How do you handle the mental challenges in Tennis
Tennis players face many challenges during matches, such as performing under pressure, playing with confidence, dealing with competitive emotions, and staying focused.
However, many mental challenges exist off the court that still affect you personally, athletically, and competitively.
Off-court mental challenges include mental health, lack of motivation, high external expectations, perfectionism, fear of failure, personal-athletic life balance, conflict with coaches, low self-esteem, high stress, injuries, and body image issues.
These issues are as important as peak play during matches. Many tennis players avoid advice that would equip them with mental strategies for peak performance and mental tools to navigate their off-court challenges.
Why would a tennis player ignore finding a professional to help them with their well-being and become a better athlete?
The answer is the stigma that surrounds “mental” needs.
Many barriers have been broken down, and tennis players understand the importance and benefits of sports psychologists and Mental Game Coaches.
Mental Game Coaches help players in every performance area, from practice habits and competitive play, mindset and preparation, performing under pressure and confidence, and balancing their personal and tennis lives.
However, knowing the benefits of working with a Mental Game Coach and fully committing to developing mental/ coping skills are two separate matters.
An athlete who works on their mental and coping skills, in addition to their technical and physical skills, reach much more of their athletic potential than tennis players who rely strictly on their physical abilities.
Use what you learn in tennis to help your personal success
In addition, tennis players who develop their mental skills can apply those same skills outside of sport to increase personal success and mental well-being.
During a rain delay at the 2024 National Bank Open, a panel was assembled to talk about the mental challenges facing tennis players. 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard spoke about the struggles of today’s tennis players.
BOUCHARD: “When I started out on the tour when I was 19, it was a taboo subject. You couldn’t even admit you had a psychologist because there was something wrong with you. And nowadays, it’s like, if you don’t have a psychologist, what are you doing? So just that complete shift in the narrative makes me so happy that we can just talk about this so freely.”
To emphasize the need to focus on a player’s mental game, paralympic tennis player Joel Dembe discussed how working with a sports psychologist is a key feature of peak performance.
DEMBE: “But the moment I started seeing a sports psychologist, I realized there’s a lot I don’t know. And I wish I had started speaking to a sports therapist much earlier on in my career. I think I would’ve been set up much earlier for success. I would’ve learned to breathe a little bit more, learned to not sweat the small stuff.”
Tennis is more than a physical game; it’s a game of mental toughness. Players who achieve greatness are not just physically talented but mentally skilled
Examine your past matches where you underperformed and identify how mental factors impacted your play. Afterward, visualize how your performance would have changed if those mental skills were stronger. This exercise will highlight the game-changing impact of mental training.
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Improve Your Mental Game for Tennis
Tennis Confidence 2.0
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Read more about Tennis Confidence Program>>