Báez runs through one of the auxiliary courts to keep the rally going against Francisco Cerúndolo. The national 2 and 1, respectively, appear as the singles for the first day of competition against the Europeans, whose stronghold is Ricardas Berankinsa talented player who today is far from his best version: at 33 years old, this season he played only one ATP match and is ranked 231st in the ranking.
However, the Argentine raises a word often mentioned and little demonstrated: moderation. “Whoever enters the field, has my respect, because they are there for a reason”justifies the 22-year-old Buenos Aires native in dialogue with Ambit while the rain beats vehemently on the tent and hides all sounds. In the Davis Cup “anything can happen, sometimes a player performs better and others are killed by the pressure.”
The only difference that Sebastián Gutiérrez’s pupil notices is experience, given that the Argentine players –Tomas Etcheverry, Maximo Gonzalez and Andrés Molteni complete the squad – have more experience on the ATP Tour. The sentence is clear: “It’s going to be a difficult series like all the others, and even more so at this level”.
Two weeks ago, the current number 28 in the ranking had a special moment in his career when he was proclaimed champion of the Winston Salem tournament, a competition on hard courts that serves as preparation for the US Open. Throughout that week she showed her steely mettle to prevent a bad moment from damaging her confidence.
“Throughout the week I went game by game and then the results came out. Obviously I wasn’t doing well on cement and having this shot of confidence for that surface adds a lot,” she elaborates. Throughout 2022 he accumulated a significant negative streak with losses in the first round, and this season the fast courts did not help him. But everything changed in the last month, an achievement of long work.
The psychological-emotional issue is a resource widely mentioned in tennis, a sport that is usually analyzed in three ways: technique, physical and head. Sports and mental things go hand in hand, warns Báez. There is no way to separate. “I have been working on this for several years, it is not a matter of one day to the next. It is a process and you have to respect them and continue to be hard-headed to get what you want.”details.
What is the key, then, to appear unscathed by each emotional state? Self-connection and acceptance of the moment: “The point that happened, whether good or bad, has already passed, I can no longer control it, but I can control what is happening. It’s about being very much in the present.”.
The same situation exists with the final results of each tournament, which can sometimes be cruel to a tennis player’s psyche, whether for or against. It is common to hear that the week that passed fell by the wayside. “Changing the chip in this sport is very necessary”mentions who on Saturday, August 26, celebrated the title in Winston Salem and on Sunday he was already in New York in full training for the US Open.
“Both the celebrations and the bad things have to pass quickly. What happens does not have to take away from the main axis, which is training, giving everything and thinking about what comes next, controlling what I can control, doing the best I can giving 100 percent. This is what I always try not to blame myself for. when I go to sleep: ‘Hey, did I give my all today? Yes. Well, I sleep peacefully’”confesses Báez, perhaps the best Argentine of the year, with a serious but relaxed tone.
The noises intermingle. Tools, blows, orders. The BALTC is getting ready for a series that will also be crucial for the future of captain Guillermo Coria, whose cycle will end, in principle, after the Pan American Games. Meanwhile, the champion this year, in addition, in Córdoba and Kitzbühel – fourth player with the most titles in 2023 – gives rise to some aspects outside of tennis, which provide “balance” in an athlete’s career. “It’s one of the most important things,” he says.
“The most difficult thing is to disconnect the athlete from the person. Sometimes the day is over and you have to relax a little, but without losing the focus that you live for tennis, you can’t have a Milanese with fries every night. There has to be that balance, because everything has an impact on performance”expand.
Báez made his Davis Cup debut in March 2022 when Argentina beat the Czech Republic 4-0 at the legendary Palermo club. Precisely, he was in charge of opening the series and solidly defeated Jiri Lehecka, whom he beat in the Winston Salem final. Then, in September and in the Finals, he lost all three singles. For him “it was all very new” since he had just taken his first steps on the ATP circuit. “Now everything is more familiar to me and that gives you peace of mind,” he analyzes.
The 2023 of “Sebita”, as the former captain usually calls it Daniel Orsanicso far it is “good,” he thinks, but “with many things to improve.” “The ranking, the points, the social networks… I leave it a little aside. I have the focus on myself, on what I can do and what I can’t, improve, what I did wrong. Also on my team. The rest takes a back seat.”, close. After a brief talk about the immediate future on the circuit, Báez answers some messages, says hello and leaves for the locker room area. It’s not raining anymore, but the wind forces you to shrink your body and raise your shoulders. The first day of training for the Argentine Davis Cup team ended early.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
