How to Avoid Negative Self-Talk
The tone and message of a player’s internal dialogue shape their perceptions and self-belief. In a match, tennis players go through so many emotions that having occasional negative thoughts is inevitable, but learning to avoid negative self-talk will increase their chances to succeed. As American psychologist William James once said, “It is you with the way you speak to yourself when you fall that determines if you have fallen into a pothole or into a grave.”
Some players tend to complain verbally and non-verbally about factors over which they have varying degrees of control. Whether a player screams, hits the floor with the racquet, or simply thinks that they are not capable of executing a shot, they are effectively communicating with themselves. In an interview, Novak Djokovic explained that he frequently experiences doubts and fears, saying, “I might appear locked in, but trust me, there is a storm inside.” Yet, he emphasized that what sets apart the greatest champions is their ability to refocus and not stay for too long in those emotions, even if they have strong reactions at a certain moment like the ones just mentioned.
That being said, the reality is that many players are prone to fall into a downward spiral and find it challenging to refocus. In such instances, what can a player do when feeling the tempation to complain?
- Neutralize negative self-talk and minimize negative reactions: Taking a deep breath and trying to stay quiet and calm is the initial step when feeling frustrated and unable to naturally adopt positive thinking.
- Break down the issue logically: Consider a common complaint often heard by coaches and players alike: “Today my forehand is not working.” First, the player implies that their forehand is disconnected from their ability or control. Second, the word “today” indicates that the player is giving up on trying today as the problem, according to them, is not fixable in the current moment. These assumptions are huge misconceptions that can become entrenched through repetition. That is why players should be careful with the words used to describe an issue. Instead, they should dissect it into its root causes by asking themselves honest questions. For example, what type of forehands am I missing? Am I hitting the ball late? Am I moving my feet well? Have I even been focused these past days at practice?
- 3. Focus on a solution (something you can control): Answer the previous questions and redirect attention and energy towards those areas that can be improved. In other words, transform negative self-talk into instructional self-talk. For example, instead of saying “today my forehand is not working” a player may say “focus on contacting the ball earlier.” And now is time for positive thinking, which does not mean being content with the current situation, but rather believing in one’s ability to make those changes.
How can a player cultivate this practice?
Mental work is an everyday task. Players learn to refrain from complaining each time they step onto the court and try to maintain a high intensity while controlling their body language and self-talk. In the book Todo Se Puede Entrenar by Toni Nadal, Rafa Nadal’s uncle and former coach mentions that some of the reasons why players tend to complain is an overestimation of themselves, or a lack of education, respect, and gratitude. These are qualities that players can cultivate even when they are not playing tennis.
One exercise that players can do at home is writing a list of ten negative sentences that they tend to say or think when they are at the tennis court, and then transform those sentences into opportunities or instructional self-talk on the other side of the paper. At practice, coaches can support players by demanding honesty and discouraging negative body language. In addition, parents can set a positive example by remaining calm and taking care of their self-talk not only when watching matches or practices, but also when facing challenges at home.
Ultimately, the world’s top tennis players acknowledge that they only deliver their best performances for a few weeks each year. Regardless of the tennis level, there will always be internal and external factors that unsettle players and tempt them to complain. When confronted with negative thoughts, players should try to minimize negative reactions, logically dissect the issue, and focus on something they can control. Cultivating the right mindset will require practice on and off the court, but it will make a huge difference in the game.
