From the outside, the life of an elite tennis player might be viewed as one of glamor and attraction.
A career that follows the sun to compete against the best of the best in tournaments in every corner of the world and has the potential for lucrative prize money and sponsorship deals with big personalities.
Like all Grand Slams and other major WTA and ATP tournaments, Wimbledon paints an inviting picture of the tennis scene. For two weeks a year, British audiences are mesmerized by the sights and sounds of an idyllic summer (rain delays aside) while the All England Club puts on its best face.
But the reality is different: a leading sports psychologist called sport the loneliest and most emotionally challenging sport.
Katie Mobed, who has been part of Team GB’s psychological support for the past 15 years, coaching and supporting athletes at the London, Rio, Tokyo Olympics and in preparation for the road to Paris 2024, told Sky Sports: “From Although I have worked in the various sports that I have worked in, and have been many over the years, tennis is perhaps the most emotionally demanding sport and there are so many reasons for that.
“It may seem like a glamorous lifestyle and there are aspects of it that are very privileged for tennis players and they will speak openly about that. But the challenge is being away from home so much, being away from loved ones and so on.” Your support network and the people you feel connected to. We are attuned to socializing and being part of a tribe with your friends and family.”
Mobed, who has also worked with Marcus Rashford and has written two children’s books with the England and Man Utd striker, added: “The absence of that support network has been shown to increase stress, even the immune system suffers the more we’re away from it Family and that before a player has even entered the field.
“Then when you’re under pressure you’re on your own, there’s no teammate to get support from. You’re subject to the judgment of the media and fans around the world and everyone wants their player to win.”
According to Mobed, tennis players must “accept failure on the road to success” and learn to “remain committed and confident” when they essentially fail.
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Naomi Osaka was one player who has spoken publicly about the mental challenges of tennis
Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, among others, have been vocal about the struggles and pitfalls of life on the Tour, while Andre Agassi wrote about the loneliness of a tennis player in his 2009 autobiography Open.
“Tennis is the sport where you talk to yourself. No athlete talks to himself like tennis players do. Pitchers, golfers, goalies, they mutter to themselves, of course, but tennis players talk to themselves – and answer. In the heat of a game, tennis players look like lunatics in a public court, swearing and swearing, and engaging in Lincoln-Douglas debates with their alter egos. Why? Because tennis is so damn lonely.”
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Andre Agassi wrote in his autobiography how lonely it is to be a tennis player
Britain’s brightest offspring, 21-year-old Jack Draper, turned professional five years ago and is learning how best to navigate life on tour and the challenges that come with it.
Draper, who had to miss Wimbledon this year through injury but fought his way up to No. 38 in the world at the start of the year, told Sky Sports: “Last year I had a good year and I got on the tour pretty quickly and I can do it now sit back and say that maybe i didn’t appreciate it the way it was.
“Now having been off the court for a while and not being able to participate in these tournaments, I have come to appreciate the fact that I can play in front of a lot of people and express my tennis on the court. When I’m gone, I’ll stay in touch with family. It’s a bit of a lonely sport, of course, but I feel very privileged to be in the position I’m in.
“There’s a side where you have a lot of friends who support you and you have your own team around you, but it’s an individual sport and you have to go out and experience all the emotions and be alone in the dressing room before games.”
“The good thing about a player is that you have to understand that the opponent you play against experiences nothing different from you. They’re going to be a nervous wreck, they’re going to struggle, whether they’re world no. 1 or 300, they’re only human and they’ll do whatever you do.”
According to Mobed, the scoring system can also increase stress levels as players are constantly “overwhelmed” by a rollercoaster of emotions, which can lead to bad decisions.
“Tennis is a mental torture in a way,” says Mobed, who works with younger people and schools to best prepare the athletes of the future. “Even just the dynamics fluctuate. When you support a player who is 30-15 ahead, it feels quite comfortable. But within a few points they’re practically in this penalty shootout situation and they’re about to lose.” Serve. It’s incredibly tough psychologically.
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Novak Djokovic owes his success on the pitch to his mental strength
“Studies have shown that for every hour that players are on the court, they’re only hitting the ball and actually playing tennis for about 10 to 15 minutes – and the rest, drying off, moving between sets, between points, that’s that.” In the time when the mind can start interfering and worrying about how the game is going, what their shape is and how they’re touching, there are so many options for their mind, they throwing him off track if they haven’t trained him.”
According to Mobed, whose insights came at the time Vodafone, Wimbledon’s official connectivity partner, launched its ‘Connection Fuels Champions’ campaign highlighting the importance of emotional connection in sport, it’s no surprise that the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Serena Williams say their success and longevity comes from mental toughness.
But how do you get to a point where you are content off the field and able to overcome the isolation and disconnection of the sport?
Could friendship among players be the answer? Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova said back in 2013 that she’s not close to many players: “I think just because you play the same sport doesn’t mean you have to be friends with everyone.”
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Maria Sharapova, who won Wimbledon in 2004, said she doesn’t want to make friends on tour
Certainly, Mobed encourages players to make friends outside of their own camps and tennis bubbles.
“If you look at the word ‘competition’ it comes from the Latin ‘competere’ which means ‘search together’. I want my opponent to show their best play because that helps me to get my best performance,” she said.
“When you can help athletes get behind their egos, you’re just celebrating sport and what sport can inspire in others and that moment of championship. There’s a turn on and a wild recklessness that athletes often want to support when they train, but in moments when…” They’re off the court, I personally encourage that connection and friendship – and you’ve seen beautiful examples of that in tennis, maybe.” more than maybe in other sports.”
Friendship plays a big part in Draper, who reached the third round of the US Open in his first appearance at Flushing Meadows last year and hopes to be fit and capable for the final Grand Slam of the year in August, live on Sky Sports game, although he admits it’s a “strange dynamic” when you then have to face off against your friends on the pitch.
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Jack Draper has enjoyed the beginning of his thriving touring career but has admitted that there are lonely aspects to life on tour
During Wimbledon, Draper was on the ground, maintaining contact with the fans through his role as Vodafone ambassador and was able to chat with his compatriot Emma Raducanu, among others, about her ongoing injury problems.
“I’ve known Emma since we were ten years old, we’ve been incredibly good friends for years,” he said. “Of course, given her injuries and struggles, we know we can shrug and understand each other, but each of us is different, she experiences life and things with a completely different level of appreciation and other pressures.”
“I’m trying to be there as a friend. We joked at Wimbledon this year that hopefully next year we’ll be fit and ready to play and perform really well at this event. That’s just the life of a tennis player.” Players and we as people who understand the emotions can definitely support each other and it’s a good feeling to know that you’re not alone.”
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Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper were able to talk about their injury-related setbacks and support each other
There are other ways players can alleviate loneliness by taking part of their home with them when they travel, whether it’s a favorite photo or another item that brings them back to a familiar environment.
“We often thrive when things are consistent and predictable. It might sound a bit boring, but given our negative bias and the way our brains are wired, consistency and predictability are really important,” Mobed said, while tennis fans at Wimbledon this year were able to send messages of support to the homegrown players register.
“Some of the tennis players I work with have little strategies for taking photos of loved ones and when you get to your new hotel room you put the photos up. Some people take a little potted plant with them, it’s the little touches.” It makes it feel a little bit more like home because you connect with the people you love, the places you love, or pets .
“The great researcher Brene Brown described connection as the feeling of being seen, heard and valued, and the energy that can emerge from this is incredibly powerful for us at the level of mental health and performance.”
“When you’re injured or sick, studies have shown that you can heal twice as fast when you have the support of friends and family close by because your immune system is able to work on healing rather than on its own the stress of loneliness or separation.”
The phrase to keep a positive mindset has never been truer.
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