Nerves in tennis players can be a tremendous hindrance. Their roots may lie in fear that their performance won’t live up to expectations and this can be very intimidating.
First and foremost, it’s essential to realize that everyone, including multiple grand slam champions, gets anxious before and during matches. There are strategies available that may assist with this situation.
1. Focus on your game plan
Nerves are an expected and necessary part of pre-game preparation, serving to sharpen focus and help players mentally prepare for what lies ahead in matches. But too much nervousness can have adverse consequences and hinder performance at its highest level – thus it’s crucial that we acknowledge this, plan for it, and develop strategies to manage nerves during matches.
Pre-match nerves typically stem from fear of failure. This may come in various forms – worrying that you will lose, feeling that your opponents will make it tough on you etc. Focusing too heavily on these external factors before and during a match can only increase anxiety levels further, so it is wise to concentrate on what can be controlled instead.
As a way of keeping yourself focused on what’s within your control, create a game plan. This could involve as little as creating simple tactics for how you will approach an opponent or more comprehensive plans including specific shots you are targeting during matches. Regularly assess whether or not it needs revision during gameplay.
As part of a match, it can be easy to become focused on uncontrollable aspects such as an opponent’s play, what the crowd thinks and your coach may be feeling about you – all factors which lead to pre-match nerves and anxiety and which you have no way of managing yourself.
To mitigate this, try focusing on the present moment by pausing between points to reflect and reflect upon them. Deep breaths may also help. Doing this will prevent mental fogging – where you begin swinging at the ball without any clear intent – which leads to poor performance on court. Successful tennis players often excel at maintaining concentration; doing this requires keeping an eye on when your concentration strays off and quickly bringing it back on task.
2. Take a short break
Nerves and anxiety are part of the tennis experience, yet when they spiral out of control they can be devastating to your play. All players, no matter their level, experience some form of nerves before each match; this could be from playing against a higher seed, feeling pressure from spectators or being trailing behind in your match. Luckily there are strategies you can employ to soothe your nerves and enhance your performance on court.
One effective way to manage pre-match nerves and anxiety is taking a short break before the match begins. This will allow your mind to wander off topic from tennis for a bit; maybe homework, talking with friends about non-tennis topics or reading a book might provide the relief you need! While your coach might frown upon taking such breaks before matches begin, if you explain why taking one is essential they should allow it.
As another way of soothing nerves before a match, practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing can also be effective at relieving anxiety. Navy Seals use this practice, known as Box Breathing. Also important during matches and particularly between points is slowing down as anxiety can make you lash out with shots you later regret making.
Tennis should be taken seriously but should never become an obsession. While you should always prepare hard and give every effort when competing, remember that each match does not represent who you are as an individual – rather it provides the chance to test your abilities against strong competition and put yourself through your paces.
3. Relax
Anxiety can arise from fear of losing, being perceived as untalented or negative judgment from others. To combat anxiety effectively and keep performance levels up, change how you interpret those feelings to see them as helpful in keeping up performance levels instead of seeing them as detrimental – this will prevent nerves taking over and diminishing confidence in your abilities as a performer.
One of the best ways to relax is with deep breathing. Studies have shown that this will slow your heartbeat and lower blood pressure, both of which will be beneficial in alleviating stress-induced physical issues that limit our movement – something especially crucial if playing an intense sport like tennis where quick moves are integral.
Stretching and muscle relaxation are an excellent way to help you perform at your best by making sure your muscles are flexible. Stretching the upper body (arms/hands/neck) and neck is particularly essential as this will enable your shoulders and upper back muscles to hit hard and fast when hitting balls.
Finding and sticking to a pre-match routine that works for you is key for successful performance on game day. This could involve physical activities such as jogging in place or jumping rope, as well as mental exercises like taking deep breaths or relaxing your mind. Experimentation is key; explore various techniques until you find one that best works for you.
Before any match, it is also vital that you eat something nutritious to ensure you have enough energy. Otherwise, starting your match off on low energy could leave you vulnerable during one or more points.
When feeling nervous before a match, it’s important to keep in mind that every athlete experiences those nerves. Even some of the greatest players such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic experience anxiety sometimes. To use your nerves effectively and focus on what can be controlled – such as effort level, skill level and listening to your coach – is key.
4. Stay positive
No matter where your nerves originate – from meeting other people’s expectations to fear of failing at challenges or worrying that hard work won’t pay off – how you think can make the difference between confidence and anxiety. Understanding what is driving them and then reframing your thoughts to overcome any discomfort are keys to ending this vicious cycle of nerves.
Cognitive restructuring entails changing any negative thoughts that contribute to anxiety. It could be as straightforward as reframing what arouses you when playing sports – seeing each match as an exciting challenge rather than something that should leave you nervous, such as butterflies in your stomach, elevated heart rate and sweat secretion – can have profoundly positive results on performance and may actually help increase it! Conversely, viewing these symptoms as debilitating or signs that you will fail makes the outcome all but certain – likely leading to further performance decrease.
Instead of viewing these symptoms as negative indicators of your tennis game, view them as signs that your interest in improving and winning are real. With that in mind, use any coping mechanisms you have been developing to address butterflies in order to turn them into commitment to giving it your all at your next match.
Other strategies to help ease pre-match nerves include cognitive reframing – replacing negative thoughts with more positive ones and then switching the order of thoughts; getting enough rest, drinking enough water and practicing your drills prior to playing are essential in staying relaxed during competitions. Finally, don’t forget that competitions serve as tests of your fitness as much as opportunities to show them just how prepared you have been for that match!
Nerves are inevitable for most players, even elite athletes. You can use psychological techniques to control and channel these nerves into a commitment to playing your best tennis – just don’t be that person who loses focus when nerves take hold – sports has seen far too many casualties due to players failing to stay focused when things start getting stressful.