Maxim Cressi He’s recognized for his distinctive hit-and-ball techniques, an old-school model that stands out within the fashionable recreation. The Paris-born American additionally has a particular method to the psychological aspect of the game, utilizing a mindset that meshes along with his aggressive play.
“My mentality is certainly distinctive,” Chrissy advised the ATP Tour in a current on-camera interview, crediting his volleyball-playing mom and two older brothers for serving to him develop his aggressive spirit. “I targeted so much on what I might 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 give attention to myself and never on them.”
Absolutely assured in his method, the 25-year-old has by no means shied away from setting lofty objectives. After remodeling himself from UCLA’s “bench participant” into one of the best participant in faculty tennis, he sees no cause to not goal stars on the ATP Tour.
“My important purpose is to be No. 1 and dominate the tour,” mentioned Chrissy, who reached the Pepperstone ATP rating of No. 31 final August. “I do not put any limits on myself and I have never but. That is why I’ve reached this degree, and I imagine this mindset will lead me to extra success.”
He later added, “I can solely think about who I wish to be and when. I’ve nice confidence in setting objectives. I have been doing it yearly for the final 4 or 5 years, and most of my objectives for her have come true.”
To achieve his more and more formidable objectives, Cressy doubles down on what some may name a high-stakes technique of all-out assault. However for him, there isn’t any different approach.
“The largest issue mentally, I’d say, is turning into so used to taking part in a recreation that’s so dangerous that it would not grow to be dangerous in your notion,” he mentioned. “The important thing to attending to the subsequent degree 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 contemplate my recreation a dangerous recreation in the present day as a result of I am used to it.”
Chrissie has received 88.8 p.c of service matches within the 2022 ATP Tour season, which is sweet Fifth on the leaderboard. However he broke serve in simply 13.2 p.c of the return matches, placing him in 76th place on tour and offering a key alternative for progress.
“I feel the subsequent step is to make the rematch stronger,” he mentioned. “I feel coming again I’ve to have a distinct mentality, a mentality to get the opposition to play extra and I want, like the large gamers, to create lots of balls within the recreation. I feel I can do 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 in opposition to. 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 closing; Only a month earlier, he misplaced a final-set tiebreaker to Taylor Fritz within the Eastbourne Championship match.
“It was positively a nerve-wracking expertise,” he mentioned of the Newport closing, “particularly within the third set the place I saved pondering 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 recreation enchancment and mentality, and it additionally served as the newest instance of the facility of visualization for The People.
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 saved pondering to myself that it could 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 at all times 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 specifically: “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 lots 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 increased in 2023.