In this series of articles you will learn about post-match routines that you can implement to get your mind and body ready for competition. When thinking about before and after-match routines, look at each action as a part of a connected chain. What you do after the match influences how you start the following day, nearly as much as your pre-match preparation. Your calculus should consist of a formula that takes care of your mental and physical energy and emotional state. That means every time you do something, the purpose should be understood. For example, you played your match early and won. After completing your post-match routine, you will go to the movie theater instead of shopping at the mall because you want entertainment to take the edge off but without expending a lot of energy from standing on your feet.

Before getting into the weeds, let's pivot to the motivation behind this series of posts. Imagine you're No. 1 in the world and about to play in the Australian Open finals. Your birthday is right before the final match. Instead of resting, you go clubbing to celebrate your birthday! Do you expect you'll perform your best the next day? You'll probably perform at 60% of your abilities after a night out partying. That happened to Marat Safin in the 2002 Australian Open – he was tied with Lleyton Hewitt as the youngest to reach No. 1 in the ATP (until Alcaraz broke their record in 2022). Safin won the 2001 U.S. Open, beating the great Pete Sampras in straight sets. Everyone expected Safin to dominate the tennis world, yet his ascent to the top post was short-lived. The decline began when Safin lost to Thomas Johansson in the Aussie Open in a surprise defeat. Safin went clubbing in preparation for his championship match. That sapped his mental and physical energy and limited his ability to play out a tough but beatable opponent.

Rest and recovery. Every time you're on the court, you're using resources to play. During a match, especially against someone close to your level, you use more resources than you're accustomed to. Even after a quick match, I felt slightly more drained than from a tough practice. That difference comes from competitive stress.

Your mind and body recover the most through rest, where resources are used to help fix muscle tears and replenish cell-level elements.

Your first set of recovery objectives are hydration, electrolyte replenishment, and high protein intake.

• Hydration and electrolyte replenishment need to be a round-the-clock affair. However, there are several ways of hydrating, and some approaches are healthier and better. You want to avoid the pattern of barely drinking during the day and then drinking a lot of water in a short period. It stresses your organs. Instead, you should sip water frequently and supplement with electrolytes.

• Do not drink sugary drinks or drinks with artificial ingredients. Carbs are essential to replenishing energy, but highly refined sugar in large quantities (often present in drinks marketed for sports such as Gatorade) gives you an imbalanced spike. The artificial ingredients are taxing on your body because the synthetic components must be processed and eliminated.

• Protein is essential for recovery, and you must consume a lot of protein throughout the day. Many rising tennis players are unaware of how deficient they are in protein intake during tournaments. The assumption while I was growing up playing is that high protein intake is for weightlifters. But research shows that runners and cyclists must consume on the higher spectrum. You can do some research on protein intake, but the recommendation is to consume between 1.5 grams per kilogram to 2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Listen to your body and feel it out, but it's better to consume more protein than less.

Read the other part on conserving energy or stretching.