Watching Tennis Can Improve the Games of Pros and Amateurs The blue skies and brisk breezes of early September mark the end of the United States Open, and its corresponding state of near-total immersion in the shifting fortunes of professional tennis players. For observers who play the sport, this often means an enthusiastic return to the court, after two mostly sedentary weeks on stadium benches and upholstered furniture. This does not mean, however, that they are out of practice: many amateurs report that seeing tennis played at the highest level improves their own games. Watching tennis and playing it can be mutually helpful activities, dialectically entwined. "You get a boost, definitely," said the tennis historian Bud Collins, who has been watching and playing the game for 60 years. But six days later, it's gone. Jon Levey, a writer and avid player said: "I always play better after watching the pros. Their form shows you that less is more. They move their body weight into the ball much better than I do. Everything seems to work in symmetry. After the Open, I suddenly know how to hit "up" on my serve, like they do. But after a little while, it leaves. Maybe the answer is keep watching lots of professional tennis? Andy Murray said he watched about three sets per day. "I learn a lot from doubles, where things happen slower," said Lauren DeLong, an amateur player, who was on the grounds in Flushing Meadows. Today, I saw Leander Paes turn his racquet face at the last minute to disguise a shot. I thought, I can try that. Professionals, too, often pick up techniques by watching, Patrick McEnroe said. "Take the squash shot," he said, referring to the loose forehand slice pros hit when in trouble. That started on clay. Players saw it and thought, "I'll try that too." Now almost all of them use it now. Seeing the fluency with which the pros rally can synchronize an internal sense for the game, according to the commentator and former top-five player Jimmy Arias. "When I haven't played or watched for a while, my game loses something," he said. When I haven't played but I've watched a lot, like the last two weeks, I still have my timing. Certainly, professional players seen up close can mesmerize with their unimpeded strokes, hitchless service motions and sweetly struck volleys. Even the sounds of professional tennis, a rhythmic series of deep thwocks, can be an inspiration. But is the sense of improvement real? Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams's coach who runs his own academy in France, said it was. "When you see people doing the right thing all the time or most of the time, it comes into your head and then you do it more naturally," he said. I know a lot of people who improved just by watching. That's the best way to learn, because you don't think, you just copy, without trying. Recent neuroscience offers a possible explanation for the mysterious sense of osmosis that comes from watching tennis. According to the well-publicized "mirror neuron" capacity, the same region of mammalian brains is in use whether one performs an activity, watches it being performed, or imagines it. The hypothesis connects playing tennis with watching it - and with the practice of imagining perfect strokes in one's room at night. Emulation, which is what mirror neurons are thought to enable, is close to the core of tennis. It's how players learn, and how they have fun. Imitating other players" serves, their rituals, and even their fist-pumps is common. Novak Djokovic has demonstrated his imitative talents very publicly; in New York, Roger Federer showed off a note-perfect imitation of Goran Ivanisevic's memorably abbreviated serve. The former pro Luke Jensen was not sure that the average amateur's hackwork could be improved by seeing more refined swings. "As far as strokes," he said, "I'm not sure most juniors and club players understand what they're watching." Still, he conceded: "Most people are visual, so it can help. And it's inspiring. You want to emulate your heroes. I still remember watching Borg versus Tanner at Wimbledon. After that, I knew I had to play tennis. The pros watch tennis, for tactics, Mouratoglou said. "Federer watches other players constantly," he said. But when Serena Williams was asked if she learned from watching the icons like Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and Steffi Graf, she said, "I don't think so." Told this, Mouratoglou smiled. Serena watches a ton of men's tennis. Never women, though. Professionals also watch to learn how to deal with anxious situations. Asked who she likes to watch, Victoria Azarenka said, "Rafael Nadal. I really admire him for that mental strength. The Swiss junior Belinda Bencic mentioned Nadal and Stanislas Wawrinka as inspirations. The German junior Antonia Lottner cited Williams. "I like the way she's acting on the court," Lottner said. I know she's nervous too and she doesn't show it. Christiane Tsakis, a recreational player sitting near Court 13, also emphasized the emotional aspects of watching. "When I watch a match, I'm playing with them," she said, "I get into their heads. After a match, I'm exhausted. Most players, amateur or professional, can understand the feeling: when we watch a match between professionals, our brains seem to play along with them. Mirroring and empathy, perhaps, are connected at a deeper level than technique. "Even on TV it can help you," said David Wagner, two-time United States Open wheelchair champion. Sometimes it's comfortable to get into my own bed, turn down the commentary, and just watch the tennis. His voice trailed off, perhaps implying that soon, watching and playing would combine in his dreams.