Wimbledon 2023 | Tennis players face mental torture, says sports psychologist

The Wimbledon logo can be seen on the court before the tournament. Wimbledon tennis players often suffer from mental torture, according to a leading sports psychologist. | Image credit: Reuters

Hackers at the tennis club know all too well the crippling nerves that can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but they are in good company even with Wimbledon’s elite players suffering mental torture, according to a leading sports psychologist.

The lawns of the All England Clubs will be the focus of the tennis world for the next two weeks as the world’s leading players battle their opponents and often their own psychological demons.

History is full of famous tennis chokes – matches where the player seemed to be in complete control, but the excitement was overcome by the sight of the finish line.

The late Jana Novotna famously broke down in tears after her game fell through in the 1993 Wimbledon final against Steffi Graf, when she was poised to win the title but her nerves got the better of her.

Even the stunning Serena Williams was not immune as she lost to Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova after leading 5-1 in the third set of their 2019 Australian Open quarter-final.

Who could forget the 2004 French Open final, when Argentina’s Gaston Gaudio and Guillermo Coria alternated between suspense and tension over five nerve-wracking sets. Both of them chipped away at winning positions until Gaudio finally prevailed.

This year Wimbledon will undoubtedly bring more examples and no one should be surprised, says Katie Mobed, who has helped several British athletes with a mental approach.

He says that tennis is the most mentally challenging sport.

Uniquely challenging

Elite tennis players face several unique challenges. The game is gladiator in nature, where players have no place to hide and no teammate or manager to help manage the pressure, Mobed said.

It requires unpredictable stamina and strength over an indefinite period of time, and the unique scoring system effectively turns every game into a shootout.

Mobed, speaking as part of Vodafones Connection Fuels Champions campaign, says the time to think between points and games can sap the confidence of even the likes of defending champions Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina.

They face what could be described as mental torture. Tennis players probably only play tennis for about 10 minutes each time they are on the court, he said.

And the rest time is the time between games, sets, changing heads, where they are alone with their thoughts.

Former British world number one Andy Murray knows all too well the emotional baggage tennis players can carry. He lost four Grand Slam finals before finally crossing the line at the 2012 US Open.

His first Wimbledon title a year later – ending a 77-year wait for a British men’s champion – was sickeningly tense on a stifling Center Court.

Considering how much expectation he has carried at Wimbledon over the years, the 36-year-old has coped admirably, according to Mobedi.

He is a fantastic example of someone who has worked so hard to reveal his mental strength, he said.