Do doubt, pressure and the fear of an old injury block you during a match? Professionals like Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic show you how to clear your head.
Every tennis player knows this moment: You are facing an important match, but doubts are circling in your head. Perhaps you are just coming back from an injury break and are afraid that your body won't hold up. Or you have just come through a losing streak and your self-confidence is at rock bottom. It is no different in professional sport. Ahead of the US Open, the statements of the top stars impressively show that the biggest opponent is often in your own head – and how to defeat them.
Carlos Alcaraz returned directly at the US Open without match practice after a four-month break due to a wrist injury. According to reports from Ubitennis and Tennis Majors, the Spaniard openly admitted that the preparation was anything but optimal. The way back was particularly tough mentally: in the phase when he did not know when he would be able to start again, difficult thoughts plagued him. His most important realization after intensive training sessions: the fear of a new injury is only in your head. In order to play freely again, he trusts his team completely and tries to consciously push the fear aside instead of changing his technique or playing style out of caution.
Alexander Zverev also knows this situation. In a conversation with Tennis Majors, he drew comparisons to his own serious foot injury in 2022. Zverev emphasizes that after a long break you often start a tournament a bit "rusty", but you have to get the feeling for the competition back over the rounds. You must therefore not expect to perform at absolute top level again immediately in the first match.
Even the absolute legends of the sport are not spared from mental crises. As tennisnet.com reports, Grand Slam record champion Novak Djokovic openly admits that the feeling of "not being good enough" constantly accompanies him despite all his successes. Instead of letting himself be paralyzed by this, however, he uses these doubts as an inner drive to prove to himself again and again that he can still win.
The world number one Aryna Sabalenka experiences something similar. After a phase without a tournament victory and unexpected defeats, she travels to New York with self-doubt. Her coach Anton Dubrov explained in the "Served" podcast (quoted by Tennis365) how the team deals with such phases: they look specifically for solutions and take role models like Djokovic, Serena Williams or Kobe Bryant. The central realization: a career never runs without lows – but it is precisely in these phases that you grow the most. Instead of changing everything frantically, her team relies on consistency and maintaining the usual routines.
The experiences of the pros can be transferred directly to your next match in the recreational sector. The next time you are under pressure or return to the court after a break, these mental strategies will help you:
Your takeaway: Accept doubts and initial mistakes after breaks as part of the process and trust in your usual routines instead of changing your game out of fear.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.