There is a belief many tennis players carry onto the court.
A belief that sounds smart…
but actually destroys their game.
It is this:
“I need to play perfectly.”
Many players start a match with this idea.
They want the perfect forehand.
The perfect serve.
The perfect point.
But tennis doesn’t work that way.
Perfection does not exist in tennis.
Not even at the highest level.
Watch a match played by Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner.
You will see errors.
Many errors.
The difference is that they are not chasing perfection.
They are looking for solutions.
When a player chases perfection, three dangerous things happen.
First.
The player becomes too cautious.
Shots become shorter.
Risks disappear.
Point construction becomes passive.
Second.
Every mistake becomes a mental disaster.
Instead of being part of the game, the error becomes proof that something is wrong.
Frustration grows.
Third.
The arm loses freedom.
Because when the mind demands perfection…
the body becomes tight.
Roger Federer once said something very important:
“In tennis you must accept that you will make many mistakes.”
That is one of the secrets of great players.
They don’t fight errors.
They include them in the game.
Because tennis is not a sport of perfection.
It is a sport of error management.
Once a player understands this, everything changes.
The game becomes freer.
More aggressive.
More creative.
And far more dangerous for the opponent.
EXERCISE
In your next practice match try a simple rule.
Tell yourself:
“I accept three aggressive mistakes per game.”
This completely changes your mindset.
Because the mind stops fearing mistakes.
And when fear disappears…
your tennis becomes natural again.
At the end tennis becomes simple.
If your game is predictable, your opponent grows in confidence.
If your game constantly changes…
your opponent never finds stability.
If you want to go deeper into this topic, I also created a FREE PDF explaining a simple system to manage pressure during matches.
👉 FREE PDF
https://patreon18.aweb.page/master-pressure-games
by Federico Coppini
Mental Coach & Tennis Coach
Founder – Coppini Tennis Academy
🎾 https://www.coppinitennisacademy.com
🧠 https://www.federicocoppini.com