Mental Toughness: The Skill Nobody Talks About

Talent gets you to the court. Mental toughness keeps you in the match.

I have coached players with extraordinary physical gifts who crumbled at 5-5 in the third set. I have also coached players with average athletic ability who punched above their weight because their minds were unshakeable.

The difference is always mental preparation.

Here is the framework I use with every player at the academy:

First, develop a pre-point routine. Something consistent that anchors you in the present moment before each point begins. A breath, a bounce, a specific thought.

Second, separate what you can control from what you cannot. You cannot control the weather, the crowd, or a bad call. You can control your attitude, your effort, and your next shot.

Third, use the change-of-sides moments strategically. Those 90 seconds are not rest — they are mental reset. Use them intentionally.

Fourth, play percentages, not heroes. The mental mistake most players make is trying to hit a winner when a solid shot would do.