Tennis, a sport many would argue is of the most isolating games to play. Singles tennis has a significant dissimilarity from other sports: its factor of being a one-on-one competition, without any teammates. This one-on-one component leaves a player carrying many of the responsibilities and challenges that another sports share across a team.

It is certain that tennis players have a lengthy team of coaches, physiotherapists and hitting partners, but oftentimes they win alone on the court and carry the same responsibility when losing. This carries an immense emotional toll on an individual, which can manifest in ways such as self-doubt, isolation or an overwhelming pressure to perform.

Tennis also often requires players to be mentally and physically present and primed for most games. On top of perfecting one's abilities, such as serving and groundstrokes, due to the demanding nature of the game, a player must also master the cognitive load of the sport.

Jeffery Webster, who is a Sport and Performance psychology consultant that also specialises in tennis, explains: “When we’re looking specifically at tennis there are a lot of things that come into play that can maybe induce more pressure and can make things certainly harder to deal with.”

The individual component of the sport, without a doubt, is a lot for a player to take on; this can also further heighten emotions such as stress and anxiety. It can be mentally and physically difficult for a player to keep on top of both their mental well-being and their tennis abilities while playing at a consistent level to progress through the ranks.

Whilst solely representing themselves on the court, the majority of tennis players tend to have a curated entourage of individuals who cater to the different components that come with being a high-performing athlete. However, due to the team not engaging in play on the court, as united as they may be with the player, the emotions and results of winning or losing tend to reflect on the player.

Unfortunately, this leads to intense emotions of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows due to the weighty accountability and importance of results in tennis, especially in high-stakes tournaments. This forces players to almost cultivate mindset skills such as mental resilience and pressure management to develop further in their game.

Like any other sport, in tennis, one cannot always win, and tasting defeat is a given in the career of a tennis player. The game of tennis requires a player's mental and physical state to be consistent enough to win points and climb up the rankings. Due to the importance of consistently winning games and tournaments, losses almost have a detrimental impact on a player's mental well-being. Challenges such as self-doubt and hyper-criticism can arise from actions such as unforced errors or dropping a set. However, a player fostering their mental framework can further deal with these limitations while additionally developing their game.

Webster emphasises: ”Tennis players go through a range of difficulties and pressures that can really be helped with having a solid mental well-being and having proactive and reactive ways in which they can deal with those stresses and pressures.”

Focusing on components such as positive inner dialogue and problem-solving skills can help players navigate these situations within their careers. These skills also condition a player to believe in and trust their abilities. This is crucial because when they are out on the court themselves, essentially have tools that can elevate their game.

Techniques such as positive affirmations and self-talk have been used by many athletes to turn around games and can help the athletes gain a bit of control over their thoughts. Visualisation as a performance enhancement has also proven to be effective during games and can aid players with confidence and focus. These techniques can also help with any pre-match nerves or anxieties, as they help individuals gain control over their thoughts, which further allows them to have some sort of control over their games.

A player's mental well-being and performance are inherently intertwined in tennis due to the importance of mental assistance in games. This promotes the importance of techniques to further facilitate a player's mental well-being. Utilising these techniques allows the mind to work with the player rather than against them, especially in a fiercely competitive game like tennis.

It is certain that the mental aspect of tennis is equally as important as the physicality of the sport. Nurturing the mental aspect of the sport can be beneficial for a player to further elevate their performances on court and can even change the trajectory of their career. Methods such as positive affirmations or visualisation could subsequently be the change that leads to a different outcome in a game. Once the mental side of tennis is mastered, paired with outstanding physicality, players can then work alongside their minds to achieve greatness.

Mind games: the mental side to tennis