First round jitters are something players have to get used to and develop strategies to overcome. Here are a few tips to take away first round “jitters” in a tournament.
First, warmup before your warmup!
Use dynamic stretching which means movement warmups, like high knees, carioca and other such exercises before you even get on the court. Then get ready to hit some ceiling balls, forehands and backhands, Be sure to hit some lob serves, Z serves and drive serves, to get the feel of the court. When you are in a full sweat, you are ready to go.
Here is another tip I learned indirectly from hall of famer, Ruben Gonzalez, a mighty legend of the game! Do a full body light weight workout in a sweatsuit, before you warmup. This may help take the jitters out! Oh, and no coffee for senior players and others who might be sensitive to caffeine! That might put the jitters back!