1. IMPOSE YOUR WILL
Professional tennis has no shortage of good athletes, but Tsonga is among the best. I admire the way he takes advantage of this. As big as Tsonga is—6-foot-2 and 200 pounds—he seems even bigger to his opponents because he constantly applies pressure, moves forward, and announces his presence. Even in a standard baseline rally, opponents know that Tsonga can pounce at any time. And when someone is concerned about the athleticism of the guy across the net, he’s bound to tense up and make errors. That’s even more the case at your local club than on the profes-sional tour. You probably don’t compare to Tsonga as an athlete, but if you’re more athletic than your opponent, don’t let him forget it. Keep saying, “Here I am again, try to pass me.”
2. CHANGE THE PACE
After watching Tsonga a few times, most people gush about his powerful forehand and explosive movement. You’ll hear no argument from me, but it’s worth noting that Tsonga’s attacking game doesn’t rely entirely on pace. He changes the speed of rallies with slices and high topspin forehands. He’ll come to the net on a high ball or a biting slice down the line. In today’s game, players love to stand and hit a similar ball over and over again. Tsonga is more likely to hit four or ? ve hard ones and then throw in a little junk, which can create errors or uncertainty, or at least force an opponent to generate pace rather than simply de? ect it. If you notice your opponent getting into a groove, change up the rally and try to upset that rhythm. It’s not often enough that players use variety to create opportunities to be offensive. They just think to hit hard, harder, and hardest. If you move away from that, you’ll get better results.
3. USE TOUCH AT NET
Want to learn how to hit a perfectly angled drop volley that barely clears the net and spins away from your opponent? Good luck! While Tsonga hits more than his share of jaw-dropping volleys, he wins a lot of points with run-of-the-mill touch volleys, too. The key is the way he backs his opponents up or throws them off balance with hard, high-bouncing, or slice approach shots and then aggressively positions himself at net—he’s always stepping into his volleys. When your opponent is in trouble, you don’t need to hit a perfect volley to win the point. You might need to hit a second volley, too, but that’s OK. Tsonga himself said that the key to his success at the Australian Open this year was learning that he didn’t have to hit a stupendous shot every time. Most of the time, less than perfection gets the job done.