Getting in the Right Mindset for Competing
What is the optimal mindset for competing against highly ranked opponents?
The trap some tennis players fall into is altering their mental approach depending upon their opponent.
When these players face lower-ranked opponents, they focus on their own strengths and game plan from the moment they arrive at the competitive arena.
This enables tennis players to feel confident, relaxed, and prepared.
However, when these players compete against opponents with a higher rank, their focus drifts away from their game.
These players become captivated by their opponent’s strengths, abilities, record, ranking, and accolades. During warm-up, rather than preparing themselves mentally and physically, they worry about being crushed by their opponent.
Instead of relying on their instincts to return the ball, they focus on their opponent’s powerful serve and fear losing the point.
Instead of concentrating on executing their strategy for each point, they worry about losing the match.
This fearful mindset results in decimated confidence, anxiety, sluggishness, decreased motivation, and self-imposed pressure. Thinking about rankings can lead to overestimating your opponent, interfering with effectively executing your strategy.
When you have a fearful mindset, you choose to give your opponent a mental edge. Your mindset and how you approach matches is a choice.
In other words, you have the power to adopt a mindset that enhances your play against top players. The key to playing at your peak against any opponent is to choose an empowering mindset that focuses on your abilities and strengths.
Treating a high-ranked opponent as just another competitor reduces the weight of negative expectations and allows you to perform at your peak. This mentality applies to all tennis players, even those competing professionally
Iga Swiatek helped Poland secure its second straight United Cup final by beating Elena Rybakina 7-6(5), 6-4. When asked about the possibility of facing World No. 3 Coco Gauff in the 2025 United Cup final, Swiatek stated she was excited about the challenge.
SWIATEK: “Coco is developing every month, and it’s going to be a nice challenge.”
Swiatek commented on how she feels about her game as well as her approach to the next match.
Swiatek: “I’m happy with my game. I can kind of play without expectations and just push for more, as I did today. I’ll be happy anyway if I do the same kind of work I did today, no matter the result. So, I’ll focus on myself.”
Swiatek does not view the match as a threat. Instead, she sees it as an opportunity to elevate her game, regardless of the result. When you train your mind to focus on playing YOUR best tennis rather than the result, you set yourself up for peak play and success.
Prepare for your opponent’s style of play, not their rank. Identify a match strategy that takes advantage of your strengths and keeps you focused on executing your plan.
Maintaining a consistent approach to all matches helps you consistently give your best effort, regardless of your opponent or the tournament, and primes you for peak performance.
Related Tennis Psychology Articles
- Mindset for Competing with a High Ranking
- Competing Against Your Idols in Tennis
- Are you a Confident or Nervous Tennis Player?
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