CJ Johnson Headshot
CJ Johnson
Tony Roig
Tony Roig

#136- Special Episode- Perspective from the 2023 US Open

 Winning. Losing. They are both natural parts of   our sport.

Perspective is something you can control. Gain it, and you will feel better, play better, and enjoy a healthier relationship with Pickleball.

This is my eighth year at the US Open and it’s a lot of fun every year.

I’ll share with you what happened during the men’s pro division where I played. On Wednesday, I played in the men’s senior pro division. We played our first match and the opponent sided us out. We’re playing John and Jeff, two very good players. We got sided out at 10, eight.

Then second game, I don’t think was a very good game by us. The third game, we played a little bit better, but still were unsuccessful in that game, so we lost the match in three games.

Now, I will tell you, in tournament play, a three game loss is a battle.

In this episode I talk to you about some of the trials and tribulations that we all face as pickleball players. Specifically, I’ll address it in the context of tournament play about the ups and downs of pickleball play in a tournament.

           Chapters:

00:00- Touring The Trails and Tribulations of Pickleball

 04:34- Honoring Your Opponents: The Beauty of Playing at Level

 09:29- Compete, Learn and Honor: Gaining Perspective in Pickleball

Rate Review and follow us on Spotify or Apple

“The podcast is always a thoughtful presentation filled with sound advice. I look forward to listening to each episode!”

If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps us support more players just like you.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let us know what you loved most about the episode!

If you like the podcast, please give it a rating. And share it with your friends. If you like it, they probably will too.

Tony Roig

Hola. Hello. Konichiwa. After 40 years playing tennis, I am now a full-time pickleball player and professional. As a 5.0 rated Senior Pro Pickleball Player and an IPTPA-certified Master Teaching Professional, my focus is on helping players like you learn to play their best pickleball. In 2016, shortly after starting to play pickleball, my friend Tom and I jumped into the highest division at the first US Open in Naples, Florida. That morning it became clear just how much there is to learn in this seemingly simple sport – a lifetime of learning if you so choose. Since 2018, I have been on a mission to share my knowledge of pickleball so other players can enjoy the game at a higher level and attain their pickleball objectives. When not studying or playing pickleball, I like to travel with my other half, Jill.

2 Comments

  1. Avatar photo Janet Henson on April 22, 2023 at 3:14 pm

    Thank you Tony, that was a great podcast for me to listen to, I had a bad day on the court today and your podcast helped me tremendously. Thank you again for such encouraging words.

  2. Avatar photo Elaine St. John on April 23, 2023 at 7:58 pm

    From Elaine: THANKS SO MUCH TONY! I know you don’t hear from me often, but your perspective on “win or lose”…honor your opponent. I only play rec, but applies to me too! OK…I had a crummy day. Messed up a serve or two…BUT…the winners of that match played again and got SLAUGHTERED…in rec play it’s SO unpredictable…so my new way of thinking (thanks to YOU) is — instead of mentally chastising myself over all the stupid things I messed up, no matter. My opponents and us were well-matched and we honor them. I’m so trying to let the bad stuff go, and send good stuff to the winners…hey…in rec WE may win the next match! Thanks to you and CJ!

Leave a Comment





Like what you see?

Subscribe to the free newsletter today for more exclusive pickleball tips.