Mon and Dad,
I have a list of 10 things for you to consider:
1. Do you realize that tennis is one of the most unfair sports that there is? We arrive at a tennis tournament and the draw is normally 32 or 64 players. That means that my chances of actually winning the tournament are 1 in 32 or 64. That’s something to consider
2. In tennis the higher up I go, the more the entire outcome of the match is decided in a few points. Do you realize how mentally exhusting and frustrating that can be? Yes i’m sometimes nervous on the tennis court.
3. The pressure to win does not come from you if you want me to win. It comes from my desire to be a champion from within. And none of your yelling or anyone’s can bring that out. What if I don’t have it?
4. It is my desire to have fun, but you guys add pressure to win and remove the fun. What’s up with that? Does that sound like something you should put your kid through ?
5. I am a kid, not a little person, I will make hundreds of silly mistakes. Why do I have to hear about each and everyone of them from you after I did what I am supposed to – that is to make mistakes. The score tells me I made them. I am aware, seriously.
6. Have you even been subject to this much pressure, how would you react? because your approach and body language tell me you haven’t. Otherwise you would probably consider my feelings way more often.
7. After I win and lose, can we just not talk about it, I just wanted to play.
8. Please understand the score in tennis. It is the only sport in which you can be winning the majority of the points in a tennis match and stil lose.
9. I will double fault, because we simply don’t practice it enough. Or maybe because i’m nervous and i need more match practice.
10. I love you, but please this is just a game. Not a reflection of your income, any frustrations you might or might not have, your knowledge of the sport or anything else. It is a way to have fun. As a kid i really like having fun.
From now on here are the rules: if I win I pick where we eat. If I lose you do. That is all I want, and spend the weekend with you.
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