"The biggest leap I have taken has been at a mental level"

Streaming Challenger Targu Mures live tennis

🎾 Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg vs Max Alcala Gurri

1. Sign up with Bet365 here
2. Make your first deposit of at least €5
3. Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

 PUBLICIDAD

Register at bet365, deposit €5 or more into your account and you will receive 100% of your eligible deposit in Bet Credits (up to €100). New customers only. Terms apply. Winnings do not include the value of Bet Credits. Maximum prizes, game restrictions, time limits and terms apply. Registration required.

Of the ten Challenger titles that Spanish tennis has accumulated this season, two belong to Max Alcalá Gurri, a man who started the year ranked #389. Five months later, his trajectory has taken a turn.

A turn for the better, of course. In the famous transition from Futures to Challenger events, no player knows how long it will take to adjust to this new suit. Max Alcalá (Barcelona, 2002) began to clarify this equation in recent weeks, adding two titles to his record in this category. A significant step forward to boost the confidence he had been working on for some time. With the top 200 closer than ever, Punto de Break reached out to the Catalan player to explore his origins and aspirations through an interview.

What an end to spring you've had.

Yes, I've had very good results in the last two months, so I'm very happy about it. Since the preseason, I tried to change some things I was lacking to take a bigger leap, although I won't tell you that I expected this. What I did expect was to have good results. I've improved a lot in terms of gameplay, but the biggest leap has been in the mental aspect.

What were you lacking?

I am a very restless player, I like to find ways to keep evolving and not stagnate, I discuss this a lot with my psychologist. We talk a lot about visualization, projecting myself playing big tournaments and trying to win them; this is a habit I have been developing in recent months until little by little my mind starts to assimilate it. Now is when I start to believe it, this is the little leap I needed.

The difference is always in the mental aspect.

Obviously, there are a thousand things we can improve in our game, but where I have noticed the most improvement is at a mental level. I was lacking that confidence point, believing in myself a little more because at a playing level, we are all very similar. Ultimately, what tips the scale is the mindset.

I really like seeing that almost all tennis players now work with a psychologist.

Before, it was a more taboo topic, people didn't give it much importance, and those who went to a psychologist were seen as the weakest. Now, the psychologist is essential; I would say that 90% of players work on the mental aspect as if it were physical training, tennis, or any other aspect.

Did you start working with a psychologist at a very young age?

Yes, ever since I started playing ITF juniors [...] I think I started when I was 16-17 years old. At first, it's a bit uncomfortable because you don't have that confidence, but then it's a safety net, you talk about everything with that person, you know they want to help you. When I was young, I had a lot of character on the court, I was more temperamental, but thanks to certain techniques to deal with pressure and frustration, I have improved a lot. Over the years, I have learned a lot about how this works.

And how does this work?

(Laughs) There is no exact formula, what has worked best for me is not focusing so much on a final result, but rather focusing more on a process of improvement. If I wake up every morning with the purpose of working and getting better, in the end, the results come hand in hand. This is the right mindset, if you only focus on winning tournaments and moving up in the rankings, the focus is not where it should be.

You won two Challengers in less than a month, Cervià and Royan. Any curiosity from these two weeks?

Well, in Italy, just before catching the flight, the truth is that I didn't feel like leaving much. I had been competing for many consecutive weeks and my body was asking me to stay home, plus I had to leave without a coach. In the end, I focused on the day-to-day, the matches kept going by, until in the final my coach could come and we made it. In France, I remember flying on Saturday to Royan, but on Thursday, while training with Marc López, I had a very strong twinge in the psoas. I had to stop training to go to the physio […] On Friday, we tried again but I was still hurting, yet I decided to fly on Saturday. While training there, it still hurt a lot, so we decided to do dry needling in the psoas before the first match. I know this isn't the best, but I preferred to have pain from the needle than from the injury. I took the risk, in the first matches I was on anti-inflammatories, but thanks to that, I was able to finish the tournament in good condition.

You have won both Challengers while outside the top250 ranking. What is happening on the circuit?

There used to be a big difference between those in the top150 and those in the top300, it was very difficult to beat people like that. Now the level is very even, there are players ranked around #500 in the world who play very well, we players know that, there are no easy matches anymore. When the draw comes out, we know that any opponent on the list can send you home if you're not sharp.

Who is currently part of your team?

I train at RCTB 1899 in a morning and afternoon group called 'NextGen.' The head coach is Roger Pérez, my physical trainer is Jordi Pratdesaba, and then Tommy Robredo and Marc López help out some weeks as advisors.

Advisors and legends.

At first, I treated them with a lot of respect, even getting nervous training with them. Now they know me well, they know what works for me and what doesn't, so every day I train with them, I learn a ton.

How did your tennis journey start?

When I was 6-7 years old, my parents signed me up for a summer camp in the town where I live, Cabrils, to be with people playing tennis, going to the pool, and doing other activities. When summer ended, I told them I wanted to keep playing, always combining it with soccer, until I chose tennis.

Were you sure about it?

I always knew it [...] Tennis is my life, I loved it from the start. Perhaps somewhat unconsciously due to the passion that drives me, but my dream has always been to be a professional tennis player, I was very clear that I wanted to give it a try. I didn't even consider going to the United States.

What does it mean to be a professional tennis player? Aren't you one already?

I feel like a professional tennis player because I dedicate myself to it, my day-to-day is centered around tennis. The challenge is being able to make a living with my current ranking. For me, tennis is my life.

And to make a living from it?

Not yet, there's room for improvement. When you start playing the Grand Slam qualifiers is when you start making a living from it. Until then, you have to compete in many tournaments to make the numbers work.

Has your journey been tough to get here?

I've been gradually climbing the rankings, improving each season. Some years were more frustrating than others. You think that after the junior stage, everything will progress quickly because you see it happening with other players, but everyone has their own path. I believe I've been steadily moving upwards, although there are others who have progressed faster. That's when you need to focus more on yourself and less on others.

Being top 250 at 23 isn't bad.

I'm happy, especially with this past year, where the progress has been quite rapid. We see players at 29-30 years old reaching their best level of tennis, so there's no need to rush. It's best to stay focused and keep improving.

You mentioned that now you truly believe in yourself. Is this confidence permanent or does it need constant renewal?

It's not about a specific day's click, it's more of a habit that you have to develop through some exercises so that it sinks into your mind. It's not going to happen overnight, you have to believe it before the results come. If you wait for the result to show up and then believe it, you rely a lot on luck. It's better to focus beforehand on some exercises, realize that you have the level, and from there, the results will start coming.

A plant that needs to be watered daily.

Consistently, that's it. Before, maybe I looked for certain goals to believe it, and now it will be about finding them a bit higher. You always have to aim higher if you want to keep climbing; if you focus on staying at the level you're at, it's normal to go down.

How do you define yourself on the court?

I’m a counterattack player, very physical, with a lot of mental strength and grit.

A clay court flash comes to mind.

Yes, totally (laughs).

Let's finish with a quick round. Tell me your best shot.

The backhand.

Dream tournament.

The Barcelona Open.

Your favorite memory as a player.

So far, my happiest memory was winning my first Challenger.

And a bad memory?

When I started playing my first Futures, still being a junior, suddenly COVID arrived. I remember being in the top 50 junior and not being able to play the Grand Slams because they weren't being held. It was my first year as a junior, and that really upset me.

A sport other than tennis.

Football, I'm a big Barça fan (laughs).

A favorite movie.

I'm not much into movies, but I've always loved James Bond, 007, a lot.

Being No. 1 or winning a Grand Slam?

Winning a Grand Slam.

Childhood idol.

As a child, it was always Roger Federer. Now I'd say Carlos Alcaraz.

Would you dive into the GOAT debate?

For me, it's Roger, but the numbers say otherwise (laughs).

Your toughest rival.

When I was young, definitely Carlos Alcaraz. We faced each other several times, and he was unbeatable, it was different. From recent times, I remember facing Thiago Seyboth Wild last year in a Challenger; he beat me so badly I couldn't even see where the ball was coming from.

Was Carlitos really that good at those ages?

We must have played around 3-4 times, some final of the U-17 Spanish Championship when we were 15-16 years old. There, he already stood out from the rest; I haven't had that feeling with anyone else since. I always had a lot of faith in Carlitos, though to imagine he would be World No. 1 at 19 and now a seven-time Grand Slam champion is unbelievable. But yes, it was clear that he was special.

What is the best thing about being a tennis player?

The values that tennis gives you and the lessons it provides for life: sacrifice, professionalism; tennis is a school of life.

And the worst?

The weeks away from home, there are so many. I love being at home because I'm very family-oriented, and some weeks it's hard for me to leave.

Who is the most important person in your life?

My mother is essential. She suffers a lot during my matches; when she watches them, she always tells me she's nervous (laughs). She follows the matches by video but at the same time with the livescore, where the result comes out earlier. She can't handle it (laughs).

Finally, tell me one goal you have by the end of the year.

To play in the qualifying rounds of the next US Open.

And a childhood dream?

When you are young, you dream of being the best in the world, but as the years go by, you realize the difficulty of this sport. Right now, my dream would be to break into the top 100; that would make me feel very proud.

What if we ask 14-year-old Max?

To be the best player in the world and win more Grand Slams than anyone else (laughs).

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “El salto más grande que he dado ha sido a nivel mental”