Maxim Cressi He’s recognized for his distinctive hit-and-ball techniques, an old-school fashion that stands out within the trendy sport. The Paris-born American additionally has a particular strategy to the psychological aspect of the game, utilizing a mindset that meshes together with his aggressive play.
“My mentality is unquestionably distinctive,” Chrissy advised the ATP Tour in a latest on-camera interview, crediting his volleyball-playing mom and two older brothers for serving to him develop his aggressive spirit. “I targeted rather a lot on what I may management, on my serve, on being essentially the most environment friendly serve-and-ball participant.
“That is what I concern most about my opponents, to concentrate on myself and never on them.”
Totally assured in his approach, the 25-year-old has by no means shied away from setting lofty targets. After reworking himself from UCLA’s “bench participant” into the very best participant in faculty tennis, he sees no purpose to not goal stars on the ATP Tour.
“My major purpose is to be No. 1 and dominate the tour,” stated Chrissy, who reached the Pepperstone ATP rating of No. 31 final August. “I do not put any limits on myself and I have not but. That is why I’ve reached this stage, and I imagine this mindset will lead me to extra success.”
He later added, “I can solely think about who I need to be and when. I’ve nice confidence in setting targets. I have been doing it yearly for the final 4 or 5 years, and most of my targets for her have come true.”
To succeed in his more and more bold targets, Cressy doubles down on what some may name a high-stakes technique of all-out assault. However for him, there is no such thing as a different method.
“The largest issue mentally, I’d say, is turning into so used to enjoying a sport that’s so dangerous that it does not change into dangerous in your notion,” he stated. “The important thing to attending to the following stage is sticking to serve and volleyball, no matter works. I’ve performed serves, volleyball and massive serve so many occasions that it is now regular and part of me. I do not think about my sport a dangerous sport at present as a result of I am used to it.”
Chrissie has received 88.8 % of service matches within the 2022 ATP Tour season, which is sweet Fifth on the leaderboard. However he broke serve in simply 13.2 % of the return matches, placing him in 76th place on tour and offering a key alternative for progress.
“I believe the following step is to make the rematch stronger,” he stated. “I believe coming again I’ve to have a distinct mentality, a mentality to get the opposition to play extra and I would like, like the large gamers, to create a number of balls within the sport. I believe I can try this.”
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Maxim Cressi Lifts his first ATP Tour title in Newport. Photograph credit score: Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour
All of it got here collectively for the American final July in Newport, the place he received his first ATP title behind three three-set victories towards. Steve JohnsonAnd John Eisner And Alexander Bublik. He defeated Bublik in a third-set tiebreak to make a breakthrough on the Cup in his third tour-level ultimate; Only a month earlier, he misplaced a final-set tiebreaker to Taylor Fritz within the Eastbourne Championship match.
“It was undoubtedly a nerve-wracking expertise,” he stated of the Newport ultimate, “particularly within the third set the place I stored considering the entire time in regards to the cup and the 2 missed finals.”
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The title was a testomony to Crissy’s sport enchancment and mentality, and it additionally served as the most recent instance of the facility of visualization for The Individuals.
He revealed that “Newport was the primary title I had in thoughts, a very long time in the past, two, three years in the past.” “I stored considering to myself that it will be nice and particular if Newport was my first title as a result of it was my first ATP title. [event] Performed earlier than… I am glad I used to be in a position to get this title. “
Strain is a continuing a part of life on the Tour, and has all the time been current for Chrissie in his grueling ATP 250 profession. He copes with that strain by referring to phrases he writes in his journal, with one spotlight particularly: “instill doubt,” which is directive. It retains him targeted on the current and reminds him to take the match to his opponent.
“I put my religion on this phrase,” he defined, “and it has by no means failed me.” “I simply repeat that sentence to myself so I do not get distracted by different issues. I do know in a tennis match there are a number of variables that may distract you. These two phrases are key to me.”
There isn’t any doubting Chrissy’s perception that he belongs on the prime of the sport. After breaking into the highest 100 of the Pepperstone ATP rankings in January 2022, the American is trying a lot greater in 2023.