Tennis looks like a really simple activity. Players have to run around the court and place the ball on the other side of the net. It is even better when they can hit their own shots away from the rival to increase the chance for a winner, forced error, or easy response that they can capitalize on. Unfortunately, this image doesn’t include the most important ingredient of any competitive match – the pressure.
Pressure is a part of any individual sport. This feeling comes from different sources, both internal and external. It is important to understand that it is impossible to avoid pressure and stress in a tennis career, so players should focus on grasping knowledge about this situation and develop tools that will allow them to train more effectively and compete with success (read here about the most popular myths about the stress). By taking a proper perspective related to pressure, players can focus on actions that are fully controllable and they can prepare for facing challenges that have a significant impact on the results of their actions.
It is said that tennis players should focus on themselves. This approach can be really helpful in some areas of athletic development but in others, this limited vision can lead to many problems that can make it impossible to deal effectively with challenging situations. Tennis is a sport where the environment changes continuously. There are thousands of factors that can make the play easier or more difficult for a player so being prepared for all situations is the only recipe to maintain a high level of play.
Pressure is not a comfortable state but it is also not the factor that has to work against you. If you understand how pressure works and when it is activated, your thinking will be clearer and your actions will be based on logical decisions. Take a look at the areas where you have to take a new perspective on pressure:
Beginning of the match
At the beginning of the match, all players feel pressure. This state of faster and shallow breathing, tensed body, and a little bit of fear, is normal for all ambitious athletes and it occurs because of the consciousness of the importance of the match. If you understand that reality, it will be much easier to accept it and move directly to the needed actions. A new perspective gives you confirmation that there is nothing wrong with you as also that your actions can have an impact on how long you will feel in this uncomfortable state. A broader perspective doesn’t create fear of the current results but allows you to focus on the solutions that can lead to the desired outcome.
Crucial points of the match
A tennis match is full of single points so the situation can change many times over the course of the competition. There is no doubt that some points create more pressure than others but the most important is to have a proper perspective while approaching these crucial moments. If you save the breakpoint or there is a 6-all in the tie-breaker, you can experience the peak of the stress. Again, it is a natural reaction of our body but it shouldn’t have an impact on your thoughts, tactical plan, and execution in the very next point. Remember that the quality of your actions is the only factor that impacts the game so every time you feel pressure, direct your focus back on execution. Don’t care how tense you are and that you can miss the shot – focus on what you can control and don’t have regrets after the match is over.
The presence of the opponent
In individual sports, players think that everything depends on them. They focus on themselves, put a lot of pressure on their own performance, and … forget that there is another player on the other side of the net. If you feel pressure because of your game, past experiences, score, or audience, the same can actually happen in the mind of your rival. Having this perspective changes your approach completely because you will never again say the words like „I can’t win” or „I don’t have a chance”. You never know what other player thinks and feel so when you struggle, remember that soon you can exchange roles with your rival and he can start feeling an enormous amount of stress.
Some players are afraid of pressure and other players understand pressure and act consciously. To become a champion, you have to understand what to do and why it is the best possible option. The perspective you take is crucial because it opens your mind to different solutions so to make sure that you act effectively, be aware of how you approach the topic of pressure and your possible reactions to stressful situations.
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.
