The Mental Side of Tennis

Sometimes, as a tennis player, you exist on an island. Alone, solo, under the lights of your local club or drenched in the sun, there you are … between the lines, either gaining the accolades of glory hitting the winning shot or facing the weight of a loss. There are no teammates to pass to; no backup in case you’re having a bad game. It’s you who must deal with the adversity and it’s what makes the mental side of tennis so important. 

Mental toughness is what gives players a competitive leg up over the opposition. Training one’s mind to deal with nerves, anxiety and quickly move onward past mistakes can be the difference between victory and defeat. 

Long Island Tennis Magazine was fortunate enough to sit down and chat with two experts in the field of sports psychology to pick their brains and gain insight into their role as one of the most vital members of a tennis player’s support staff.

Dr. Tom Ferraro is a sport psychologist with a Ph.D. from SUNY Stony Brook, with more than 25 years of experience working with professional teams, coaches and Olympic athletes across a broad range of sports. Dr. Ferraro is a board-certified psychoanalyst, which allows him to properly diagnose and treat the symptoms an athlete may bring to him and help them understand any underlying reasons for self-defeat. He has been published internationally and has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, and is a regular contributor to this publication.

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is a recognized thought leader and author of four best selling books: Tennis Inside the Zone, Pickleball Inside the Zone, Golf Inside the Zone and Baseball Inside the Zone all available on amazon. He can be reached at rapman50@gmail.com or 973-723-0314. 

LITM: Amanada Anisimova has returned to the tour after taking a mental health break, and is now enjoying the most success of her career. Naomi Osaka did the same and is back in form. Why is taking a brief step back from Tennis sometimes beneficial for athletes?

Ferraro: In today’s hyper competitive world, the athlete is often overworked, overplayed and over stressed. We call this burnout. Therefore in order to maintain mental and physical health, it is wise to take breaks, do other things and ‘rest and recover.’

Polishook: The self-imposed break enabled both players to step-back, re-center and recognize they are more than just an athlete, rather a Whole Human Athlete. By letting go, they were able to rediscover the joy of playing. What’s important to note is that they didn’t take a break with the intention to come back, rather they took the break and then from a newfound place of calm and settle they decided to come back. Other great Grand Slam winners that have done the same thing in their careers are Andre Agassi and Ash Barty.

LITM: If you’re prone to mentally getting down on yourself when you’re behind in a match, what are some mental practices a player can do to improve their mindset on the court?

Ferraro: It is common for players, especially players who are perfectionists, to fall into a brief temporary depressive state. Many perfectionists believe they are not allowed to make mistakes and their ego becomes shattered and crushed when they show any flaws. A good tip is to take a deep breath and say to yourself, “hang in there, we are all allowed to make mistakes.”    Furthermore, it is crucial to understand your perfectionistic traits and where they come from. Without this understanding, which is offered through in-depth discussions, the player will be prone to these states of despair throughout their career.

LITM: Tennis being an individual sport comes with added pressure. What is some basic advice you have for those players who have difficulty handling the anxiety of an upcoming match or battling through the big points during a match?

Polishook: It’s important to understand that the nerves, anxiety, and tension are a result of focusing on what a player cannot control. Things such as the outcome, what others will think, expectations, the future, the opponent, line calls, and the list goes on and on. Players need to let go of the “win” and focus on the W.I.N: What’s Important Now.

LITM: What are some possible warning signs of burnout that parents and coaches can look for in their players before it becomes too late?

Ferraro: Burnout is produced by overwork and it has three phases. Phase one is indicated with flat performance. Phase two is seen with an increase of colds, sore throats and minor illnesses as the immune system weakens; phase three happens with injuries sometimes which can be career ending.

LITM: What advice would you give a parent who is struggling with how to communicate with their son/daughter about their tennis?

Polishook: The parent might want to let go of tennis for a while and ask themselves this question: “What does my son or daughter need from me that has nothing to do with tennis?” This can open the line of communication, and as a result foster better dialogue both on and off the court.

LITM: How do you teach someone to focus on the present point rather than dwell on past points, whether they won or lost the previous point?

Ferraro: Focusing on the past is caused by a weak self-image and lack of belief triggered by mistakes. One must develop greater self esteem by discussing this with a coach or a sport psychologist. And equally troublesome is being ahead in a  match and failing to close out the match because one is dwelling on winning the point rather than playing the point. Write the phrase “Play the point” on a piece of paper, memorize this and say it to yourself during big points.

LITM: How would you advise someone who is playing a match against a “weaker” opponent? On the inverse, how would you advise if they are playing against a “stronger” opponent?

Ferraro: Social matching occurs in tennis which means one plays to the level of one’s opponent. If the opponent is weak, the player will unconsciously play weakly. To combat this tendency, do your best to ignore the weak opponent, do not take pity on them and focus on moving them around the court. If they are stronger opponents, you need to ignore them and ignore their mannerisms and their style of play. As in the above example, you need to execute your game plan which will often consist of controlling points. One could see this effort made by both Sinner and Alcarez in the way they played in the U.S. Open final. They both made valiant efforts to control each point they played. 

LITM: What would you advise a player with anger issues do during matches? How can they learn to keep control of their emotions better?

Polishook: Anger issues are a consequence of something else. They just don’t arise, there is a reason behind them. Therefore, I would help a player understand what exactly is making them angry. For example, If the answer is losing then it’s important to understand what losing means to this player and how even great players lose games, sets and matches. But what those players do when that happens is focus on what needs improvement. The Alcaraz vs.Sinner rivalry is a great example of this. Each match, they identify what the other did well, how they improved and the state of their individual game. Then they look to improve. Failure is not final, but rather a steppingstone to improvement.