Ettore Messina, one of the greatest basketball coaches in the world, once shared a truth every tennis player should remember:

“I can give you my trust once, but then you have to earn it every single day.”

In tennis, this statement is pure gold. Trust — from your coach, your training partner, but most importantly, from yourself — is the fuel that allows you to grow, win, and stay at the top.

🎾 THE FIRST TRUST: A GIFT, NOT A RIGHT
When a coach puts you on court for an important match, or a partner chooses you for a decisive doubles game, it’s not because you’ve already proven everything. It’s a bet.
It’s an opening — a chance to show what you’re capable of.
But from that moment on, every practice and every match becomes a silent exam.

💪 SELF-BELIEF COMES FIRST
If you don’t believe you belong on that court, no one else will.
Roger Federer said it clearly:

“First, you have to believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will.”

Every time you step on court with discipline, intensity, and attention to detail, you’re not only earning your coach’s trust — you’re training your own belief.

🧱 HOW TO BUILD TRUST IN TENNIS
Trust doesn’t come from the occasional spectacular shot — it comes from consistency:

  • Showing up to practice on time.

  • Doing your warm-up with focus, not just going through the motions.

  • Giving 100% even in the most boring drills.

  • Not making excuses after an error, but figuring out how to improve.

  • Keeping a fighting attitude even when the score is against you.

Every day you add a brick to your “house of credibility.” Stop adding them, and little by little, that house will collapse.

🤝 TRUST GOES BOTH WAYS
In a team, the coach must trust that you’ll follow the game plan.
And you must feel that the coach believes in you.
As Rafael Nadal once said:

“When my team believes in me, I find the strength to do things I couldn’t do alone.”

Trust is a bridge — and it stands only if both sides are strong.

🎯 MENTAL EXERCISE FOR TENNIS
Every morning, imagine receiving a “trust coin” from your coach, your teammates, and yourself.
Ask: “How will I invest it today?”
Will you use it to prove you’re ready, reliable, and competitive — or will you waste it with distractions, low intensity, and a passive attitude?

📌 IN SHORT

  • Initial trust is a gift.

  • Real trust is earned every day.

  • It starts with trusting yourself.

  • It grows through consistency, responsibility, and discipline.

And remember: in tennis, as in life, every day is a new chance to earn that precious trust coin… and spend it to become the player you dream of being.

by Federico Coppini
https://coppinitennisacademy.com/