Do You Have a Strategy that Utilizes Your Strengths?
Do you stick to your plan when winning, or do you slip into “coasting to the finish mode?
Many tennis players assume that, since they dominated early in the match, they can coast to the finish. Have you experienced the following scenario:
You entered a match with a clear, specific match strategy – stay aggressive and use your forehand to go for winners. From the start of the match, you effectively executed your strategy, crushing the ball down the line with a powerful forehand and dictating the flow of the match.
By the second set, you had built a comfortable lead, but you started playing it safe instead of sticking to your match strategy. Since victory seemed inevitable, you stopped being aggressive and allowed your opponent to take control of the pace.
Slowly, your opponent worked their way back into the match. Your confidence started to waver. What once seemed like an easy victory now felt like a potential loss.
With each lost point, your frustration grew, and you self-destructed and failed to close out the match. When you abandon a winning strategy and become complacent on the court, your performance will spiral downward.
The key is to stick with what was working. That means several aspects:
- Recognizing when you start to lose your focus and reminding yourself of your winning match strategy.
- Maintaining emotional control after losing a few points.
- Trusting what has been working and your ability to execute your strategy with confidence.
- Play to win and focus on closing out the match.
Sticking to a winning strategy requires mental discipline, maintaining your focus, and trusting that you can execute your strategy. Closing out matches mandates that you compete one point at a time and immerse yourself in the present moment.
In addition, closing out matches demands that you control your focus. When you recognize yourself slipping into a lackadaisical approach, you refocus quickly to your match strategy.
This method is how elite tennis players close out matches. Nineteen-year-old Alexandra Eala beat five-time major champion Iga Swiatek, 6-2, 7-5, at the 2025 Miami Open to advance to the semi-finals.
Eala, ranked No. 140 in the world, remained composed and focused as she controlled the match to earn a spot in the quarter-final. Eala’s match strategy was to play fearless, ferocious, and focused.
EALA: “I’m so happy and so blessed to be able to compete with such a player on this stage. My coach told me to run, go for every ball, and take all the opportunities I can because a five-time Slam champion will not give you the win.”
Maintaining a winning strategy throughout a match requires discipline, focus, and confidence. It is essential to resist the temptation to coast when you’re ahead.
Tennis champions finish matches by remaining aggressive and mentally engaged. So, commit to your strategy, trust your game, and finish strong.
When leading in a match, remind yourself: What got me here will get me to the finish line. You can recite a few key words that remind you of your match strategy. This will help you maintain a strong focus and close out the match in winning fashion.
Related Tennis Psychology Articles
- How to Set the Tone Early in a Tennis Match
- How to Go for it in Matches
- A Key to Mental Toughness During Tennis Matches
- Download our a FREE Tennis Psychology Report
*Subscribe to The Tennis Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Tennis Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Improve Your Mental Game for Tennis
Tennis Confidence 2.0 – Digital Download
“Tennis Confidence 2.0” audio and workbook program teaches you how to overcome a lack of focus, low self-confidence and other mental game obstacles you experience when you play in tournaments. Learn practical mental game strategies to help you take your practice game to matches and use all your strokes.
“So far the program has been going really well! My son is doing the workbook and listening to the audio part and has been enjoying it! He has played better the past couple of weeks and he said the program is helping him focus and not get quite so frustrated.”
~Tara Mariano, Sports Parent
Dr. Patrick Cohn is a tennis psychology expert with Peak Performance Sportss, LLC. Learn cutting edge mental strategies based on 35+ years of experience in mental performance coaching with professional to junior competitive tennis players. He is the author of The Mental Edge for Tennis 2.0 audio and workbook program.