📖 Story of the Week
Have you ever entered a tournament full of confidence, only to notice a small number next to your opponent’s name in the draw? Suddenly, your heart sinks, your stomach drops, and you start mentally preparing for the backdraw.
That’s the power of expectations.
Seeing that seed makes you fear being crushed before the first ball is struck.
But this is wasted energy—and it has no place in your preparation.
Equally damaging is the opposite scenario: overlooking your opponent because of their ranking or past results. Taking a victory lap in your mind before you’ve even played can lead to complacency, flat performances, and surprise upsets.
Underdogs win every day at every level of sport. In both cases—fear and overconfidence—the key is to stop predicting and start preparing.
Here’s how to reset.
🧠 Don’t Study the Draw
When your tournament is approaching, you really only need two pieces of information: the time and the place of your match.
So instead of poring over the draw like it’s March Madness, gather those details and move on with your preparation.
While others debate who might win, keep your focus on what you can control: your strengths, your best patterns of play, and the strategies you want to apply.
🧐 Skip Your Own Scouting
Now, you might ask: “But what about my opponent? Don’t I need to know who I’m playing?”
Of course, some information can be helpful—but overfocusing on your opponent can drag you into the same pitfalls: fear, overconfidence, and wasted energy.
The first scouting trap in today’s game is checking your opponent’s UTR online.
If this is your habit, break it. Nothing good comes from it. You’ll either feel falsely reassured or completely psyched out.
I can usually predict the outcome when players tell me, “I have to face a higher UTR opponent.” They’ve already written the script—and not in their favor.
Watching opponents practice or compete has its own risks too. I remember seeing a competitor crush balls on the practice court and thinking, “How am I supposed to beat that guy?”
But practice balls don’t tell you how someone performs under match pressure. Only once you’re across the net do you really know what you’re dealing with.
Even watching a potential opponent in a live match can backfire.
If you’re slated to face the winner, you’ll end up absorbing point after point of them succeeding. And as I explained in my sledding analogy from Aces & Faults #18, your brain loves to repeat what it sees. That’s a perfect recipe for self-sabotage.
Instead, I recommend this simple solution: let someone else scout for you.
As a coach, I do this all the time for Colossal Tennis players.
I provide them with the key strategic information while they focus on resting, refueling, and resetting between matches. If a coach isn’t available, a parent, friend, or teammate can step in.
This way, you get the useful intel—without the mental baggage.
🎾 Match Point
At the end of the day, the best approach is to stay present.
Don’t play the sports reporter, predicting results before the match begins.
Avoid the temptation to forecast. Limit the noise—both your own and others’—and you’ll step onto the court more grounded, confident, and competitive.
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See you next week!
