There is a very common belief in tennis.
If you feel nervous before an important match, it means you’re not mentally strong enough.
It’s an idea that follows countless young players. They walk onto the court, their heart starts racing, their hands feel tighter, their breathing changes, and before they’ve even hit the first ball, they begin worrying about their own emotions. They believe that a true champion should feel completely calm, as if the absence of anxiety were the ultimate proof of mental strength.
Reality tells a completely different story.
After Coco Gauff’s heartbreaking Wimbledon semifinal loss, Andy Roddick said something that, in my opinion, every tennis player should hear at least once. He acknowledged that Gauff was clearly nervous during the biggest moments of the match, but he also pointed out that this isn’t a problem. It’s simply what happens when you’re one step away from reaching the final of the most prestigious tournament in the world.
Then came the most interesting part.
Roddick reminded everyone that Roger Federer got nervous.
He reminded everyone that Rafael Nadal got nervous.
And he referred to Nadal’s own admission in a documentary, where the Spaniard revealed that, at certain moments in his career, his anxiety became so intense that he sometimes struggled just to drink water during matches.
Think about what that really means.
We’re talking about one of the greatest competitors in the history of sport. A player whose name has become synonymous with mental toughness, relentless determination, and the ability to fight until the very last point.
Yet even he experienced anxiety so powerful that it affected one of the most basic physical actions imaginable.
That may be one of the most important lessons any young tennis player can learn.
The difference between champions and everyone else is not the absence of anxiety.
It’s their ability to continue making high-quality decisions while anxiety is still present.
Many players make the same mistake.
The moment they notice their heart beating faster or tension building in their body, they assume something is wrong. They immediately try to calm themselves down. They try to eliminate the feeling. They try to force themselves back into a state of complete relaxation.
In the process, they stop playing the match.
Instead, they begin fighting their own emotions.
And that is a battle almost nobody wins.
Anxiety is not a flaw in the brain.
It is a perfectly normal response when something truly matters.
If you’re about to play a Wimbledon semifinal, it would actually be more unusual not to feel anything at all.
The goal, therefore, is not to eliminate nervousness.
The goal is to learn how to perform while nervousness is still there.
This is exactly why Andy Roddick’s words are so powerful.
“The goal isn’t to stop being nervous. The goal is to become better at being nervous.”
That sentence completely changes the perspective.
It doesn’t ask you to search for the perfect emotional state.
It asks you to develop the ability to compete while your body experiences all the sensations that naturally come with meaningful moments.
That is exactly what the greatest champions do.
They don’t wait until they feel ready.
They compete.
They don’t wait for fear to disappear.
They continue making decisions.
They don’t try to eliminate pressure.
They train themselves to perform inside it.
Years from now, Coco Gauff probably won’t remember only the forehand she missed on match point.
She’ll remember that she came within a single point of reaching the Wimbledon final on a surface that, until recently, had been the biggest question mark in her game.
That was precisely Roddick’s point.
Before the tournament began, very few people believed she could reach the semifinals.
Now, almost everyone believes she has what it takes to win Wimbledon one day.
In just two weeks, public perception changed.
But more importantly, Coco Gauff’s perception of herself on grass has changed forever.
And that is what makes certain defeats incredibly valuable.
Not because losing automatically makes you stronger.
But because some defeats permanently change what you believe is possible.
After this Wimbledon, Coco Gauff no longer has to convince herself that she can compete for the title on grass.
She already knows she can.
And that belief may ultimately become the most valuable thing she takes away from the entire tournament.
Because tennis often doesn’t change the day you win a title.
It changes the day your brain finally stops doubting that one day… that title could belong to you.
Federico Coppini
Mental Coach & Tennis Coach
Founder – Coppini Tennis Academy
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