Nobody likes losing! Whether that’s losing a point, a game, a set or, even worse, an entire match. However, every player needs to be able to use these different situations to channel their best in order to be a winner.
Losing a Point
Losing a point in a match is never easy, and unfortunately it can frustrate you so much that you lose multiple points in a row because of that one point. A tennis player in a match needs to have the mind of a goldfish, in the sense that they have no memory when things go poorly. They move on to the next point and go about their business as if it’s zero-zero.
Losing a Game or a Set
Losing a game or a set is a bit different, in the sense that you have a little bit of time to reflect, adjust and change. But you need to move on quickly and still focus on playing the best version of yourself that you can.
Losing a Match
To me, the biggest difference is when you lose a match: how you reflect on it and how it stays with you. Losing a match is never easy. If you are a great competitor, your losses should haunt you, in the sense that you will always remember the ways you have lost so you do not lose the same way again and again. We study history so that the bad moments do not repeat themselves and the good moments do.
Turning Losses Into Wins
Losing is the worst part of competing, no doubt. However, every champion uses their losses to improve themselves and become both a better player and a better competitor.
Want help turning your losses into a plan? Eric breaks down match footage and builds a game plan around it through online tennis coaching, or you can work with him on court through private tennis lessons.
