When you look at what Aryna Sabalenka is doing in Madrid to avoid getting sick, it seems simple on the surface: she sticks to the same food, avoids risky choices, keeps everything controlled. In a tournament where a virus has already forced withdrawals and affected multiple players, that looks like a practical decision.

But if you stop at “she’s avoiding getting sick,” you’re missing the real point. This is not about health. This is about control.

YOU CHANGE TOO MUCH. SHE DOESN’T

Most players, when something uncertain happens — like a virus, a change of conditions, a stressful environment — start adjusting constantly. They try new things, react to rumors, follow what others are doing. And without realizing it, they lose consistency.

Sabalenka does the opposite. She simplifies.

Same food.
Same routine.
Same structure.

Not because it guarantees anything. But because it removes variability.

And variability is where problems start.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT SAFETY. IT’S ABOUT STABILITY

You might think she’s just being careful. But that’s a shallow reading. What she’s actually doing is protecting stability in an unstable environment. When everything around you becomes unpredictable — players getting sick, matches shifting, external noise — the only thing you can rely on is what you keep constant.

And the more things you control:

  • the less you have to think

  • the less you react

  • the more you stay clear

That’s not health management.
That’s performance management.

YOU DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE UNDER PRESSURE

When something uncertain appears, you don’t simplify. You add.

You change routines.
You overthink choices.
You react to what’s happening around you.

And every small adjustment adds noise. And that noise doesn’t stay outside — it follows you onto the court.

So when it’s time to perform, you’re not clean anymore.

You’re already carrying too much.

WHY THIS MATTERS MORE THAN YOU THINK

At high level, performance is not about doing more. It’s about removing everything unnecessary. Sabalenka is not trying to “optimize” every detail. She’s trying to eliminate variables.

Because the fewer variables you have:

  • the fewer things can go wrong

  • the fewer distractions you carry

  • the easier it is to stay present

And presence is where performance actually happens.

THIS IS WHERE YOU’RE LOSING CONTROL

You think control is about handling pressure during points. It’s not. Control starts before the match, before the warm-up, before you even step on court.

It’s in:

  • what you expose yourself to

  • what you allow into your routine

  • what you keep stable

And if that part is unstable, your game will reflect it.

IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT

How many things do you change before you play?

How many decisions are you making that don’t actually help your performance?

Because every unnecessary decision is energy spent… before the match even starts.

IN THE END, IT’S THIS

It’s not about avoiding problems.

It’s about reducing everything that could become one.

FINAL TRUTH

You don’t lose performance because of one big mistake.
You lose it because of all the small things you didn’t control before it started.

📩 Want to learn how to manage moments when you feel lost instead of collapsing?
DOWNLOAD the FREE BOOK: Why You Lose Important Games
👉 https://patreon18.aweb.page/master-pressure-games

Federico Coppini
Mental Coach & Tennis Coach
Founder – Coppini Tennis Academy
🎾 https://www.coppinitennisacademy.com