When we think of sports, we generally think of some sort of physical activity. Whether it’s an organized team sport like basketball, a solo sport like cycling, or a thrilling sport like skiing, our minds immediately drift towards an activity that involves moving our bodies in some way. Although by definition sports must include physical exertion, the mental side is just as important when competing at the highest levels of any sport. No matter what sport we play and how long we’ve been playing it, we’re all prone to feeling nervous, anxious, and much more. These are completely normal feelings for any human being who deeply cares about their sport, but they can hold us back from being our best selves. Just like athletes need to pay close attention to how they train their bodies, they need to take the time to train their minds. One sport that requires the utmost attention to the mental side is a highly competitive and largely single player sport: tennis. Today I want to focus on the mental side of tennis and why mentality is especially key for tennis players.
“Tennis is a mental game. Everyone is fit, everyone hits great forehands and backhands.” - Novak Djokovic
Tennis is a unique sport that requires extreme mental focus. Not only are you completely alone on the court (unless you’re playing doubles) but there aren’t as many breaks as compared to other sports. This means that tennis players need to have the mental strength to adapt their style of play in a very short amount of time. They also need to gather the mental strength to pull themselves out of ruts, as you can always pull off a comeback in tennis given that it’s not a timed sport. Taking all of this into account, it’s no surprise that tennis is one of the most mentally taxing sports.
One massive difference between average tennis players and top players is how they practice. We all know those players who mess around in practice and don’t take it seriously, as they have decided that they will heavily rely on their talent. These are the players who will never reach the heights of those who show up to every practice and treat it like it’s a real match. Part of what makes treating practice like a match is the mental aspect - if you’re distracted in practice and not completely focused on working on your game, you’re likely to fold when you’re playing under pressure in a match.
Beyond practice, it’s important to prepare yourself mentally for upcoming matches. We all get nervous when we know we have a match coming up but we can’t let ourselves lose the match before it even begins by overthinking. Rob Polishook, a Certified Professional Mental Training Coach from IPEC emphasizes the importance of mental preparation before matches when he spoke to the New York Tennis Magazine. He explains, “Most players, be it the favorite or the underdog, are nervous prior to a match. Therefore, pressure release practices such as breathing exercises, meditation, walking and physical warm-up are all great. A player may want to refer to their own match notes or strategies prior to a match. It’s important not to make a match bigger than it is, each match is another match and should not be built up into anything more.” Many players also find it helpful to have some sort of routine before matches to help with overthinking the match ahead. Whether it’s eating your favorite pre-game meal, listening to your favorite music, or whatever else gets you in your zone, it’s important to find your own way of calming your nerves.
The mental side of sports in general is highly underrated. It’s extremely important for athletes to take the time to develop mental toughness and avoid high levels of anxiety before playing important matches. How do you calm yourself before an important match? Let me know in the comments below!
Works Cited
12 points to get a better tennis mindset for matches. Mindset College. (n.d.). https://www.mindsetcollege.co.uk/blog/tennis-mindset
About Dr. Tom Ferraro - Sport performance psychologist. Doctor Tom Ferraro. (n.d.). https://drtomferraro.com/bio
Djukic, B. (2023, February 3). The champion’s mindset: 5 inspiring lessons from Novak đoković. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/champions-mindset-5-inspiring-lessons-from-novak-%C4%91okovi%C4%87-djukic/
Editors, M. (2017, August 24). 5 tennis drills to get pro-level agility. Muscle & Fitness. https://www.muscleandfitness.com/muscle-fitness-hers/hers-workouts/5-tennis-drills-get-pro-level-agility/
How to improve your tennis mental game. Head. (n.d.). https://www.head.com/en_US/rs/stories/how-to-improve-your-tennis-mental-game
Mental game of tennis: Think less about technique and perform better: Sports psychology tennis. Sports Psychology Tennis | Improve Your Mental Game of Tennis with Sports Psychology Strategies. (2018, August 27). https://www.sportspsychologytennis.com/mental-game-of-tennis-think-less/#:~:text=A%20good%20mental%20game%20of,than%20help%20you%20in%20tournaments.
The mental side of tennis. New York Tennis Magazine. (n.d.). https://newyorktennismagazine.com/article/mental-side-tennis/
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