Throughout 2017, we’ll discuss the themes of the season with three former players and current tennis commentators: Jimmy Arias, James Blake and Mary Carillo. Roland Garros, the venue and indigenous name of the season’s second Grand Slam tournament, is the topic of our latest conversation.
Jimmy Arias: The game has become so fast that you have to play with an open stance, and I don’t know that recreational players are doing enough of that. If you’re playing with a closed stance and on the move, you have to hit and then your leg goes out to push off. You lose a step, and you can’t afford to give up those seconds—those split seconds—in today’s game. It’s just too fast now.
You need to be able to hit off an open stance on both sides. Not that you have to hit every shot that way, but as far as when you’re defending, you’ve got to be able to do it in order to not give up ground. This will help you get to the next level, and it will help you win many more points.