How to deal with nerves during a tennis match – 4 practical tips

For Players
Written By Jack Edward

It’s normal to feel nervous when you play competitive tennis, at any level. But with these four tips you can help to deal with nerves and enjoy playing your game…

I’ve been there. I know exactly how it feels.

You’re nervous playing a competitive tennis match. It’s not an alien feeling. Far from it, in fact - everyone that’s played competitively has felt nervous playing tennis.

It shouldn’t be a case of eliminating your nerves.

It’s a case of learning how to deal with those nerves. It’s perfectly natural to feel anxious playing this extremely feel-based, often ego-driven sport.

These tips may be more anecdotal than general. But aren’t those the most genuine? Here are five tips that have helped me to overcome nerves when playing a competitive tennis match.


1. Slow down

Maybe learning to accept your nerves was enough for you to deal with them!

For those that are still here… my first tip?

Slow down between points.

That old adage about playing each point on its own merits really rings true when you’re feeling nervous. You’ve got to move on from those two consecutive double faults or that ball you skyrocketed into the back fence. Tennis is a momentum-based sport and the longer you dwell on something you did in the past, the longer you’re going to be stuck making errors.

That’s why I find slowing down is so important.

You can go into a bit of a fog when you’re nervy. You start to play each point without a clear idea of what you’re actually doing. If you’ve just lost a point, try taking a breath, then strategise and visualise the next point before it starts. The last thing you want to do is gift a game by trying to hit the ball to god knows where four times in quick succession.

No matter how many points you lose in a row, don’t let the match run away from you. Keep a clear head by slowing down between each point.


2. Maintain the fundamentals

I’m sure you’ve been in a situation where you can’t keep the ball in to save your life because you’re feeling tight, which leads to more errors and more anxiety and…

For those that have been in that situation, don’t panic. Instead, recognise it is so important to keep your fundamentals from breaking down.

Nerves often lead to a lack of commitment in player’s groundstrokes which often leads to basic fundamentals of the shot breaking down. They do everything in their power to keep the ball in the court… but the ball simply refuses to find the court.

It’s so important to commit to each and every shot when you’re feeling nervous. If you can maintain the fundamentals of your shots, at least you’ll have a consistent foundation off of which you can play through the nerves.

What are these basic fundamentals you should be maintaining?

1. Follow-through. Do not let your groundstrokes or serve become jolted and tight. A completed follow-through will impart more control and spin on the ball than a stabbing motion.

2. Use your body weight. When we get nervous, our body tends to go upright or fall back as we strike our shots. This has two effects:

  • It is more difficult to get any weight behind our shots. This makes nervous players think they have to swing faster to get more power, inevitably leading to more errors.

  • Without your body weight behind each shot, the time the ball makes contact with the strings is abbreviated leading to less control and spin.

3. Pay attention to where you are making contact with the ball. Envision the circumference of the ball as a clock face - if you hit a forehand at five o’clock i.e. underneath the ball, you will need a lot of spin to keep the ball in the court - if you hit the ball at three o’clock, expect the ball to go faster and flatter through the court. This train of technical thought can help you to diagnose what is going wrong when the wheels come off.

Resist the urge to tap the ball back into play! Practice these basic fundamentals to the nth degree and, next time you’re feeling nervous on the court, be sure to maintain them as best you can.

Write them down and take them on court if you need to!


3. Commit to the shot

We touched on it a bit in the previous two sections. It’s so important to commit to each and every shot if you expect to keep control of the tennis ball when faced with nerves.

There will likely be many players out there who gulped at the thought of following through, leaning into the shot and varying their heights and spins… but it’s not just technique you need to achieve full commitment to each shot.

You also need to be tactically committed. As mentioned in the first section, it’s useful to visualise the point before it begins but it’s also imperative you commit to each shot during the point too.

If you’re feeling nervous, do not second guess your shot selection. Once you’ve picked a shot, go for it! The last thing you want to do when you’re feeling tight is go for the millionth option you’ve just flitted through in your head because -

Well, you know how that point ends.

Even if your opponent is moving towards your target, it can be so difficult to try and pull off something fancy if you’re feeling tight. Fully commit to your first choice, let your shot flow and hit with solidity and intention.

Don’t overcomplicate matters.

Go with the first shot that comes to your head.


4. Keep your energy high

This one might not be for everyone but I find it happens to me naturally.

Keep yourself motivated and hungry to win the match, even if nerves have been besting you for the best part of an hour. Celebrate the small victories, keep your energy high, keep yourself moving - you haven’t lost until the other players wins the last point.

There are several effects keeping your energy high will have.

  • You will be more likely to stay positive. I find negative thoughts and feelings start to feed into your nervous energy. In turn, this is more likely to generate that fog where you start to swing without intent at the ball which leads to breakdown in both technique and tactics.

  • You will be more likely to stay loose. Tightness is rarely a good thing on a tennis court - it helps to stay loose and fluid and the majority of shots (bar the volley). Stay on your toes between points and get a bit of adrenaline flowing to keep yourself loose on each point. Nerves often manifest in the legs so it helps to stay moving.

  • It can affect the other player’s psyche. Remember everyone is prone to nerves. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re the only one with something to lose. Show you’re willing to fight for each point and your opponent may start to buckle themselves.

Stay on your toes, scream “VAMOS” between each point, wave your arms about like a loony…

Whichever approach you choose, keep your energy high and positive to play through your nerves and give your opponent something to think about.


Summary

Feeling nervous in a competitive match? These are four tips I’ve used myself to help myself play better tennis when I’m feeling tight.

  1. Slow down between points.

  2. Maintain your technical fundamentals.

  3. Commit to your shot selection.

  4. Keep your energy high and positive.


As always, any questions or thoughts, tweet me @ontheline_jack. Happy hitting!

Jack Edward

Jack is a tennis analyst and host of the On The Line podcast, which takes regular deep dives into ATP and WTA tour matches. He’s also a qualified LTA coach and brings his unique analytical insights to help club and recreational players to be more effective on the court.

https://www.onthelinetennis.uk/
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