Since the English version of this book has not been released yet, here is a glimpse of some of the important contents I wanted to share from this book.

This book is recommended not only for tennis players but also those who want to succeed in life as a businessman or whatever you want to be in the future. 

So if you want to succeed , you may as well take a look till the end：）

The author of the book is Sasha Bajin, a former coach of Naomi Osaka. Naomi Osaka is a female tennis player who became the first Japanese player ever to win a grand-slam and reach a career high no.1.

When Sasha joined her team, she was world no.68. In 3 months she won her first WTA tour title, in 8 months she notched her first Grand-Slam title and the next one in a row, and in 13 month, she became a world number one. 

This astonishing achievement could not have been possible without the help of Sasha Bajin as he approached and made a precipitous improvement on her mental game primarily. 

Sasha Bajin (Alexander Bajin)

First thing first, let me introduce who Sasha Bajin is.

He was born and raised in Germany, and he was a professional tennis player himself in his early career.

However, his father - who played a big role in creating a chance and motivation for him to become a professional tennis player - all of a sudden died in a mysterious car accident when Sasha was 15 years old.  After this tragedy Sasha started to loose interest in pursuing his career as a successful tennis player.

Furthermore the devastating event took place just after his grandfather was murdered in poison a few months ago. 

Having overcome such tragedies in his adolescent years, in 2007 he became a hitting partner of Serena William; the queen of Tennis. 

After spending 8 years in her team, he decided to get out of his comfort-zone and sought something new. He left her team in 2015.

Short after the split with Serena, Bajin was hired by Victoria Azarenka.

In 2017 he worked with Caroline Wozniacki, and after, he became a coach of Naomi Osaka from 2018. 

And now, without further ado, let's get into his "50 rules". I will introduce 25 of them which I found useful for myself. 

1. Give up from the beginning and think "Everything will not go as you wish"

There are things you cannot control. It's a waste of time thinking about them. Admit and embrace those facts; then you will not be affected by your emotion and will be able to maintain focus.

2. Without big ambitions, you cannot fight. Without small objectives, you cannot win

Once you have your big ambition, don't go straight towards it; instead make specific short term goals and complete them one by one. Step by step, it will lead to your ultimate dream at the end. Believe in what you are doing and continue striving.

3. The law of "Common!"; deceive your brain by positive body language

Yelling, roaring, and smiling will deceive your brain to be positive even when you are feeling down. Be careful with your facial expression as well. Your opponent can read you from your attitude and expression. 

4. "Focus x Concentration" makes a perfect "practice"

Practicing without a purpose is pointless. "Focus" thoroughly on what you want to improve on and "Concentrate" abundantly on how to improve them. This is called a true "Training" or "Practice".

5. If you thoroughly enjoy Failure, you will feel lighter and easier in the actual performance 

Welcome failure! There are things you can only learn or become stronger from adversities or failures. When you are in agony, think "although I am suffering now, the future will be bright. It's just a process until everything will pay off and good result will come in the end". Don't fear failure. 

6. Do not be a "Perfectionist" 

Perfection is impossible as there are always thing you can improve on. If you are a perfectionist, you will never be satisfied with yourself and you will only think about what's not working well. It will prevent you from advancing forward. Admit that nothing can be perfect and work on those things you are not good at with a relaxed mindset. 

7. Taking risks is the only thing that will strengthen your mind 

People do not grow much under the same environment for a prolonged period of time. We need to get out of our comfort zone, and then, you will realize your true identity and where you are at in your journey. That's how you grow as a person. Sometimes you have to be willing to take risks that really frightens you. Once you have experienced it, you will be able to repeat it and grow each time.

8. Are you really giving your 100%??

 Are you sure you are trying 100% ? Or are you satisfied with giving 97 -98 %? In fact, the remaining 2-3 % is what truly divides success and failure. If you have given your 100%, even if you fail you will be proud of yourself and left with no regret. Ask your self once again if you are really trying 100% in your life.

9. The importance of "Routine"

Before an important match or an event, try not to do something special and instead stick to your daily routine. However it's necessary to adapt and modify your routine depending on your objective and environment if those factors changes.

10.  If you have 10 seconds, breath deeply

The simplest and most effective way of refocus and regroup is to inhale and exhale deeply. 

11. What is a "losing game" that you can be more proud of than a "winning game"? 

Judging your self by the result will slow you down. The important thing is to "Make correct decisions focusing on the process". When you don't focus too much on the result, you will enjoy the process and you will improve faster if you can enjoy. Instead of thinking about the result, pay attention to making  small decisions in daily basis. 

12. Write "diary" to control your emotion

Writing down your honest thoughts and revealing your self allows you to clear your mind and emotions, just like a "mental remedy". By reviewing how your day went and analyzing the pros and cons, you will feel more motivated for tomorrow.

13. ”Confidence” is not consistent. That's also why you can instantly boost your confidence to the maximum level

Result doesn't need to come first. Even though you are not at the level yet, you can have big confidence. Your brain will start believing when you start to reiterate "I can do it" over and over again. When you gain confidence, don't forget to work hard, since "confidence" and "effort" are indivisible. 

14. Be selfish when you need to 

In a professional tennis world, it's difficult to succeed without being egocentric, thinking "I am me, others are others". Sometimes you cannot pave the way for success if you are thinking about others or what others think of you. 

15. Always have a plan B

Nothing is better than having a plan B, C, D, E in advance. Keep adjusting and modifying them according to your situation and the result will come. Also your mind will be more relaxed.

16. "Once you can visualize, you cannot lose"; Having all the situation "solved" in advance with imagination.

The power of "imagination" has tremendous power. Picturing details of your future success in your mind will increase your sense of reality and gets you closer to realization of your dream.

17. When you feel "Nervous", be completely by yourself, or be more "chattering"

Then method of how to relieve your anxiety or nervousness depends. You can cloister yourself in your own world and meditate, or you can do the complete opposite. It's important not to be too driven before.

18. "Volition" is the powerful weapon 

People have the ability to change anything by their own "volition" ("will"). Stepping forward with strong volition can change your present situation faster than you think. When you are going through hardships, arouse your another personality and convert your mentality as if you have switched on a new machine inside of you. 

19. "Relax, Persevere" 

Don't worry even if the result is not coming along now. In life, it takes time to make a genuine change and for the result to come. You don't need to blame on yourself. When you rush and seek faster solutions, you will be caught in trouble. 

20. Don't take small victories or achievement for granted. Treat them as if they are your biggest achievements in your career. 

If you don't have a cordial excitement or enjoyment from small achievements, you will be burnt out. It's called "burnout syndrome". When you lose the purpose of why you've started pursuing your dream in the first place, you will lose joy. All the small achievements are precious. If you think you are tired of what you are doing, reconsider whether to continue or not.

21. It's OK to be vulnerable 

Revealing your weaknesses doesn't make you a worthless person. It rather implies that you are strong. It helps you find true friends as well.

22. When you think "I cannot do it anymore"

Be prepared from the beginning that some day you will be tired of what you do. If you choose to change your job and escape from the situation, it shows that you are "mentally weak". You can overcome it by "changing your work environment" or "Rewarding yourself" when you make small achievements.

23. "Gratitude" averts leading down to an abyss

Don't forget to be thankful even to the smallest things in your daily life. Think once again about your life; how grateful and thankful you are. Those who doesn't know to be satisfied, never find true happiness. 

24. Ones who are enthusiastic about what they love rather than money are liked by money

Passion have to take precedence over money. Money will come along after. 

25. Proven by science; "smile" brings success

"Smile" or "laughter" has wonderful power. Smiling or laughing releases endorphin, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for making us feel happy, and they also help lower stress levels. Endorphins are triggered by the movements of the muscles in your face. Try smiling even if you don't want to! 

Thank you for sticking with me until the end. Please follow, like and comment on my Instagram as well!! @taimutomita