Outgoing or introvert: What is the right one that works for tennis?
The word “personality” is widely used in different circumstances to have different meanings. It is defined in two contexts in the dictionary, and “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character” is the most known and used definition.
But there is another definition that refers to “a celebrity or famous person”. But in sports, it is the former meaning which is of most importance, for obvious reasons. Personality can manifest in different ways and actions, especially in the field of sports. Understanding these nuances is important to move forward in this particular discussion.
Lack of leadership qualities
Whilst personality is important in team sports, it becomes especially vital in individual sports. This is because of the fact that when it is an individual sport, it is only you and you alone on the field of play. In team sports, personality manifests itself in the form of leadership.
Individuals who have an outgoing personality always tend to be more vocal and tend to push their teammates to achieve higher things. A lament that is heard widely these days from most coaches is the fact that players with leadership qualities are few and far between. The reasons for this could be numerous. But sociologists will be more qualified to speak on that topic than this writer.
Playing before a crowd
This aspect of personality becomes absolutely vital in individual sports. Since the sport of tennis, which is our main focus, falls into that category, personality is extremely important in it.
Outgoing and gregarious personalities often seem to thrive in tennis. This is because of the fact that tennis players at the top – and for that matter, even young and junior players – need to perform their craft in front of crowds. Some players seem to relish the opportunity to “show off” their skills and seem to perform even better when there is an audience. But other players simply seem to wither and have problems adapting themselves to that atmosphere.
Shouting ‘come on’
How do these personality traits manifest themselves on the tennis court? For example, when watching a tennis match, it is possible to see some players trying to “gee” themselves up by shouting “come on” after a good point. They do this loudly and openly. But on the other hand, some other players tend to not show any expression and seem to do the exact same thing, but without any outward showing of emotions.
There is no right and wrong in this situation. It is what works for the player best that needs to be done. Taking two examples from the present superstars in the game of tennis, and comparing them makes an interesting comparison.
Djokovic vs. Federer
For the purposes of this article, let us compare Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Without any doubt, Djokovic has the more outgoing personality. He is always ready to show his emotions openly. In fact at the recent US Open, he got himself disqualified by showing his emotions too openly and not being able to control them.
On the other hand, Federer is definitely quieter on court. That does not mean in any way or form that he has less of a personality on court. It is simply that he is more introverted and prefers to keep his emotions more in check.
Here, most of the time, both commentators and fans are always guessing as to what he is thinking of, as he himself rarely gives anything away. But once again, the emphasis should be on doing what works for the player and not try to do something which either makes the player uncomfortable or makes him/her irritated.
Shouting for no reason
In this regard, there is an interesting phenomenon that has been happening in Sri Lanka tennis since recently. This, by the way, is especially prevalent in the junior most age groups of the Tennis10s (or Under-10) category.
There some players tend to shout “come on” after every point and then also drag it out for about two, three seconds, and they often shout it at the top of their voice. Apart from the fact that this would probably be in breach of the “sportsmanship” rule in the sport, this could also make the player unnecessarily tired as he/she is shouting for absolutely no reason.
Only natural reaction can do
In certain cases, the player is doing it whilst picking the tennis ball up as well. That is obviously not a natural reaction. The player is doing it either because he/she has seen someone else doing it or because the coach has asked him/her to do so. This is exactly what should be avoided.
Therefore, we can see that personality is very important in tennis. That is as long as it's the natural reaction of the player and not a contrived one. In other words, personality is good but having too much of it might land the tennis players in trouble!