American Martin Damm walked onto the practice court for his final training session before this year's grass-court swing. The 20-year-old was eagerly waiting to compete professionally on grass, the surface on which he beat Carlos Alcaraz at the Wimbledon junior event in 2019.
But in an instant, Damm suffered a freak injury that kept him out of the game for three months. He tore two ligaments in his left ankle before the training session even began.
“I just stepped and next thing I know, I’m on the ground in crazy pain. It was brutal,” Damm told ATPTour.com at the Saint-Tropez Open, an ATP Challenger Tour 125 event. “I just stepped, I didn’t necessarily roll it or fall.
“I think something must have been bad in the ankle. It must have been getting close to it and it was just a matter of what day it was going to happen. I don’t think these things just happen out of nowhere. I couldn’t even put my heel down to the ground the first two weeks.”
[ATP APP]Before the injury, Damm was enjoying some of the best results of his career. He reached his first ATP Challenger Tour final in January and made a third-round run at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami two months later.
Now Damm is “getting used to trusting my ankle a little more” and aiming to find the level he was producing in the first half of the year.
The son of 40-time tour-level doubles titlist Martin Damm, the Florida native has unique attributes that make him a tricky opponent. Turning 21 at the end of September, Damm stands tall at 6’8” and is left-handed.
“Not many players were or are like that. It definitely has its advantages and disadvantages. I think the great thing is that I’m lefty and the size. Hopefully my serve can get to a point where it's one of the best in the world,” Damm said.
“At the same time, the game has progressed so much the last few years, everyone is so good at hitting a tennis ball. So unfortunately it’s not only about the serve and how you hit the ball. The majority of it is the physical side, fitness, and the mental side of it as well.
“I think it’s time to look past forehands, backhand and serves. Obviously it’s great to have that in the toolbox, but you have to be an absolute beast mentally and physically as well to compete with those guys. I think that’s something I need to improve the most in."
Damm has learned the importance of mental fortitude from his father, whose biggest career doubles title came at the 2006 US Open alongside Leander Paes. The American has also been working with USTA mental performance coach Larry Lauer for seven years.
“[My dad] told me no matter how bad it gets, just keep working,” Damm said. “At the time, it might feel like career-ending losses but at the end of the day, it’s just one match and the season is so long. Keep your head down, keep working and know that the tough times will pass at some point.
“My dad and Larry say, ‘Just accept it, move on, keep working and tomorrow is a new day’.”
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