Mental strength in tennis: 10 tips to stay focused on the court

What separates the top competitors apart is their ability to stay calm, recover quickly, and keep moving forward. Tennis pro Iga Świątek knows how to navigate these highs and lows. She reflects on one of her tightest matches: “My hand got so stiff from the stress. Suddenly I went from serving 175km/h to 150km/h, but I didn't notice. I was doing everything the same, but the result was much, much different.”

That’s when her sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, stepped in. She shouted from the box “just think about the next serve” – and then the next. This present-minded shift helped Świątek bounce back and ultimately win the game. 

Train your mind to stay resilient like Świątek with the exercises below. With the right mindset and coping strategies, you can shake off a lost point and play your best tennis.

Before even stepping onto the court, take a moment to close your eyes. Visualization is a powerful technique that helps to build mental strength by visualizing key shots, strategies and match scenarios. It tricks your brain into thinking it’s already experienced the situation, boosting your focus and confidence – because our brains have difficulty differentiating imagination from reality. 

Świątek recommends focusing on technique. “I try to think about how my body would feel in certain moments. Most of the time, I like to visualize that perfect backhand down the line. Or how I would feel in my body while playing it.” 

Here’s a tip: Before a match, visualize yourself hitting a perfect serve. How are you moving around the court? How do you respond calmly to tough moments? This mental practice builds new neural pathways, making it easier to perform under pressure.

Take a few minutes before practice or competition to create a vivid mental picture of success. Get specific – imagine the sounds on the court, the feel of the racket and the emotions after a well-played point. The more detailed your visualization, the more powerful it will be.

Tennis is fast-paced and requires your full attention. Mindfulness – being fully present and aware in the moment without judgment – helps you stay focused and in control of your emotions during a match. It keeps distractions at bay, calms you under pressure, and prevents negative thoughts from hurting your performance.

Try out the RAIN mindfulness technique – a simple, four-step process to help you stay composed during a match:

- Recognize what you're feeling (frustration, anxiety, doubt). Acknowledge the emotion without judgment.

- Accept that it's okay to feel this way. Rather than fighting it, allow the emotion to be present.

- Investigate why you're feeling this way. Are you overthinking mistakes? Feeling pressure? Identifying the cause helps you regain control.

- Nurture. Show self-compassion by forgiving yourself for mistakes you made and expressing compassion, despite the situation. 

Meditation goes beyond mindfulness, offering a way to train your mind for better focus and emotional control. The more you meditate, the easier it is to bring mindfulness into your daily life, and on the court. Świątek meditates for short periods when she’s feeling nervous before a match. “I usually meditate for three to five minutes because it’s the right amount of time to be still, before getting too relaxed.”  

Try the body scan meditation: Start from your toes and slowly move up to your head, bringing awareness to different parts of the body. Notice any tension or discomfort without trying to change it. Just acknowledge it and let it pass. Like the game is always changing, your thoughts and feelings will shift. This practice helps you become more aware of physical and mental stress, making it easier to manage discomfort during a match and stay fully focused. 

Setting goals is a game-changer for staying motivated in tennis. Whether it’s improving your serve, winning a local tournament, or boosting endurance, a clear target helps you concentrate and make progress. Goals build momentum, so track your progress, stay committed, and watch your confidence grow as you hit milestones along the way. 

Use the SMART framework to set effective goals: 

- Specific: Clearly define what you want to accomplish.

- Measurable: Set criteria to track progress. 

- Achievable: Make sure it’s realistic for your skill level. 

- Relevant: Align it with your overall objectives.

- Time-bound: Set a deadline to create urgency. 

“I want to get better at tennis” is too vague. A SMART goal would be, “I will work on my serve placement by targeting different spots on the service box during each session. I’ll aim to hit at least three out of five targets for each set of serves over the next month.”

Write down your performance during drills or after a match, then compare results. This method ensures your goals are clear, actionable, and motivating.  

The most important conversation you have on the court is with yourself. Mantras and positive self-talk reframe challenges as opportunities, keeping you focused and resilient. The more you practice this, the easier it becomes to bounce back from setbacks and channel a winning mindset.

Shift your self-talk to become your own cheerleader. Replace “I always mess up my backhand” with “I am improving my backhand with every shot.” Try these affirmations: 

- “I stay calm and focused under pressure.” 

- “I am strong, confident and prepared.”

- “I control what I can and let go of the rest.” 

Repeating these phrases (or your own) before and during matches can boost confidence and keep your mind in the right place to perform at your best.

Steady your breath, steady your entire game. Breathing is a simple but powerful way to reset the mind between points. A slow, deep breath before the next point can calm you, releases tension and sharpens focus.

Two useful techniques include: 

- 4-7-8 breathing: Inhale through the nose for four seconds, hold for seven seconds and exhale slowly through the mouth for eight seconds. 

- Box (or square) breathing: Inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds then hold for another four seconds. 

Both methods slow the heart rate and return focus to the present moment.

The best players double down on what they can control, not what they can’t. Training, preparation and mindset lay the foundation for success. Strong habits – consistent practice, nutrition and mental discipline – set you up to step onto the court feeling confident and ready. 

During a match, focus on your effort and execution. You control your footwork, shot selection and attitude. If a point slips away, take a breath, reset and commit to the next with purpose. 

By shifting focus to your own effort rather than external distractions, you stay grounded and ready to perform at your best, no matter the challenge. 

Recreate high-stress scenarios like tiebreakers or score-based challenges to teach your mind and body how to excel when it matters most. “Sometimes I lie to myself about the score to maintain the right focus and mindset,” says Świątek. “I’ll even pretend I'm losing to bring even more intensity.”

Simulating game-day pressure prepares you for the nerves, decisions and focus needed in real tournaments. When pressure feels familiar, you’ll find it easier to stay calm and perform well when the stakes are high. 

Mistakes are part of the game, but resilience keeps you in it. “For a long time it was hard to accept that I have bad moments,” says Świątek. “I'm doing the same thing so why do I struggle so much now?” But the most mentally strong players don’t let errors define them – they adapt, stay focused and keep moving forward. 

“I needed a lot of time to just accept that it is going to be up and down. The season is almost 11 months long, so I’m not going to always feel perfect,” she says. “Just remembering that you're good at your job overall will give you hope and give you motivation for the work because it will be better soon.”

Next time frustration strikes, treat yourself like a teammate. If a friend missed a point, you’d encourage them to shake it off and play the next one with confidence. Do the same for yourself – acknowledge the mistake, take a deep breath and return to the game. 

Take a moment to appreciate what’s going right. Maybe your body feels strong or you’ve reached a new milestone in competition. Shifting focus from frustration to gratitude helps you reframe challenges and reconnect with your love for the game. 

“Remember why you play tennis and the feelings you had as a kid. Remember how much fun it was,” Świątek says. “That’s the first thing. Tennis should be fun.”

When you concentrate on what’s going well, your perspective shifts into a state of presence and possibility. What’s the best thing that could happen?

If you’re looking for professional guidance, consider working with a sports psychologist. They specialize in mental performance, helping players manage nerves, reframe thoughts and stay composed. Feeling anxious before or during competition is normal, but if it impacts your focus, expert help can make all the difference.  

Świątek works with sports psychologist Dara Abramowicz, both on and off the court. “Daria helps me manage my time properly so I'm not overwhelmed and I have cognitive rest,” she says. “I have a hard time balancing that on my own. If I made my schedule, I would work 22 hours a day.” Just like you work with a coach to improve your strokes, training your mind with a mental coach is key to success. 

Mental strength in tennis lets you perform at your best, even when things get tough. Before you step onto the court, warm up your mind. Because belief in yourself is more powerful than any shot you hit.