My Little Tennis Project: The Bojovic Experiment
Alright, so I’ve been meaning to share this for a while. It’s about my little experiment with tennis, specifically trying to pick apart J. Bojovic’s game. Not that I’m aiming for the WTA tour, far from it, but you know, I like to tinker and see what makes things tick, even in my own clumsy way on the court.
First off, why Bojovic? Well, I wasn’t looking for a top ten player. I wanted someone who was grinding, someone with a style I thought I could actually try to understand or, dare I say, even attempt a tiny piece of. I started just watching a few clips, then more. Just pure observation at first. Didn’t take notes, just let it sink in. What’s she doing with her feet? How’s the preparation for that backhand?
Then I got a bit more, let’s say, “systematic” in my approach. I picked one thing: her consistency. It seemed like she could just keep the ball in play. Sounds simple, right? Oh boy, was I wrong. That’s where my real “practice” began.
So, I decided for a whole month, my main goal during my practice sessions – and I’m talking about hitting against a wall mostly, sometimes with a very patient friend – was to just get the ball back. Not to hit winners, not to look fancy. Just. Get. It. Back. Inspired by what I thought I saw in Bojovic’s play.
- Week 1: Frustration. I was just pushing the ball. It felt awful. My arm hurt from trying to be too controlled. I felt like I was playing worse than before. My friend even asked if I was feeling okay.
- Week 2: A tiny glimmer. I started to focus less on “not missing” and more on “where do I want the ball to go, safely.” Started watching my own feet more. Still pretty bad, but less wildly awful. I’d rewatch a Bojovic point if I could find one and think, “Okay, she’s not just pushing.” There’s intent there.
- Week 3: The Wall is My Guru. Seriously. Hitting against the wall became my main thing. Trying to get 10, then 20, then 30 balls back in a row. I started to understand the rhythm a bit more. It wasn’t about arming the ball, it was about using my whole body, even for these “safe” shots. I imagined I was in one of those long rallies I’d seen her play.
- Week 4: Small Victories. Played with my friend again. And you know what? I was getting more balls back. Not winning spectacular points, but the rallies were longer. I was less tired because I wasn’t trying to kill every shot. My friend said, “Something’s different. You’re more…annoying to play against.” I took that as a massive compliment.
So, what did I really learn from this “J Bojovic Tennis” experiment? It wasn’t about copying her serve or her forehand. I couldn’t do that. It was about picking one single concept – consistency, in this case – and really, really trying to work on it. It taught me patience. It taught me that “simple” in tennis is incredibly hard.
I still watch her play sometimes. And I see things differently now. I see the effort in every “simple” return, the thought behind every rally ball. It’s not just about the highlights you see on TV. It’s about the grind. And that, I think, applies to a lot more than just tennis.
It’s funny, I started this thinking I’d learn some fancy new shot. Instead, I learned to appreciate the boring stuff. And my game is actually a tiny bit better for it. So yeah, that was my little journey into the world of trying to understand a pro’s game, Bojovic edition. Took a lot of patience, a lot of just showing up and hitting that ball. But worth it, I reckon.
