Each day of the year, all around the world, tens of thousands of tennis matches are played. And exactly 50% of the people who play these matches end up losing. But is losing a tennis match always such a bad thing? I would argue that there are actually some benefits to it.
What Does This Mean?
· Losing makes you more determined to work harder and get better. There’s no incentive to improve if you’re always winning.
· Losing makes you more willing to develop your game. For example, you lose to players who cause you problems by coming to the net. You decide to add serve and volley to your skillset. If you get to the net first, opponents will find it difficult to also move in and volley.
· Losing provides an opportunity to see what you need to do to improve. If you can correctly analyse why you lost, you discover what to get better at in order to win next time.
What Does This Mean for Your Tennis?
Losing some matches provides opportunities to learn to face defeat with grace, dignity and even style.
We all lose at times. Why not focus on the positives that you can take from the experience?
This is the eighth article in our Tennis Unlocked series by one of Ireland’s most experienced coaches, Peter Farrell. The series will build into a library of knowledge, specifically designed for club-level players, that can help make your match play more effective.
