By Jeff Salzenstein
I once watched a former World No. 1 hit the same shot for 30 straight minutes…
Here’s what it taught me about excellence.
It was 7pm in Mason, Ohio at the ATP Masters event just outside Cincinnati. Circa 2001.
I had just finished practice at dusk, preparing for my qualifying match the next day.
As I walked past the stadium court, the only sound I heard was…
The thump… thump… thump of a tennis ball.
Curious, I stepped inside.
No crowd.
No scoreboard.
Just one player.
On the sunken stadium court was the lanky and likeable Brazilian, Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten.
If you don’t know Guga… he was the No. 1 player in the world at the time.
Ranked higher than Sampras.
Higher than Agassi.
The best in the world.
And there he was with his coach, Larry Passos, feeding him slow balls to his backhand, as if he was a beginner.
Guga ripped one-handed backhands down the line.
The same shot.
Over and over.
No fans. No noise. Just repetitions.
Precision.
Confidence.
Consistency.
His backhand was his best shot.
And still, he was grooving it again and again.
Locking it into muscle memory.
So that when the pressure came… he could trust it.
Nothing flashy.
Just pro fundamentals.
I stood there watching in awe.
The focus.
The discipline.
The dedication to excellence.
This is what elite tennis players do.
This is what elite performers do.
This is what we can do…
Champions are made in the unseen reps, not the highlight reels.
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Brazil · Cincinnati Open · Diadora · French Open · Gustavo Kuerten
Andrew MIller · August 20, 2025 at 1:51 pm
Fantastic on Kuerten. Reminds me of the Lansdorp approach. Just keep hitting that ball, same ball, repeatedly, over an d over and over and find a way to do that day in, day out, and keep that footwork tight!
Jeff – how is your cousin Mark? And Jeff, how did you beat Cecil Mamiit? That guy was on a tear!
Scoop Malinowski · August 20, 2025 at 5:20 pm
Guga was a workhorse. I love the attention to detail and it makes perfect sense to focus on a certain shot and boy did it pay off, that Guga backhand was live art and it was main reason why he wrapped up no. 1 in Lisbon vs Agassi and Pete in the semis and final. Guga’s level that week was some of the greatest tennis ever played. Unreal, nobody was beating him that week to deny him no.1 But then the body gave out, the hip… he overtrained. As do so many players.