British underdog uses journaling as he tries to write own Wimbledon fairytale

Telegraph

20 hours ago

It is likely to be the biggest day of Oliver Tarvet 's life so far, as the lowest-ranked player in the entire Wimbledon singles draw prepares to face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in his second-round match.
Yet while many would quake at the thought of taking on the Spaniard in front of a television audience of millions, the 21-year-old will be finding focus in an unlikely activity: journaling.
The British underdog even takes his notepad onto court with him.
Tarvet, the world No 733, will take on world No 2 on Wednesday, but the day before the match he told journalists he was 'quietly confident I can win against anyone, Alcaraz isn't an exception to that'.
He added that his pre-match routine involved waking up 'pretty early', eating soon after and listening to music to 'get into the right headspace', before 'journaling', which involves writing down thoughts, feelings and experience on paper, often as an aid to self-reflection, mental well-being and focus.
'A big thing for me, I like to journal,' he said. 'It's just a thing that I enjoy doing, you know, you can maybe see on the court.'
He revealed his journal's pages 'focus on what makes me good and gives me success'.
Some who practice journaling fill their notebooks with 'affirmations' – positive statements about themselves and the writer's life in an effort to reinforce their own positive beliefs.
When asked by The Telegraph if he wrote affirmations in his notepad, Tarvet said: 'Yeah, it's just little triggers that keep me in the right headspace and keep me focussed, and that's given me a lot of success, but not even just matches, before and after practice.
'If there's a feeling that I like, or a thought that I like – I'll write it down so I have it on paper and that's given me a lot of comfort.
'And you know, especially when you're playing in big crowds it's important to not let the moment get too big or lose your focus and it just keeps me grounded.'
The St Albans-born player cut through Leandro Riedi on an outer court match in three-straight sets on Monday, despite the Swiss player being ranked significantly higher – at 503.
His surprise victory prompted questions about how much the little-known player would be able to take back in winnings.
As per National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations, the University of San Diego college student is eligible to claim only $10,000 (£7,300) 'profit' a year from his winnings after expenses.
The prize for reaching the second round of the championships is £99,000.
It is likely that Alcaraz's team will have spent much of Tuesday frantically looking for videos of the British player to analyse.
Yet, as this is his maiden Grand Slam and footage of his college matches may be hard to find, this is likely to be no easy feat.
In a press conference on Monday, Alcaraz, 22, suggested he had not heard of Tarvet before the tournament, telling journalists: 'Well, first of all, I just heard his name when he qualified to the main draw.'
However, while some fans may see Wednesday's match as a foregone conclusion, the Spaniard appeared to be wary of underestimating his British opponent.
'I saw… great tennis on grass, to be honest,' he said. 'I have to be ready.'
Tarvet is not the first young athlete to praise the benefits of journaling, with gymnast Simone Biles and sprinter Zharnel Hughes among others who have spoken publicly about it.
On Tuesday afternoon, Tarvet was seen being directed to Court 18 – a practice court in the Wimbledon grounds – after appearing to ask for directions.
Wearing his University of San Diego shorts, the player was later seen carrying a pair of black headphones – no doubt to help him find the best headspace in the final 24 hours ahead of the match.