Hello everyone. This is Sean. I first want to say mad props to Ben. He is an amazing competitor and a true gentleman. I would like to clear some things up and hopefully not sound like a whiny bitch as many of you commented and I will not disagree. I want to point out that EVERY time Ben hit a good shot, I acknowledged it just like he did with mine. Ben’s game is not about hitting winners, so there weren’t as many opportunities to say it, but when he hit one, I told him. I even remember saying one of his shots was so good it was gross by how good it was. But I definitely said good shot. I feel terrible about my comments at the end. I don’t know how many of you are asked to go speak to a camera about your thoughts after a gut-wrenching, heart-breaking loss. But I was gutted, exhausted and upset and my words didn’t come out in the best way. I apologize to Ben. This format is so “manufactured” and I will never do it again. We are asked to go to a camera after intense games and speak our minds. I’m sure you all do that, after all your games, right? Ian wants content and asks us to spill our guts. If I’m in a real match, do you think I’m walking over to the corner of the court and saying how exhausted I am out loud? Do you think I’m talking into the wind about how nervous I am? Do you think I’m screaming at the pigeons that I can’t hit “big, fat meatballs”? Of course not. But Ian needs content so you go the corner and start talking. There definitely was some real truth in what I was saying, but at the same time, my opponent or anybody else wouldn’t know 95% of what’s going on in my head. I regret being so candid during those moments when Ian asked us to be open. As far as the I’m a terrible player comments. And again, huge apologies to Ben for him thinking I’m disrespecting his game in any way. There are 5000 arm chair coaches telling me what I should have done during the match. I should have serve and volleyed. I should have forced Ben to come into the net. I should have hit some sliced cross-court drop-shots etc, etc etc. I am fully aware that I don’t have those tools in my toolbox. I truly don’t know how to fundamentally hit a volley, a drop shot or a slice. So in my head, a “good” or complete tennis player would have those weapons and a lesser or “terrible” player doesn’t have them. If I had those tools and used them effectively, the outcome could have been different. What those comments really meant was that Ben exposed the weaknesses in my game. So instead of saying I’m terrible, I should have said I need to work in those areas to improve my game. Again I was speaking those thoughts 2 minutes after the match ended. Finally, I have not and will not watch the last video. Since the first video aired, I have played 3 times. I have lost 0-6, 2-6. 0-6, 5-7 and 0-6, 2-6. These videos have completely destroyed my self-confidence and I have HUGE regrets doing it. For all you players who think you can beat Ben or Ira or Scott or whomever and think you want to expose yourself through this medium. I truly suggest you think twice about it. I hope you have a great summer filled with lots of tennis. Sean

@@seanryan2065 Well said and kudos to you for posting. Personally I hate this format because it's so artificial and hype driven. It's a shame ET have sold out and gone in this direction since I supported them when they first started with their podcasts.

​@@seanryan2065 I sincerely urge you to not stop your essential tennis appearances. If the matches take on this light-hearted, good-friends, meaningless mood then the confessionals don't really have much value; actually the matches themselves are just hitting sessions with serve/points thrown in. Your reaction post-match means that you really care about the outcome. And all tennis player who played matches that have meaningful consequence (prize money, ego, league-standing, etc.) definitely feels what you've shown. It makes your matches/confessionals more helpful to us than others. If there were more content on youtube that reveals what you've shown, the inner dialogue, self-struggle, it would benefit us all in those type of situations. Coaches advice in those situations (remember to have-fun, keep the bigger-picture of things, etc.) are only attempts to mask the pressure by making the outcome mean less. But when the outcome is really meaningful, we're all full of doubt and anguish when it doesn't go our way. Your knocked down right now in the essential tennis career, I hope you get back up. It'll only make your win that much sweeter.

@@seanryan2065 I’ll echo the sentiments of others and say it’s okay to give yourself both a break and some credit. Crazy tough format and deceptively crazy tough opponent. Every single tennis player, especially us rec players, have experienced what you experienced in this match. Every honest one, at least. I’ve purchased content (video series) from both Essential Tennis and Jorge Capistany. Both have been helpful. I have especially found Capistany’s mental toughness book/video series helpful. His book Tennis Strategy is also excellent. I feel a little awkward semi promoting another tennis coach here but Ian and Jorge have cross promoted each other’s content so I think it’s ok. He also addresses dealing with slumps. Hang in there.

Sean, I thought you played really well and were much improved from last time we saw you, and you were good then. Please don’t be so hard on yourself, I’m the same way and it doesn’t help anything. Keep working on your game and challenge yourself to another match on ET. Thanks for being real and saying what was on your mind! Lots of us get equally frustrated so it’s very relatable.

You're awesome Ben. You're a great tennis player! You're mentally strong and have a great skillset. Sean, you're great too! You played great for 2 sets and had a bad third set. It happens. Don't beat yourself too much. Thanks to you both for a great match!

Man if only your tennis could be as pretty as this comment! But just teasing, much like your tennis, it's the effectiveness that really counts, and this sentiment strikes home. Looking forward to the rest of your matches!

Fantastic match Ben!! Something no one seems to point out with you is how willing you are to give credit where it's due. You don't let opposing winners frustrate you, you simply shout them out with a friendly "good shot". You are willing to risk that time and again. Most of us would rather shank the ball than get three winners against in a row. And that's wrong! I've learnt much from you. Keep inspiring us!

Ben - I always say about a style like yours to my friends who complain - you guys don't actually understand what's going on - the game of tennis is not a 'look'. It's a game of movement and geometry with strokes added in. Then you have to combine all of the variables to get this little ball back more times, or find a way to screw up your opponents game. It's not a look, and you my friend play the 'game' of tennis very well sir.

Great reaction and advice. A lot to learn about the mental game from MEP.

Thanks for your support, Charles

I wholeheartedly agree. Sean played a fantastic match. I could literally put myself in his shoes and I could feel the frustration. Well done both.

100% agree. Sean I totally relate, ur hard on urself and that’s what makes ur game so good. Ur doing brilliant I am really motivated by you

Totally agree, he played great. I don't know how much of it is real, but i think Djokovic said that meditation allowed him to up his game cause it helped him learn to let go of all those thoughts when he plays, and just play each point..

@@pabloherrera8964 Sampras said the worst thing you can do is worry about results. Just play in the moment.

Mep dosen't have the running slice yet to get himself out of trouble with that corner ball when he doesn't have the time to topspin drive the ball back. Being mentally tough on the court is one thing in managing your mind with one point at a time when on the court during each point in a match so hes managing well there, but once you can manage your mind on the court and not lose your racquet over the fence in emotions if losing points, you also got to also have the shots to back up that mental toughness on the court as well when playing the match.

Thanks for the feedback!

I agree

I concur

Yes, fully agree. Keep it this way!

@@EssentialTennis Ian, why is that the indoor court is faster than the outdoor ones?

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Completely agreed Ryan.

Totally agree!

Sean played well and was way too hard on himself, but Ben was at a huge disadvantage playing on these super fast indoor courts, which definitely favored Sean. TBH , Sean is pretty lucky he got a set, on the slow outdoor hardcourts in Atlanta, Ben would have beaten him much easier.

Sean is definitely a good player but I know how he feels. There are opponents that make you wonder why you ever considered yourself a ‘tennis player’

Totally agree. Prashant.

Yeah Sean is an excellent player and played really well. MEP is just a great opponent. Absolutely no shame in losing

@@ErikSchierboom nothing against MEP. He just had a calmer mind and was in much better physical shape. Nerves and fatigue beat Sean more than MEP. After watching this match, it was pretty clear to me if Sean had not imploded physically and mentally, he was actually the better, more skilled player and likely would have won the match. I've heard tennis is a game of managing errors and that's true, but especially at the rec level, it's a game of lungs, legs and mind.

@@kdoublec973 why? bc ben has less attractive strokes?

I was coming to add this exact same comment.

I totally agree

I mentioned that too in my comments. This match shows how important the mind is. I guess Provebs was right, "As a Man Thinketh in his heart, So Is he..."

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Well said, Vince

Boy, are you right. I often hit a winner that was hit poorly and complain & put myself down. Sounds stupid bc it is but I still feel that way. I’m 62 and playing recreationally since a teenager and still learning a lot. Thanks to all the comments.

soooo true, i’m learning a ton by watching ben, not going to aim for “the perfect” looking tennis stoke, instead, i’m going to work on stamina and grit.

@@EssentialTennis learning a ton here! thank you for this content. It’s amazing to watch.

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I agree, tennnis.

@@EssentialTennis so true, because even if you do win, you are going to be so out of rhythm, out of shape and pretty much out of your mind. But at least Ben is a very nice guy, which makes it a little more palatable. Very little.

Yes, that is one of Federer's great mental strengths, and it is applicable as a strength at all levels. Ben has a great attitude and perspective.

He did great first set, but MEP is a mental fortress.

I think he played well up to 5-6 in the 2nd set... But playing guys like Ben will wear you down and Sean was soooo on edge the entire time that eventually he mentally checked out and thus the bagel.

That's a really good point about how Sean kinda looked down on Ben. As much as Sean knew Ben was a legit tennis player with a lot of high quality wins under his belt, he still couldn't stomach losing to him, and it made Sean feel like he was a terrible tennis player. Why? I mean obviously Ben had like 10 unforced errors in 3 sets and every other point that Sean won, he had to earn by constructing a winning point, which is absolutely exhausting. That's not the whole narrative though. I think there was a huge gap in perception vs. reality as well. I've been in Sean's position many times. I think about how tennis is instructed, there's an asthetic ideal that is taught. You're then given the impression that once you reach it, you're better than those who don't have the same fundamentally sound game. You're better than those guys who play with shitty rackets and just poke the ball back, right? You have a kick serve and you split step before you return a serve. You don't resort to moonballs. However, Ben knows that a tennis match is a competition, a results based game and looking a certain way when you hit a forehand doesn't have anything to do with the end result of winning. Sean also knows it's a results based game, too, but he was taught that his pretty form would lead to winning. His perception told him that Ben is not worthy to win, but when he is faced with reality that he didn't win, that's where the anger kicks in. So basically, had Sean gone into this match feeling like the underdog that he actually was, he may not have won but he sure as hell wouldn't have felt like he was a terrible tennis player, and it may have helped him stay mentally in the match longer. Sean played super well, he just experienced death by a million cuts. Ben is an energy vampire and feeds on people's energy. Thank you to this channel for producing this style, with the interview style match. This is tennis therapy for free.

The mental game is huge, no doubt about it.

@@EssentialTennis can you recommend a book for keeping sharp and mentally tough? i’ve seen at least 5 youtube videos, but i think reading and reflecting is the way to go for me

@@uncledaveswildride The Inner Game of Tennis is a great book.

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Based in this match, Sean is a solid 4.5 player. Great job of controlled aggression against a tough opponent...you don't see this at the 4.0 level

Thanks so much, Andrew

I'll buy one!

Me too

22:21 "I test their will!"

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Me too!!

Somehow, I thought you had seen the spoilers ...

@@dankauffman3456 Seems like Ben WANTS to watch the ending. 🤔

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Exactly, that's what the boss of Atlanta did when he smoked MEP, held his ground in no man's land but stepped back when he absolutely had to

Great comment, Left Coast

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I know people will disagree, but my perspective is Ben didn’t beat a great player, the great player beat himself. Yes, Ben is great at getting players to beat themselves, which is a skill that I used to great effect in my 46 years of playing. Consistently beating “better” players by mixing it up, playing smart, percentage tennis, and never giving in. The difference is Ben rarely wins points, his opponents lose them, but that is by definition what a pusher does and Ben is one of the best at it. Very tough to beat them without changing the way you play, but Sean almost did it. Sean lost the match when he went down 0-3 in the 2nd set. That lapse in focus cost him big time. He was so amped up from the start, and relieved to get the 1st set, he played loose and dug a hole he couldn’t get out of mentally and then he had nothing left mentally and physically for the 3rd.

Amazing comments, thank you!

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Why? He was kinda condescending to Ben

Thanks for your comments!

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I feel like he got too negative even before the 2nd set was over, like he mentally already lost just because it got close.

@@adamromero True! Way too negative when there were good things happening for him in that 2nd set

Great point, David.

Backspin shots are neutralizing......they make it very difficult to hit aggressive shots.....just watch the match between US Open John and Ben.....Sean was amazing at how he was able to hit aggressive shots off good backspins.

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Hyperbole much? 😂

if i was ian or topher, i’d be very nervous

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Absolutely!

Thanks for watching, Chad!

Great comments, Bears

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That’s why he is a legend

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Appreciate your comments, Doghmi!

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I know pushers that play D1. So that is the error, just because u do not see them on TV u think they are not that good. D1 and D2 if full of guys that have not hit a solid backhand since they were 15 years old. So they just slice the way to a scholarship. KZfaq a Javier or Emilio Sanchez match.

He misspoke there. What he meant was "Pushers make you feel like you're not a good tennis player." He expressed that sentiment before and after he misspoke, but in that moment he was so flustered he couldn't get the words out properly.

@@GreySox Maybe you are right, but i honestly feel that His actions troughout the match become more and more angered! Almost every "good shot" from Ben he didnt answered in set 2 and 3. His body language at the "Nothing to say" changeover and finally the last clip in the end when he said "Im trying to be a good guy!" Unfortunately, He took personally, as i see. But we are all humans, he was way frustrated, it´s understandable...

@@guslazarte9403 I'm not disagreeing with your general point about "pushers" existing at high college levels but I'm not quite understanding the relevance of your Javier and Emilio Sanchez reference? They were both top 25 ATP level players in their day and, while extremely steady, were definitely not pushers.

@@johnnybgood1169 so back in the early 90 I was working non-stop on my Agassi like game...and I was losing a lot and looking great. Then I watched a Javier sanchez match were he was chipping his backhand the whole match and told my coach. Hey this guy is not taking any risks and winning, of course at the ATP level. So then I started chipping, blocking, drop shopping and moon-balling, my dad and my coach hated my tennis(dad almost stopped the tennis thing). I also stopped going for aces and worked on 2 kick serves. 4 years later I got a college tennis scholarship. Notes, you cannot develop defense with a basket of balls, got to play matches, and lots of them. So Ben figure out winning like the sanchez bro figure out to make a living of tennis without hitting a spin backhand. The challenge is to figure it out, not to look like fed losing.

So tough!

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Thanks for watching, Ray

Well said, Daniel.

Yup, Mark vs Mike will still be edited and published. We put it on the back burner to get MEP matches out sooner.

@@EssentialTennis Great, thanks!

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Appreciate your thoughts, Phil!

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I guess all my opponents hate me. I play returns inside the baseline even against fast serves because I'm a bit stubby and balls play me if I back up. So I cut stuff off like a cat. I didn't realize how much it may irritate people.

Sneaky play by Ben.

Smart play .. he mentioned in commentary from the last video about doing this to draw double faults and it worked effectively. Sean was too in his head to even notice.

I kinda hate this play by Ben, , it’s like squeaking your shoes on your opponents serve to coerce a double ,but I grew up playing tennis, youth tournaments, etc, and know that players will do anything to win. But the bottom line is that we need to block this out and play our game