Why I Quit Tennis After Losing the Most Important Match of my Life 

Shake off tough losses by getting in tennis shape 👉 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_SujsxF8Plg.html

I can relate to this story. Some years ago I was playing in the finals of the national championship. And guess who is in the audience; Roger Federer! And I can’t concentrate on the game as I do all the moves he does and watch how he reacts. And then, I feel that someone is pushing me on my shoulder. I open my eyes and it is my wife: “Dmitry, wake up, you have to go to work, you dreamer!” :)

Losing hurts more than wining makes you happy. I almost quit playing Recreational Tournaments becouse of the fear of losing. Then i played this guy at a Tournament. He had played around 100 matches and he only won 5 of it, 95 he lost. But he was still playing in Tournaments. I won the match but afterwards this guy registered at the next Tournament. That was the moment that this guy changed my mindset.

I think Shamir got his first win against coach and this video is the result...

“I’ve never lost a game. I just ran out of time.” -Michael Jordan

Björn Borg once said analogous in the documentary "The French" from 1981: "If you are emotionally involved, you have no success" Or a little bit shorter: "Do not think" It is of course, easier said than done.

I wonder, was it a huge mistake for the coach to tell Nick on match point that it was all on his shoulder? My intuition tells me that it was a really bad decision.

What a champion… No words… You are becoming more and more my idol…

Well, your path has brought you to us and I am personally super happy about that Nik. You are incredibly accomplished/talented player, and I truly think that you should still compete with your abilities at one level or another. Cheers and thank you for sharing your story with us!

Great story and lesson. Thank you so much for sharing!

Thank you coach Nik! Your videos are the only ones I can watch several times on RU-vid. I’ll register for the next tournament now.

This topic reminds me of a movie called "the Best of Times" with Robin Williams. :) Your a great coach and offer great advice not only on the technical side of tennis but on the overall approach. Thanks for making these videos.

Amazing story Nikola! Admire the perseverance, leaving home to embark on your tennis dreams is no easy task and yet you picked up 3 conference player of the year awards. I am so inspired by your story

I needed to watch this video today, Nic. Thanks for sharing.

Niko. Another great video. Lots of coaches talk about how to win matches. But this is a great video about what to do when you suffer a real important defeat. Love it!

Great video. Thank you for the perspective and hard-earned wisdom. Love the pictures at the end.

Thanks for sharing your story! Inspiring!!

Just video had a great storytelling as well as production value ! Congratulations for such a great journey in your college and thanks for taking us through it.

Stirring stuff Nick, a real shame about the unnecessary pressure you had to deal with, thanks for sharing with us.

Thank you for sharing your story Nikola. Everything happens for a reason!

I really enjoyed your story Nic. Thanks for all the great videos.

Thanks a lot for sharing that experience, my respect, and thank you for your videos, always helping to improve our tennis.

What a great video, thank you for sharing!

Such a touching story, thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing this; you address the psychology of the game with a depth that brings it to life, grounded in lived experience. This is an enriching story to hear.

I never competed at that level but this is so similar to a personal experience of mine. Thanks for this great story.

Good and inspiring story! Thanks!

This is one of your best videos. Thanks for sharing your story. 🎾♥

Thanks for sharing the awesome story!

Thanks for sharing this ! Very helpful, not just for tennis.

Enjoyed the story, you must have really played well to get to that level. That's so true about playing straight after a loss

That was great, thank you for sharing your story!

Thanks for sharing your experience. What an advice for life!

Inspiring story. Thanks for sharing it.

I think this is one of the best videos that you have made Nick, great advice

Wow! You saved the best for the last! Been following you over a year, didn't know I was in the company of such legend. Quite a wonderful story

Thks for letting us know your story Nik, lovely insight to your career and I can really relate to the pressure you were under. I guess with hindsight it would have been better to just let you play rather then fill your head with the stress of the other match and the time call. Great lessons off a great tennis player Danker :)

Great story ... thanks for sharing!!!

Thank you for sharing your personal tennis 🎾 experience and insights. Food for thoughts for competitive tennis. 👍🙏👏

At last! Some photos from the past!!! Awesome old stuff and memories!

Great lessons to be learnt out of this lovely video-True- never give up-rise and fall are concomitantly attached like head and tail of a coin-Life presents the same perspective-Falling is not important but rising again from the fall-is definitely ✌️

We are our own harshest critic. A wonderful story Niko.

Great great story... Your story just may be your best teachable moment. 👍👍

Thanks Nikola to share your story, it was a really emotional moment and i can think what you have felt... the comments you mentioned as prevention or keep continue is great. Also from my experience after the match specially if i lost, i repeat to myself i was here to have some FUN (usually with my friends) and all bad emotions will disappear suddenly

Hey I appreciate this as I have lost so many matches and I cried many times this really helps and I would always sit depressed but I can just say never give up and mistakes is only a way to go further mistakes is only a way not to go down

What a story, thank you for sharing. I didn't understood about match called out after 5-4 on second set

Wonderful experience to share. I'll get back to the court asap and won't let the recent bad loss in the second round of my club championship stop me. Many thanks.

Wow! it's great to hear your story man! I feel for you, I've been there, #1 for Penn State then satellite circuit! But, think positive, you're coaching Anna! LOL. Can't get better than that!

Thanks for sharing your personal story

Thanks for telling your amazing story Nik! Heartbreaking way to end the College career but still an amazing run. As usual, you also expertly tied this into great advice on managing emotions and dealing with losses. #PermanentSubscriber

Excellent story, glad to make it.

Wow... Nice heartwarming back story Nik..👏🏽👏💥 History behind your passionate on court drill Sargent coaching😝😝

I feel you !!! Thank you 🙏🏻 I lost in the quarterfinals of a tournament a couple of weeks ago and I was up 6/2, 5/4 with 30/15 and I still lost in 3 sets as I got injured on that important point in the game. I tried to push through but I couldn’t. Afterwards I felt so bad..... I still can’t believe it because I was sure I would go to the semi finals... the guy even said on the court after 5/4 “ok that’s it for me I don’t care anymore”. Also funny that you are German I am German here too living in Canada 🇨🇦😎👍🏻

awesome testimony... thanks for the real

Nice story and good advice. You didn‘t even lose and almost quit …. almost too much love for the game! Like so many of us! 👍

Such a nice story, I don't take it as a lose but as a lesson you learned from and also you can share with us now, and we appreciate that. What you reached is impressive anyways. Greetings from Salta la linda, Argentina!

Nik , so Proud of you...Great Player...Greater Coach. Thanks Nik.

Thanks for sharing ! What you’re talking about here is described in a book called The Winner Effect. Small victories are enough to regain confidence. It’s a practice to expose a player to a few weaker opponents before an important match. Every win elevates confidence so the method is great to build up psychological position ahead of a major event.

wow, that's an amazing speech. This is probably the best part I learned from your channel. Never let the emotion overwhelmed you.

I just knew that you are an ATP caliber class player, this video just confirmed that.

Najbolji teniski kanal na youtube. Good luck :)

Hey I went to the university of Illinois! Rajeev ram is a proud alum, and we had Kevin Anderson just a few years after you

Gut gesagt! Well said! Greets from Frankfurt

dear coach .. tQ for sharing your tennis experience.

Nice video. Love your content on the channel especially the technical aspects. Can you make one on how to time the forehand properly ?

Great story Nik . Looking back on that experience do you feel that it has made you a stronger person/player ? Even though you didn't play for 2 years . Did any teammates or coach Purcell reach out to you to advise you to keep training and playing ? You're a great teacher . We all think about what if things would've happened differently. What if I would've done this instead of that ? You can't look back you can only learn from your experiences and go forward . Thanks for sharing

Nick, you are my favorite online tennis coach by far. Too bad you you don't live near Palm Springs. It would be fun to take some lessons from you. Keep up the good work. Cheers

Wow...impressing story and lessons

I wish you were still here in Hawaii giving tennis lessons! I’d sign up! How cool you were here at one time! I lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, too, for a couple years, a long time ago. My tennis journey is just beginning now, in my 30s, and I know I’m not going to be playing at a high level ever, but I can still appreciate your story about not giving it all up after a big loss.

What a beautiful background scene on your video. It looks like cloudy snow or rain.

Beautiful episode. Guess I am one of those kids like you...who were talented n got close....but saw others then just succeed...and this will always puzzle you....yet...gotta count yr blessings...Anyways thanks for sharing this very personal experience. Be proud of yrself.

I wasn't even close to your performance, but to some degree I think I can understand your story. Thank you a lot for sharing. It brings back some bad memories from when I was 16 years old, but it helps to remember. Now I am 40 years old and tomorrow I will play in a club mini tournament after 2 years pause. In 2019, in August, I won 3rd place. Tomorrow will be another day :)

You my man are my fav youtube tennis coach 🎾

Well done! Thanks for sharing. Im sure someone who doesn't come last in every comp will find it useful haha.

Great story Nik! I was a college player myself and I feel you very much since I had a similar situation playing in NAIA nationals where I couldn't finish my 3rd set because the game went 5-3 for the other team. However, this was my freshman year. I had a great sophomore year, and I couldn't play my junior and senior years because of eligibility problems (this was the toughest moment). Which competitions did you like most? Prize money tournaments or clubs leagues in Europe? Or NCAA? Also, how old were you when you went to college?

Cool story. Thank you for sharing :)

This is a great story. This feel like the inspiration for a movie

What the hell Mel was thinking? He should have stayed quiet and let you play without rushing you. 😳

I played the second best opponent of my life in an actual usta match, and i played my best tennis in the first set and won 6-3. Then I couldn’t stop double faulting and lost the second set 3-6. Then I was leading in the 10 point tiebreaker 7-5 and was about to win. However I got so scared and had an approach shot to put away to extend my lead but I got so scared and sliced it and he hit a passing shot winner and I just lost the match mentally. I lost that match 6-3 3-6 7-10. I know how bad it feels.

My latest disappointment was leading 5-1, and then losing 5-7 to an opponent. I understand that this is not unusual in recreational tennis, but it really sucks. So this video should help me to get over it, thanks.

A very long time ago in my developing years I lost a 4.0 USTA Sectional Team match at #1 singles for my tennis club team. I played a guy that simply played great defense and I didn’t have the net game to finish off the important points. I spent the next season developing a net game with the help of a PTR teaching pro. I made it part of every practice and match that I played to constantly move in to the net. Yes I lost games, sets and a few matches but eventually I developed a good all court game. Two years after my humiliating loss I played the same opponent and crushed him 6-1 6-0 by playing serve and volley on my serve and all court when he served. Turns out he need to hit lots of ground strokes to get into his game and my new tactics totally confused him. I discovered that by constantly hitting lots of volleys and overheads I developed a confident attitude at the net. This definitely helped to move me up to the next level of competition and gave me more tennis tools and variety in my game. My favorite slogan when I became a coach and teacher was, “ Practice the way you want to play “ and “ Don’t hit and hope he misses. Set it up and make it happen “.

Great story!

I played college tennis and really had trouble balancing academics and athletics in that I focused strictly on academics and could have been a much better player... I am left-handed with very good technical strokes and fast hands (that I never realized was a gift until later ) - with that combination of skills I should of won many more matches. it seems we all have regrets of some sort. Thanks for posting Nick. USPTA Pro.

Thank you from Italy.

When i started tennis i was getting beaten by everybody at my club. 6 years later and i'm now beating them easily. Losing teaches you how to win.

I used to compete usta for 4 years. I came to the conclusion that i didnt care so much about winning or losing as long as i was executing my shots and strategy.

Good lessons for us. This is why the pros have mental coaches.

Sounds like good advice. Witten was a big hitter--good job getting to match pt against him.

Hey Bro, love your channel, the entire tennis world you cover, have learned much. And hey, I get it...you have to make a living...and the success of this channel is brilliant...but the flood of ads is too much...I am outta....good luck and thank you.

Life is full of ups and downs. Failure is the mother of success.

That's so messed up! Surely if a match has begun it should be aloud to end. WOW. It's not your fault, this was an uncontrollable my friend. Peace.

I lost my love for tennis my senior year of high school. I was set to play 2nd singles, as we had a prodigious freshman who was nationally ranked. After he fractured his arm, I was moved up to play 1st singles, which is huge jump in skill level in my city. I ended up losing every single match that season except for one. After being tired of all the losing and getting used to it, I stopped trying and stopped improving. Did not start playing in earnest again until now at age 26. I am rediscovering my love of the game. Watching your videos and seeing your attitude/enthusiasm for coaching even at the recreational level has helped reignite that fire for me, even if the matches don't matter anymore. Thanks!

Nick, sehr schön dich zu sehen, zu hören und doch auch deine atemberaubende Geschichte, den Ich fande sehr interessant. Sei gesund und munter. Du bist der beste!

For a moment I thought that that stone bench was a grave 😂🤣😂 Nick , losing is not dying , there is always tomorrow , I know you were joking, very funny 😂👍🏻

Such a good video.

Precious story sir great for you to share it with us mere mortals. When i lose certain matches it matters on how i lost them, i can be sore for days when i lose because of 21 double faults. But after a few days i start to analyse and want to start training on how to get better. There is one thing though from my own distant past, as a young kid (9 or 10) I was in a national young potentials group in the Netherlands recieving training. One day we had a tournament somewhere and they thought they could put me in a tough group, i dont remember much after that 🤦‍♂️haha, other then that i felt totally out of place and lost on the court. The shouts of parents of other kids and people watching were like "why is he on the court, he cant play at all!". Nobody picked me up afterwards, im sure its much better nowadays. Why tell this story? As an adult its hard enough to pick yourself up after a big disappointment, with kids theres a whole other dimension present as they normally dont have a sense of where theyre going, they need help and a different motivation after a bad experience. Gawd how it would have helped me then just to get a pat on the back from somebody there. Just fyi next time your kid feels sad 😉

Thank you for sharing this personal and difficult story with us. I can understand why this match had such a tremendous impact on you. I can hear in your voice how much you loved playing for your coach and wanted to get that final win for him. So much so that maybe you would rather carry the burden of that loss all by yourself than think anything bad about the coach you admired so much. From an outsider's standpoint, it sounds like your coach pressuring you to hurry up and finish the match may have contributed to a decrease in your performance. As we all know, we play our best tennis when we are in the flow, and not too concerned with the results. From the sound of it, hearing what your coach said took you out of the flow and got you overthinking. I'm not trying to say you should blame your coach for that loss or that he was a bad guy, because it sounds like he was a great coach and helped you a lot. But maybe telling you to hurry up wasn't helpful, and may have actually made things worse. You may ask, why is this important? Because if what I and others in the comments say is true, then the lesson to take away from your story should really be more focused on what not to do as a coach, rather than what to do as a player.

Nik do you by chance have any footage of yourself playing in your earlier days? I think it would be some fun stuff to watch.

I would have thought Mel should have left you alone. The moment you feel pressure from an outside factor your mind is going to be distracted from its main aim ? Did he tell the other guy on your team who was losing to slow down the points and use all available time?

0:56 knowing that he has to come back to collect his camera for this camera shot makes this so funny XD acting masterclass!