Kevin Anderson is hoping to expand on the belief he gained at Wimbledon at this year by looking to defend his US Open Final points at Flushing Meadows in September.
The South African managed to reach his second grand slam final, when he beat the likes of Roger Federer and John Isner to make the Wimbledon. Unfortunately for the world number five the final was one match too many as he succumbed to Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Sunday.
However Anderson can take the positives from his time in London and upon reflection he has gained a lot of belief from his latest grand slam run, “He (Anderson’s father, Mike) always spoke about believing in yourself more than anything,” Anderson told ESPN. “As I carried on in my career, I paid more attention to that and working with Alexis has been great. My focus is now on how I can become an even better mental competitor because that is what it really boils down to.”
“It’s about being able to hit the ball really well in the big moments, regardless of who your opponent may be and what is going on out there. I feel I’m constantly getting better in that department and it’ll be a focus of mine going forward.”
The 32 year old has admitted though that he has areas of his game to still improve on, especially his net game, “Moving forward, I want to start hitting even more balls at the net. Shortening points is an aspect of my game, which I believe I can become much better at,” explained Anderson.
The next big goal for Anderson is the US hard court swing, in which he is bidding to go one step further than he did last year in New York, “I don’t know if I’m more determined to win a Grand Slam or ATP title than before because I have always been determined. However, I feel like my belief is greater than it has ever been. I believe I have a great shot at being a consistent competitor, who can vie for those titles.”
The South African’s next tournament is in Washington, which starts next week.
