Not Every Point is Equally Important in Tennis

A long battle of short battles
Out of all the sports out there, tennis has one of the most complicated scoring systems. We have games counted as 1, 2, 3, etc., and we have points counted as 15, 30, 40. Every game can end with a very frequent "deuce" and "advantage" and deuce and advantage and back to deuce again. I'm sure we can all recall matches where this roller-coaster affair ended after a ridiculous amount of deuces—like 13 of them. All this to win one game!

You have to win six of these to win a set. If you're lucky enough and your opponent doesn't decide that he would rather enter a tiebreak (best out of seven points that are now counted as 1, 2, 3, etc.) to see who deserves to win the set. And that is just the first one.

At the Grand Slam level, the best of five sets wins the match. That's a lot of points and time to be on the court. Tennis is a sport of many short-lived battles that speak with the highest of intensity about the on-court struggle of maintaining an advantage. But the nature of tennis makes it so that sometimes, you could win a match even if you won fewer points (or battles) than your opponent. This means that some points are more important than others.

We often hear post-match interviews of the pro players talking about how their opponent played better during the important points. Let's not count Rafael Nadal in this equation because, according to him, every point is important. Sure it is. But again, no one can change the fact that some points are more important than others. If you can find a way to win the important points, then you will become a more efficient player who will achieve greater on-court success.

Understanding the power of number two in tennis
If I were to pick the most important score number in tennis, it would be number two. I often ask my students how many points it takes to win a game. They immediately say four. That is correct. Now, if your opponent also wins four points in that same game, can you still win the game? No, they say. It's deuce. You have to win by at least two points. The same rule applies to winning a set (win by two games) and a tie-break (win by two points).

The scoring system behind tennis has a lot to do with the number two. In order to prove yourself worthy of a victory at the expense of your opponent, you have to manage to win more batches of two points in a row than your opponent. It's unrealistic to try to win every single point in a match, but not unrealistic to try to win two in a row more often than your opponent.

Staying "up" in a game builds your momentum
Because the game of tennis is structured around a scoring system that differentiates a winner from a loser by two points, or games, it is always more difficult to win the second point after already having won one. That is why it would be great if you were able to focus and try to stay "up" in games. Winning the first point in a game is not enough to "stay up" since your opponent could win the next one and the balance would be restored.

The goal is to try to put two points together in a row at the beginning of the game to start with a 30-0 advantage. The third one is going to be tough to win if your opponent is decent enough. But losing that point will still keep you in control.

Climb the mountain, then put the flag on top
The closer you get to the end of a game, the more important the points become. Why? The tensions are higher when the end is near, and most of the drama of tennis is a product of having to close out a chapter in a match. Choking happens and natural instincts come into play when one is faced with losing or winning. Say you managed to get to a 40-15 lead in a game. Many times though, you end up losing that game. All you take from that game now is frustration and a feeling of remorse. Because of these regrets, this situation is more damaging than if you were down in the game the entire time. Let's imagine what happens in your mind at 40-15. You have worked hard to get to that point. You are definitely in control of the game and (the most obstructive thought) you are far from losing the game. Naturally, your mind and focus achieves a well-deserved state of relaxation and diminution. On the other side of the net though, your competition is at the brink of losing the game. The opposition’s natural instinct is to fight back. Their senses are more acute, and their focus is more intense. During this next point, they have a game to lose and you don't. They hit the ball better now and win the point, taking the score to 40-30. It's okay, you still have one more chance of winning, and again, you are still far (three points) from losing it. Your opponent though, has contrasting feelings. She is still fighting for survival. It is now deuce. You now need two points to win the same game.

The hardest part about being up in the game is to be able to maintain the same focus that brought you to that position of control. Exercise a constant level of focus throughout the match. A small deviation in focus as I like to call it. You need to sense the importance of a point, and work to raise your energy and intensity levels to points higher than that of your opponent.

Climbing the mountain without putting the flag on the summit is not enough. You need to exercise a "thirst for the kill" and stop your mind from relaxing on those important moments. This is easier said than done of course. But if you manage to do so, at the junior level, you would probably need just a few games where you keep this focus. It would be enough to create an image of reluctance in your opponent's mind that will on its own provide you with the mental advantage necessary to win the match. In the pros, it gets much harder.

Don't forget the score
When I talk to my students about the importance of playing the score and maintaining a manageable level of focus throughout the match, I ask them to show me a sign that they recognize the importance of a point. Whether I ask them to look at me or look at their racquet, I want them to feel the pressure and get used to it. There are different ways of scoring a tennis match: Eight game pro set, tie-break at five-all, 10-point tie-breaker in lieu of a third set, and no tie-break to decide the fifth set at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. In fact, this year, the NCAA imposed a new rule that will eliminate the deuce-advantage limbo and force the players to decide the game with one decisive point at 40-all. This "no-ad" rule is meant to make matches shorter and thus, more attractive to watch for the overwhelmingly impatient campus crowd who would otherwise love to come watch "the tennis.”

The same rules apply with this new scoring system. The player who has the mental ability and understanding to play those points better will win the match. The players who manage to adapt to the change will be more successful than the ones who don't. In fact, a few years ago, in order to make doubles matches more attractive, the ATP imposed a "no-add" rule. Did this change of scoring create a ripple in the rankings? Not at all. The same teams who used to win with the ad scoring system managed to win with the no-ad system.

Some points are more important than others, especially when it comes to "close out" a game, set and match. But it is the player who recognizes and plays the important points with more lucidity and drive who will win the match. In tennis, winning two points in a row more often than your opponent will bring you victory.