One-set match.
Alex to serve.
My first match in America.
A match with a pro...
So heavy!
15-love.
The ball's weight is totally different...
This is what a pro is like...
No!
Out!
15-all.
Thank goodness.
I need to get used to this ball, and fast.
But... what is this?
Something feels off.
30-15.
It's not just the weight of the ball...
Something is different.
This rhythm is hard to keep up with.
Is this what tennis is like at the world level?
Alex! That shot was great!
Right now, I'm...
fighting against the world!
That's it!
Game: Alex. 3-0.
I already knew tennis would be different over here.
Now I need to analyze what the difference is!
Mike?
All right.
Time to get started.
The World and the Wall
Day 1
We're here!
This is the Florida Tennis Academy!
The campus has exchange student dorms, restaurants, shops, and even a pool.
Amazing...
It's like a town that's made for tennis!
What do you think, Ei-chan?
It hasn't quite hit me yet.
To think I'm going to get to live here and play tennis...
Hey, Marcia!
Hi, Mike.
Wow, she's beautiful...
Ei-chan!
Come here, come here!
I'm Marcia.
Uh...
I'm M-Maruo Eiichiro.
Nice to meet you.
Eichiro?
Nice to meet you, too.
He's a seventeen-year-old exchange student who's aiming for the pros.
He'll be here for two weeks.
He just flew in from Japan, so he's a little jet-lagged.
Could you give him a thirty-minute refresher course?
Sure thing.
She's our promising junior, so go easy on her.
Her shots stretch really far.
How can she hit so hard with such a slender body?
Sorry!
But it feels a little rough.
Maybe her personality is a little rough, too...
She's getting more and more annoyed!
It's not my fault, is it?
Still...
I was nervous because she's their "promising junior,"
but it doesn't feel too different from the junior girls in Japan.
Just because it's America, it doesn't mean everyone's monstrously strong.
All right, let's call it a day.
Thanks, Marcia.
Uh, um...
Thank you.
You're not bad.
That style of play must mean you're aiming for the French Open.
Huh?
She's asking if you're aiming for the French Open, because
the emphasis there is on stable play and not speed, unlike at Wimbledon.
I've never even given it any thought.
I'm only thinking about the All-Japan Junior right now.
All-Japan?
Yeah.
I want to win the All-Japan Junior
and become a professional tennis player.
It's the biggest tournament among the juniors in Japan.
How small.
Huh?!
If that's all it takes to be a pro in Japan,
I wish you'd take my brother there with you.
Was she... making fun of me?
She said you were small!
Crush
Her brother just recently became a pro.
But he's struggling, and it bothers her.
Marcia's got a mouth on her,
but she's not a bad girl at heart, so forgive her, okay?
Right...
Now, let me show you to the dorm.
Time to dig in—
Don't tell anyone about this, okay, Krishna?
Here it is!
H-Hi, Mike!
This is Maruo Eiichiro-kun. He'll be staying here for two weeks.
Um, nice to meet you.
Likewise!
Atsushi, he's Japanese like you.
Teach him a thing or two, will you?
All right, Mike.
However...
Don't teach him stuff like this.
Sorry.
Why don't you bring him with you for dinner?
What?
This is the only place where we're allowed to eat?
That's right.
The menu's pretty substantial.
Yeah...
But when you've been here for six months, like me...
You get tired of having nothing but vegetables, white fish, and chicken.
Sometimes, you crave a huge burger.
So even the food is taken care of for the players.
Eating with another Japanese person is nice, though.
It makes me want to eat natto...
Anyway, if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me.
Thanks.
Looks like everyone's here.
Well, then.
I'll introduce you.
First, I'm Taira Atsushi. I'm nineteen.
I'm aiming to become a pro while going to school here.
This is Krishna. He's sixteen.
It's been about a year since you came from India, right?
This is Alex, who's the same age as me.
He's not in school anymore, so he's a pro player.
He's ranked 819th in the world.
A professional player...
Introduce yourself, Maruo-kun.
Oh, yeah.
I'm Maruo Eiichiro.
I'm from Japan.
I'm seventeen.
I'm looking to go pro.
It's nice to meet you.
Are you the one Mike brought over?
Huh?
I think my little sister said something rude to you.
Sorry about that.
You met Marcia?
Marcia...
So her brother is...
They look alike.
Uh, no, it didn't bother me at all.
It's okay!
All right, let's go to bed!
We gotta get up early again tomorrow.
Oh, Maruo-kun, your bed is above mine.
Oh, all right.
Jet lag?
No, that's not it.
I'm just worked up.
My training in America finally starts tomorrow.
There's no time to be nervous.
I have to get some sleep!
Eiichiro went to Florida?!
It's only a two-week exchange program.
I bet he's panicking.
Hopefully he won't get homesick.
He'll be fine.
But, Nat-chan,
the environment is completely different overseas, isn't it?
That's true, but...
I bet he's fine.
He's bolder than he looks, after all.
Bro is just passionate about training!
Imagine how it feels to be the one forced to accompany him in that training!
So-chan, I need a favor.
Ei-chan is over there, and...
We get up at 5:30.
Good morning.
Did you sleep well?
Oh... Yes.
Are you hungry?
Yeah, somewhat.
Well, let's eat.
This seat taken?
Ike-kun!
Hey, Maruo-kun!
So you made it.
You know Ike-kun?
Yes.
I'm in the same club Ike-kun was in.
We played a match together once.
Speaking of that, you remember, don't you?
That you owe me for that point.
Owe you...
Oh, that?
I wonder if he's the type to hold a grudge...
Maybe I'll have you pay that off while you're here.
He's tight with Soji, huh?
He got to play a match against a top pro like Ike-kun...
Does that mean he's actually really good?
Warm-up starts at 7:00.
Then, at 8:00...
Finally...
Hey!
See you in the meeting room at 8:00.
Huh? We're not going to practice?
Here, this one's for you.
Level 1~5 Sleep Duration Sleep Quality Food Amount Food Quality Motivation
Weight Opinions/Questions
Aches or Strains
What is this?
Every day, players here take notes on their eating habits, sleeping habits,
and their body's condition, focusing on awareness of their instinctual needs.
Instinctual...
This gives the coaches a better understanding of the players.
We start practice after working together to determine each player's goal.
My coach in Japan said the same thing.
Here, fill yours out.
First, I need to listen to my instinct.
Motivation
Wow, they're good.
This class is for new pro players and those who want to be pro players.
Everyone above this level practices individually.
They hire multiple coaches and trainers
with the money they bring in from tournaments and contracts.
They're basically tournament pros like Ike Soji.
But,
all the pros here are just scraping by due to the cost
of lessons and living expenses.
We're all part of the same institution,
but the difference between us and pros is like night and day.
Next!
Right!
Good luck.
All right, let's take a short break.
Practice isn't that different from what we did in Japan.
Ei-chan!
Do you have a minute?
What is it?
I wanted to show you something neat.
Something neat?
This is...
Me from just now?
When were these taken?
There are a few cameras courtside.
This way, you can watch your play and check your form at any time.
And that's not all.
If you have any questions about technique,
the skill coaches will answer them right away.
We have a team of specialists in every aspect of tennis
who are always ready to assist you in achieving your aspirations.
It's up to you to decide how to make use of this.
Incredible...
Here, we wake up for tennis, eat for tennis...
Everything we see, hear, and talk about is tennis.
This might truly be a place where you can live solely for tennis.
If you want to improve at tennis, there's no better environment than this, is there?
I saw Ike-kun's pro debut game in Japan.
I was so envious of Ike-kun going pro.
I thought to myself,
it must be nice to live solely for tennis every day.
And here...
I might be able to have that.
Today, the twenty of us are going to be divided into four brackets for matches.
We observe each match and do some mental training while we await our turns.
On weekday afternoons, we go over what we learned in the match
and end the day with practice.
And there are usually some matches over the weekend on some other courts,
so we sometimes participate in those...
What have you been writing?
Huh?
Tennis 40
This is my tennis notebook.
Tennis notebook?
Let me take a look.
Oh, then have this one.
Here.
Tennis 38
Wow.
Your handwriting is so neat.
But what are you doing this for?
It's to make sure I don't forget what I learned,
and so I can refer back to the match—
Hang on!
How many of those do you have?!
This is my fortieth one...
What the heck?
Wow! I heard the Japanese are diligent.
I guess it's true.
No, no, no! Not all of us are like this!
Be quiet!
Observing the match is also part of practice.
We're sorry!
That's right.
Even if this is the best environment,
I'm here for only two weeks.
What I lack in particular is actual experience.
That's exactly why I want to play as many matches against good players as possible.
Next!
Maruo and Alex, get in!
It's your turn.
Yeah.
I'm up against Alex... Which means...
A match against a pro!
Huh?
I want an opponent other than Maruo.
What?!
Why?
I'm a pro.
I'd like to play against someone on my own level.
But...
He went pro just recently, so he must be on edge.
But I can—
There aren't any pros here.
I saw Soji earlier.
Isn't he available?
I don't know.
I guess we can ask.
U-Um...
It looked like Soji went to the practice courts.
Um, instead of Ike-kun, I'd like—
You called?
Ike-kun?!
Yo.
Hey, Soji.
Would you mind playing a match with Alex?
Um, but Coach, at first you said that Alex and I would have a match...
So, I mean, uh...
I see.
So that's it.
That's fine. I'll do it.
What?!
You don't mind?
Thanks.
Wha... Um, wait...
Wait a second.
I want a match against Soji, too!
Me, too.
Me, too!
What?!
It's not often you get to face a top-ranked tournament pro in a match!
I-Is that right?
Wait a second...
What about me?
Man, I sure am popular!
Hmm... But it's not like I can play this many matches in a day...
And I want to face someone good enough to be useful for my training, too...
What about...
All right!
I'll play against whoever beats Maruo-kun.
Huh?
Me?!
U-Uh, why me?
What's the problem?
I'll face you if you can defeat anyone here.
And I'll face the person who can defeat Maruo-kun
sometime during his two weeks here.
If it means I can have a match with Soji, I'll play against Maruo now.
Are you telling me he's that good?
I dunno.
Huh?
But he probably won't let you win so easily.
So you do have a high opinion of him.
I'll be training, so come get me when you figure out my opponent.
All right.
Do your best.
Is this...
an opportunity Ike-kun created for me?!
Thank you, Ike-kun!
Well, let's get started, then.
Y-Yeah!
Huh?
Alex and Eiichiro?
Looks like they're gonna have a match.
Sender: Natsu Add: Ike Soji Ei-chan So when Ei-chan gets over there, help him out, will you? I think he'll get a lot better.
Since Natsu asked me to, I gave you an opportunity.
But the rest is up to you,
Maruo-kun.
The reason I rejected a match against you isn't just because you're an amateur.
It's also because most players that come from Asia don't understand Western etiquette.
A notebook?
Eiichiro is doing something weird.
He's really taking notes.
He uses that even during matches, I guess.
My attack pattern has three steps.
First, I rally to get a feel for the opponent.
Second, if I can, I go for a winner.
Even if I can't, I advance forward.
Third, I go for the winner at net.
But he won't let me do this at all!
It's because he goes in for an attack during the rally.
But I'm starting to understand his tendencies.
Basically, all of his shots are low-risk.
He practically never comes forward for a high-risk shot.
Instead, he hits from the back and tries to win the point from his first shot.
He only comes forward when he knows he can win the point.
3) Go in for the score 2) If possible, take a shot 1) Observe
2) Go in for the score 1) If possible, take a shot
Compared to my attack pattern, he doesn't do step one, where he observes my play.
That's why the rhythm feels fast and therefore hard to deal with.
Always being on the offensive is pretty crazy.
If I consider all of his shots to be potential winners,
his style doesn't seem so rough.
Time!
It takes me three steps to win a point, and only two for Alex.
What do I do to make up the difference?
If you need two steps...
Then I'll go after you
in fewer!
If I serve and volley, it's just one step!
Ah...
Love-15.
Lame.
With a serve like that...
That was way too reckless.
He's changing his attack pattern.
If that's the case...
What can I do?
I'll use my 1/64 control, and go for the win from the start!
Out!
Love-30.
The ball is too heavy! I can't control it!
Defense only?!
Game: Alex. 4-0.
Good job, Alex!
If I could just get used to the rhythm, I feel like I could handle this...
5-0.
But before that, I have to get used to these heavy shots.
Game, set.
Winner: Alex. Score: 6-0.
I can't even make a dent...
This type of tennis exists?!
Soji.
I won against Maruo.
That was quick!
What was the score?
6-0.
I see.
Well, that sounds about right.
Got it.
Let's start when you're ready.
Wait a second, Soji.
Why did you say that earlier?
That Maruo wouldn't let me win so easily.
I just felt that way.
He's only been playing tennis for two years, you know.
What?
He started in the spring when he was fifteen.
Don't you think that's amazing?
It hasn't even been two years?
This is the world's standard for tennis...
I have to think of a strategy!
Next Time
Marcia?!
I don't get it!
Why are you writing down your losing score and ball movements so precisely?
Huh?
And what the heck?
Aren't you frustrated about losing against my brother?
Why do you look so satisfied?!
O-Of course I'm frustrated, but I'm happy I got to play against someone good.
What a weirdo.
Next time on Baby Steps:
A Vicious Circle is Lucky
"A Vicious Circle is Lucky."
End