There are many challenges that tennis players have to overcome to achieve success. They can’t control these situations but they can definitely impact their own reactions to various obstacles. One of the things that can determine a player’s performance is his mindset.
Players differ in a variety of ways. They have individual styles, individual strengths as also individual perceptions of different situations. All players have to face similar challenges so their effectiveness will make the biggest difference in the possible final result. It is important to understand how to increase the chance of optimal performance so players can focus on specific factors that are totally under their control.
Mindset is the area that can be changed. Every player has his own mindset that is based on knowledge, experience, emotions, and possessed tools. The way players perceive things and situations drives their actions so if the results are not good, it means that it is necessary to start working with your own mindset (read here how your words can influence your behaviour). Players who understand this equation get complete control over their own performance and are able to solve many problems that look impossible to solve for others.
Many factors try to influence and shape a player’s mindset. Knowing how difficult tennis is and how many obstacles are in front of all participants, players should treat mindset as a priority to develop to make sure that their thinking doesn’t make the situation worse. Here are the examples of situations when mindset can help players achieve success:
What are the benefits?
To be well prepared for the tournament, tennis players have to train hard. Every day they have to get out of their comfort zone to learn new skills and to know how to react against a variety of challenges. Mindset helps to deal with these situations effectively and to maintain inner motivation and 100% effort. When players have a mindset focused on the benefits, they can cope with tiredness, negative emotions, or boredom. They don’t have to like what’s ahead but they do their best because they know what this activity can give them in the future.
Do you have a chance to win?
The score can quickly change during the tennis match. Both players constantly analyze the situations and they make decisions that can give them momentum and make the match harder for the rival. It is definitely much easier to play while winning than losing but trailing the score doesn’t mean that the situation can’t change again. If you have a proper perspective, you will never lose hope. If you understand that it is not easy for your rival to maintain a high level of performance for a long time, you will not dwell for too long on your mistakes. You have to believe that you always can win and until the last point is lost, everything can happen so you have to give your total physical and mental best.
Is it your best?
Progress should be a priority for all players. It doesn’t matter what your current level is, you can always improve different areas to have a positive impact on your overall performance. If you won your last match, you can always improve some areas to be even more difficult for your rivals. If you lost your last match, it is not your final performance. With more effort and a specific plan, your performance will go up really quickly. Keep in mind that you can always be better. This mindset will make you focus on your efforts and will help you deal with emotional situations that create many problems for tennis players.
Tennis players tend to focus on their actions but they forget that mindset is the reason why reactions happen. You can be positive and proactive about your future or you can complain and see the obstacles as situations that are not possible to solve. Make sure you understand your current mindset and make changes when your mindset doesn’t want to make you a champion!
Marcin Bieniek is a professional tennis coach. You can contact Marcin through his personal coaching website http://marcinbieniek.info. Marcin has been working with USTA, top 50 ITF and WTA/ATP players. Author of tennis book “Tenisowy Olimp” and frequent contributor to TennisPro and TenisKlub magazines. He was a speaker at International Coaching Tennis Symposium 2016 and 2021 at Hilton Head Island, USA.
enjoytennisblog 