 60% to 80% of your power level. You don’t want to be redlining at 100% all of the time because that’s a very high-risk strategy. The equivalent is for you card players out there, hitting in blackjack when you have 17. You want to hit when you have 11 for sure but you don’t want to hit when you have 17 because most of the time you will bust. If you get a four to put you at twenty-one, that was more luck and very high risk.

It’s the equivalent of when Magnus Carlsen, the youngest world champion chess player, plays chess. Although he attacks he has multiple combination moves and protects his King at all times. You want to have high percentage offense. You want to attack with your consistency. You want to attack with your mind. You want to have an offense that you can rely upon that will win you matches and win your points assuredly. When you are defending you are doing so with a purpose. Some people say that grinding it out is boring. I say winning isn’t boring. There are flashy shots that some players hit but those flashy shots over time would be extinguished with a tried-and-true, solid strategy. A rattlesnake quickly goes after their prey and it’s either hit or miss with the snake’s venom. Whereas a boa constrictor carefully and methodically constricts their prey from breathing and, over time, wins. That’s what you want in sports. You want to have high percentage plays to close out games and points rather than the quick winner or unforced error.

Tom Brady does it when quarterbacking for the New England Patriots. When he’s down he doesn’t just throw deep passes but, rather, he builds his offense around high percentage short passes. He goes for 2-point conversions only when absolutely necessary, like the two of them in Super Bowl LI.

You don’t want to show your hand with a rattle. You want to quietly produce a winning game plan. Play with patience. Play with purpose. Play like a boa constrictor not a rattlesnake, and you will win more often. And nothing against rattlesnakes.

I always welcome feedback at angeloarossetti @ gmail .com. The above content is proprietary. Please ask me for permission to reference or use in any way.