Tennis is the game where 2 players fight for the win. They can present different styles of play because accuracy and effectiveness are the most important factors that decide the final result of the match. You should always include your opponent in your next decision but thinking about your rival should never make you feel worse, less confident, or doubtful.
During the tennis match, players go through hundreds of thoughts. These thoughts can be related to different areas and they produce a variety of feelings. Some of these feelings can help tennis players to play at their own best level but other feelings can be responsible for a significant drop in their own game (read here how fighting is crucial to maintain the chance to succeed). It is important to understand how we feel and how big an impact our thoughts have because if we don’t control this process, we will gamble with our mind and it won’t be possible to maintain a high level of play for a longer time.
Tennis players, who know how to deal with stress, have the biggest chance to succeed. Many factors have an impact on how much stress players feel so understanding them and reducing the controllable ones are priorities for all players who want to get to the top. One of the areas that can produce a lot of unnecessary stress is the perception of the rival. If players put into their minds improper images of their rivals, they put themselves in a really difficult position and they give an advantage to the rivals.
Your mind decides how your body feels and what it will do. Knowing that, a tennis player has to work daily to understand what’s going on in his head as well as how to control the factors that can negatively impact his performance. There are many traps related to the opponent’s perception so players have to be equipped with the skills that will allow them to avoid these difficulties:
The opponent feels the stress too
During the tennis match, there are a lot of stressful situations. Saving the break point or getting the lead over the seeded players are just 2 examples of situations that can produce a higher amount of pressure. To deal with it effectively, lower it down, and focus again on the goal, players have to remind themselves that the rival feels the stress too. It is also a „special” situation for the opponent so it is important to stick to the plan and make decisions that will „check” the opponent’s ability to play under pressure.
Play more effectively than your rival
A lot of players start the match with the thought that they have to play their best tennis to win the match. As soon as they make a few unforced forehand mistakes and a couple of double faults, they lose hope, start to moan, and have big doubts about their chances to win. Having this perception will always produce stress and will minimize the chance of successful performance. The truth is that tennis players don’t have to play their own best – they have to play more effectively than their rivals. Having this perspective allows one to analyze the performance of the opponent and give realistic expectations that are much easier to meet.
Opponent has weaknesses
Every player has his own strengths and weaknesses. When the match is on, players tend to forget about this and they only see their own weaknesses and the rivals’ strengths. This perception is not motivating at all and it leads to making more and more mistakes. When you compete, remember that your opponent has weaknesses and your job is to find them and put as much pressure on them as possible. Your rival is not the god and you should never have an image like this because it can decide the final result of the match.
To win the match, the player has to beat the opponent. During the rivalry, there are a lot of changes, stressful situations, and emotions that can negatively impact a player’s performance. Make sure you focus on your game but you should also include „the realistic” perception of your rival to always see the chance to win and deal with any uncomfortable situation with the skills that you possess.
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.
