Mental boost
When Kyle Edmund steps on to the court to play Novak Djokovic in the third round, he will have a mental edge over the three-time champion, according to his coach.
A three-set win over Djokovic on clay in Madrid in May, his first in four meetings, has given Edmund a mental boost, Fredrik Rosengren told wimbledon.com shortly after their midday practice on Friday. “Every match, when you beat the bigger names, you grow,” said Rosengren, who joined Edmund’s team in October.
“It is about the belief that he can do it,” Rosengren said, as he watched Djokovic hit a few gentle practice serves on a nearby court with his coach, Marian Vajda. “Kyle has shown it before. Find a balance between being not too excited and trying to win the match.”
The cooperation between the softly-spoken British No.1 and the chatty, philosophical 58-year-old Swede immediately paid off.
At the end of January, Edmund reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open, where he lost to former US Open winner Marin Cilic of Croatia.
“I think he still believes the semi-finals in Melbourne was the biggest match in his career, but to play one of the best guys ever on the most famous court, and on home soil, in my opinion, it can’t be bigger than that,” said Rosengren, who has coached four top 10 players in his 30-year career.
Now ranked at a career-high No.17, Edmund is trying to reach the fourth round of The Championships for the first time. He had only won one match in five previous visits to the All England Club before this year.
With the absence of the injured Andy Murray, and after the early defeat of 2017 semi-finalist Johanna Konta, Edmund is the lone Briton remaining in either singles draw.
Centre of attention
Although he now finds himself as the centre of attention of the British media, he seems to take it all in his stride.
“He is in unbelievably good shape, mentally,” said Rosengren, adding he has been “talking a lot” with Edmund about enjoying the matches and remembering why he started to play in the first place.
“You start playing tennis when you are young, and you do it because it is fun,” said Rosengren, who used to guide fellow Swedes Robin Soderling, the 2009 French Open finalist, and former world No. 2 Magnus Norman.
“Sometimes, we all forget the joy of playing. This is so important.
“It’s not always about the result,” Rosengren added. “This is so important for a human being. He is 23 years old and he should feel good about himself and be proud and not always too serious. But it’s a really tough balance to manage, and sometimes we have to talk about it.”
The key to staying relaxed is not to spend too much time at the All England Club, Rosengren said. “He has to do his job and then, out of here,” he said.
During The Championships, Edmund has been staying in the apartment of his best friend, Tom. “They are cooking in the evening or watching soccer,” Rosengren said. “Doing just relaxed things, and not being here - that is important when you play on home soil.”
