Question 201: Why do I have good days and bad days in matches?

When it comes to matches, for some reason, I become a different person.
That is something even Djokovic is not exempt from.
Times when you are in good form, and times when you are not.
That shift is not so much about the opponent, but rather,it is mostly happening within yourself.

Answer

▶ Jekyll and Hyde, and Self 1 and Self 2

Everyone has a Jekyll and Hyde inside them (laughs).

Metaphorically speaking, Jekyll is quiet.

Hyde is the one who keeps rambling.

In a match, saying "I'm in great form today" or "Nothing is working today," it is normal to have such differences.

First, I want you to know the fact that there are two people inside you.

In the classic book on tennis improvement, "The Inner Game," they are likened to "Self 1" and "Self 2."

It is a book that IT giant Bill Gates has selected as one of the 5 most useful books for living among all the books he has read in his life.

I highly recommend that you read it while you are young.

▶ The true nature of form

One is the "quiet self."

The player who moves according to what they feel in response to the ball in front of them.

The other is the "noisy self."

The player who keeps talking in their head, saying "I have to do this!" "It went in before!" "I'll fix it next time!"

When you are in good form during a match, you are able to be your quiet self.

Conversely, when mistakes continue, your noisy self comes out.

In other words, when you can be your quiet self, you are in good form, and when you become your noisy self, mistakes follow.

▶ The more you try to cover things up, the more talkative people become

The first step is to accept the fact that both exist within you,accepting it is the first step.

Hyde becomes more active when things aren't going well.

It's like becoming more talkative the more you try to cover things up (oh dear).

"You should do this," "I could do it before," "This won't do"—it offers plausible advice.

But that is the devil's whisper (laughs).

▶ Do not go to reference the database

That advice is drawn from past successes and failures, in other words, a "database that is not now."

It is a state where your consciousness is jumping from the present to the past.

If you trade between the present and the past, you will sell your soul to the devil.

What is important in tennis is always just this one ball right now.

Perhaps right now, Hyde is ranting, saying things like, "I used to be able to score points with my serve!" or "I was able to hit such great shots!"

That is why you might hear things like, "You should do this," or "You should be able to do that."

That is the devil's whisper.

▶ Accept little Hyde

The important thing is not to try to force that voice to disappear.

It is to "notice" that, "Oh, the nagging Hyde has come out,"noticing it.

Technically, this is called "mindfulness."

Therefore, do not judge whether it is good or bad.

For that reason, a tip for noticing is to recommend not becoming too serious.

Using affectionate nicknames like "Jekyll" and "Hyde" is a method that shouldn't be underestimated.

The announcer Takahiko Fujii, whom I introduced previously, reportedly valued the effect of feeling a sense of security by calling people by their names (related article: "The true feelings of a creator's sense of responsibility").

▶Acknowledging the "two people" within yourself

Accept the fact that both exist within you.

I am the same, but many people do not want to admit it.

Because the idea of having two people inside you sounds strange.

However, without acknowledging that "current location," there is no way to move forward.

If you don't know where you are, you won't know which way to head.

▶The freedom to choose is here, right now

Since we have desires, we tend to sell our souls to the Hyde who whispers that we can "do it well."

Even at such times, you can notice it and re-trust the quiet Jekyll within you.

You are not under any obligation to choose one or the other.

You have the freedom to choose either.

▶The courage to enjoy

Is it an internal match?

I would like to say "do your best," but please don't try too hard (^^)

The more you think "I absolutely, absolutely want to win," the more you will try to force yourself.

That is Hyde's argument.

"Don't think about winning; if you think about it, you've already lost" (related article: ""Don't think about winning; if you think about it, you've already lost" is true")..

Trying hard is, in a sense, easy.

Because the word "I tried my best" becomes an excuse.

Please enjoy it.

That might be a much more difficult path than simply trying your best.

I am rooting for you.

▶P.S. 1: Hyde is Hide—the duality born from hiding

In preparing this answer, I looked it up and learned that the name Hyde is also derived from the English word "Hide."

It is said to symbolize the "hidden evil face" that the good man Jekyll had been suppressing.

When you suppress your emotions, the hidden duality is reinforced—this represents that principle.

▶P.S. 2: Those who realize "I don't want to admit it"

Every person has a duality of good and evil.

That "every person" includes none other than"yourself".

"I don't want to admit it, the mistakes of my own youth," said Char Aznable with self-mockery (Related article: "The Tennis of Those Who Can 'See'—Federer, the Red Comet").

But because he admitted it, he knew which direction to move forward.

▶P.S. 3: The "Hyde moment" that even appears in pros

Looking back on the fourth set of the 2026 Australian Open final against Alcaraz, "My forehand broke down. I'm very disappointed," Djokovic reflected.

Even for pros who practice to death every day, there are cases where only a specific shot breaks down.

It is certainly not a superficial problem like form or how to hit the ball.

The hidden Hyde has shown his face.

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