This is for the players like me.
Not young.
Not fit.
Not complete.
Not particularly talented.
But…
Relentless in desire.
Grateful for the chance.
And completely in love with the game.
A New Branch in this Blog
Today I want to introduce a new chapter: The Underdog Handbook.
It’s not a magic formula. It’s not backed by science.
It’s a real, lived framework for tennis players who are climbing from the bottom not to prove anything to the world, but to become something more through the process.
It’s about self-growth. About facing yourself in the mirror of competition.
About learning from every loss and celebrating every step forward.
And if I had to draw it, it would look like a temple.
The Foundation
Everything rests on this: Your Fitness
You don’t need to look like a pro athlete.
But if your legs give up after 40 minutes, your plan is just poetry.
If your core isn’t stable, your strokes collapse under pressure.
If your lungs can’t go the distance, your mind starts panicking too early.
The better your fitness, the stronger your temple stands.
The foundation is the hard part.
It’s not visible from the outside, but it supports everything.
The Three Pillars
1. Put all your emphasis on your actual strengths
Forget what you're not. Forget what others can do.
You don’t have time or energy to fix every weakness.
Instead, weaponize what works. If your backhand slice is sharp, make it lethal. If your serve is solid, build everything around it. If you read the game well, play like a chess master.
You’ll improve faster by doubling down on your assets than by fixing every hole.
2. Disrupt your opponent
You’re not here to impress. You’re here to disturb their rhythm.
Break patterns. Vary spins. Change pace.
Drop shots. Moonballs. Flat strikes. Whatever shakes them, take it out of the toolbox.
If they feel comfortable, you’re doing it wrong.
Disruption is your superpower.
3. Be bold
You have no time to be conservative.
Play to win, not to avoid losing.
Attack. Approach. Take space. Take risks.
Yes, you’ll make mistakes but playing bold is the only way to punch above your weight class.
Every match is a test of nerve as much as skill.
The Entablature
The pillars hold something up, your Tactical Intelligence.
Your chessboard.
This is where you stop reacting and start planning.
- Place the ball where it closes angles.
- Position yourself where you cover the highest probability of return.
- Play to create a predictable response, so you can anticipate.
- Build sequences: a shot that leads to a setup that leads to a winner.
- Read your opponent. Think two shots ahead.
This is how you shift from being in the rally to running the rally.
Here, you go from a player… to a master.
The Journey Through the Categories
Climbing through the categories isn’t just about winning more matches, it’s about understanding the game at every level.
Each category brings you face to face with opponents who play in a specific way, who win with certain strengths and expose certain weaknesses.
By observing them, you get a clear picture of what actually works on court, not in theory, but in real matches.
That gives you a powerful indicator of what you should work on.
Because let’s be honest: you don’t have time to become a perfect all-court player overnight.
You need focus, direction, and a sense of priority.
And your opponents, the very people you're trying to beat, are your best teachers.
They show you what skills matter most right now.
Each level in the amateur ranks introduces a new trial:
- 4.4 – 4.3 → Handle endless balls without pace.
- 4.2 → Start applying tactical thinking.
- 4.1 → Need to manage every type of strike.
- 3.5 – 3.4 → You face heavy spin, you must adapt.
- 3.3 → You can’t survive without being fit.
- 3.2 → Power is required. Not optional.
- 3.1 → You must be consistent, no more random brilliance.
It’s like climbing a mountain, each ridge testing a different muscle.
And each step upward reveals a better version of yourself.
Knowing these challenges matters deeply because they give structure, purpose, and clarity to your journey.
When you understand what each level demands, you stop feeling lost in the chaos of mistakes, and instead start seeing those mistakes as signposts, clear indicators of what needs your attention next. It transforms frustration into focus.
Let's walk through them a little...
4.4 – 4.3: The Trial of Patience
At this early stage, you’re not facing heavy balls or tactical warfare—you’re facing the grind. Most points don’t end with winners, but with unforced errors after long, slow-paced rallies. The trial here is mental endurance: can you stay patient, hit clean, and resist the urge to force shots that aren’t there? You learn to stay calm in repetition, and to trust that simplicity, when done right, is already a weapon.
4.2: The Trial of Tactics
By the time you reach 4.2, consistency alone isn’t enough. You need to start thinking in patterns, building points, and choosing shots based on what came before and what might come next. The game starts to resemble chess more than ping-pong. This level challenges your ability to plan and adjust, to take initiative instead of just reacting, and to impose your ideas instead of surviving your opponent’s.
4.1: The Trial of Versatility
At 4.1, you’re expected to be fluent with all the main strikes—serve, return, forehand, backhand, volleys, slices, topspin, and even the occasional drop shot. If one stroke collapses under pressure, your whole game wobbles. This level tests your ability to stay solid across the board, to use different tools depending on the situation, and to become a more complete and unpredictable player.
3.5 – 3.4: The Trial of Spin
Here, the game changes shape—literally. Balls start bouncing higher, dipping faster, kicking off the court in strange directions. You’re no longer hitting against flat drives; you’re facing players who use spin to push you out of your comfort zone. The trial becomes one of adaptation: can you adjust your timing, footwork, and preparation to handle balls that behave differently every time?
3.3: The Trial of Physical Readiness
At this level, matches become physically demanding from the very first rally. Your opponents are no longer inconsistent enough to give you easy points, and long rallies are the norm. If your body can’t keep up—if you tire quickly or suffer from recurring pain, you simply can’t compete. The trial is your fitness: endurance, recovery, footwork, and injury resistance now play a deciding role in every match.
3.2: The Trial of Power
Now you start to face players who can hit hard and deep—and who expect the same from you. A slow second serve is punished. A short ball is an open invitation to be attacked. If you can’t generate pace, you’re always playing defense. This level tests your ability to hit with authority, to serve with real weight, and to take advantage when you get a ball in your strike zone.
3.1: The Trial of Consistency Under Pressure
At 3.1, you’ve proven you can hit, move, and think the game, but now you’re expected to do it reliably, day in and day out, even when your nerves are shaky and the score is tight.
The real trial here is mental consistency: can you maintain your level regardless of who’s watching, how tired you are, or whether you’re winning or losing?
It’s not about your best tennis anymore, it’s about how rarely your level drops.
Why This Handbook Matters
It’s about the gratitude of playing the sport you love.
About paying attention to the small details.
About being present in matches that push your limits.
About treating wins with joy and losses with humility and hunger.
The Underdog Handbook is a path.
For those of us who may have arrived late… but are showing up fully.
Build your foundation. Strengthen your pillars. Sharpen your mind.
Not to become the best in the world.
But to become the best version of yourself through this world.
See you on the courts.
— Il Tennista
