Mental training in tennis

Some swear by it and others despise it. For some it is the key to success, and on the other hand, a famous trainer once said “Winning is the best mental training.” As is often the case, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

I worked for Michael Berrer in 2020 and 2021, marketing his mental training program. I was able to learn a huge amount about the topic. Together we conducted several video coaching sessions for tennis players, him as a coach and me to bring in my experience as a current professional. I learned a lot about the problems the players face. Of course I can't and won't give any specific examples, but it can be said that everyone struggles with similar problems. The heavy arm in the tiebreak, pressure to perform, tactical mistakes in tight situations, not using maximum potential (“I play much better in training”), etc.

In my opinion, mental strength is an essential factor for success in tennis, alongside technique, tactics and fitness. If you bring all factors into harmony, then you can get the best out of yourself. Anyone who plays the wrong shot at the crucial moment does not necessarily have to have a mental problem. It may also be that the player does not have a sufficient understanding of tactics. It has become somewhat fashionable to blame everything on mental problems. I always tell young players the following example:

Unfortunately, the mentally strongest judo fighter with a white belt has no chance against a judo fighter with weak mental skills but a black belt. This should make it clear once again that the basis for sporting success is more than just mental strength.

At the highest level of tennis, mental toughness plays a much bigger role. The world's best players master all strokes, are in top shape and have the best trainers who give them the perfect tactics. It's all about millimeters, and that's where mental strength comes into play. How can I shake off the fact that I barely slept yesterday, my dog is sick or that I have a lot of world ranking points to defend.

Focus on mental strength, but if you have small problems, don't make the issue too big and then neglect the other performance factors. I'm not a sports psychologist, so I can't give any advice on this topic. If you are interested in literature, send me an email or DM me on Instagram.

With sporty greetings

Hendrik