"Don't be so afraid."
"I swear, I am really a pig, not a tiger. The most I usually do is stick a green onion in my nose, pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger. Don't be scared by me."
As he spoke, Gawain gestured with his fingers, pretending to be an "ivory" green onion, and made a big grimace towards Zhang Shuai with his teeth and claws open.
Pfft.
Zhang Shuai couldn't hold it back and laughed out loud - the same cold joke actually had a follow-up, and the second time it was obviously funnier than the first time.
But is there some logic problem with the joke?
"Pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger, that's not how it works, right? If you stick a green onion in your nose, isn't that an elephant?"
Zhang Shuai looked at Gao Wen and reminded him carefully.
Gawain thought carefully, and then said with a very serious and sincere expression.
"Oops, I'm in trouble."
"Chinese is indeed a broad and profound language. It's been a long time since I've used it, so it turned out to be a joke. It's okay, just treat it as a joke."
Pfft...pfft.
"Looking at a joke" seems like it shouldn't be used like this, but it doesn't matter. Zhang Shuai laughed happily again, and the whole atmosphere relaxed.
Gawain didn't look too embarrassed. The corners of his mouth raised with a bright and clean smile, and he returned to the topic.
"Yes, I believe."
Zhang Shuai was stunned and didn't react for a while.
"When I walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium, I believed I could win. More importantly, I knew I was here to fight to the end."
Judging from the results of the previous life, Zhang Shuai does have the strength to break through the first round of a Grand Slam and even enter the second week, but it is also a fact that he lost fourteen consecutive games in the first round of a Grand Slam.
Among them, what went wrong?
A little luck, more psychological reasons.
If possible, Gao Wen also hopes to give Zhang Shuai a little help to help her end her invincible spell in the first round of the Grand Slam ahead of schedule.
More importantly, Gao Wen hopes to see new generation players such as Zhang Shuai and Wang Qiang carry the banner of Chinese women's tennis, because only in this way can the influence of tennis in mainland China continue to expand and attract more and more young people. People join this movement and create a future.
More or less, Gawain also hesitated:
He is not familiar with Zhang Shuai, and all he knows about Zhang Shuai is from the media, so he is not sure what Zhang Shuai's mentality is.
Some people have too much self-esteem and refuse to ask other people's opinions. Any suggestion may be regarded as "pity/sympathy".
If someone is introverted and gives advice rashly, it may appear too aggressive and intrusive, with a condescending pointer.
For various reasons, Gao Wen did not speak directly. If Zhang Shuai had not asked, he would not have "sold the melon" and just ended the training amicably.
But since Zhang Shuai asked, Gao Wen didn't mind sharing some of his own experiences, hoping to bring some help.
Standing under the sun, Gawain showed a big smile.
"You should know, a lot of people always say, don't think it's a Grand Slam match, just treat it like an ordinary match."
"But how is that possible?"
"That's the Grand Slam competition, that's the semi-finals and finals of the Grand Slam, that's the top competition that happens on Arthur Ashe Stadium."
"How can it be treated as an ordinary game?"
Gao Wen's words immediately made Zhang Shuai's eyes brighten, and his whole expression became vivid. It was obvious that Gao Wen was talking about his own affairs, but Zhang Shuai could deeply empathize with him——
The first round of a Grand Slam is the same.
"Yes, yes, yes." Zhang Shuai nodded repeatedly, "That's completely different. How can we treat it as a simple ordinary game?"
"Everyone treats it as an ordinary game, but the problem is, it's not at all!"
Just like before, when Sampras and Gauvin talked about the Grand Slam championship, Gauvin's response was the same:
Perhaps, for Sampras or earlier times, the meaning and status of the Grand Slam are not that important, and they can adjust their mentality.
But the generation of young people born after the 1980s watched Sampras and Agassi perform one peak match after another on the Grand Slam stage. For them, the significance of the four Grand Slams is self-evident. , that is a dream stage, but also a radiant stage.
When the Grand Slam kicks off, when you walk into the center court, the feeling is completely different.
One thing is that Sampras is right. They should not "mythize" the Grand Slam. A normal mind is an important factor in giving full play to one's strength; but in addition, the special status of the Grand Slam is indeed irreplaceable. , just like the Olympics and World Cup are for professional players.
Every professional tennis player should feel the same way about this, and Zhang Shuai and Gao Wen are no exception.
Gao Wen also nodded in affirmation, "The more we try to ignore it, the more objective the pressure becomes. They have never really experienced a Grand Slam competition, so they think that the Grand Slam will Treating the game as a normal game is a feasible approach.”
"Yes, it's not feasible at all. The more I think about it, the more awkward and heavy it becomes, and the more I care about this game." Unknowingly, Zhang Shuai's words came out of his mouth.
Gao Wen continued, "So, the right way is to face these pressures and burdens. This is indeed an extraordinary game, a crucial game, a Grand Slam game, and then , converting pressure into motivation.”
Zhang Shuai:......
The words are simple.
In fact, everyone understands the truth. We should turn pressure into motivation. Just the right amount of pressure can stimulate our performance; but the question is, what should we do? How can pressure be transformed into motivation? How to get it just right?
Gawain noticed the look in Zhang Shuai's eyes... was it contempt?
This did not make Gawain angry, but made Gawain laugh happily, "Did you just despise me?"
Zhang Shuai's wheat-colored cheeks were slightly red, and he became reserved, but he didn't know how to explain himself. It was the second time they met, and he was still unfamiliar.
Gawain didn't mind and waved his hand, "My answer is, believe in yourself."
This sentence brought Zhang Shuai's attention back.
"When I step on the court, I believe in myself, believe that I can win, believe that I will fight to the last minute without reservation, and believe that I will leave the court with no regrets."
"This belief does not allow us to really win, because the game still needs to see the opponent's performance, but it allows us to focus on the game."
"Pressure comes from desire. Pressure exists because of the desire to win and because we care in our hearts. What we should do is to firmly remember the source and form of this pressure."
"So, you just asked me if I believed I could win."
"My answer is yes."
"If there is only one person in the world who believes that I can win, it should be me. I believe in myself unswervingly and 100%. When I step on the court, I am here to fight to the end with all my strength, and I am The last person in the audience who still believes in himself.”
"Strictly speaking, even my parents are not so sure sometimes."
