25 Excuses You Should Not Be Using On The Tennis Court

The sun is not something you can control. To be prepared for competing in the sun, practice playing in the sun before competition as much as possible. Practicing inside when the sun is out will not help you adapt to the conditions of playing outside.

You cannot control the weather. You can control how much you practice in different conditions like the wind so that you can perform your best when the situation occurs.

This is not something you can control and the lighting is the same for both you and your opponent. The lighting may not be as good as you’d like but having a mindset that allows you to adapt is essential. 

You cannot control the competition match balls given to you at a tournament. The balls are the same for both players and you must learn to adapt to them. To be prepared could you find out in advance of your match what match balls will be used so you can practice with them leading up to the tournament? Could you use different balls in training daily or weekly so you can learn to adapt?

You can control the tension of your tennis rackets by being prepared before competing. If in practice you are not happy with the tension of your rackets and you feel this will be on your mind when competing build time into your schedule to have them re-strung. 

This is in your control. Don’t start a match if you are unhappy with your grip, put a fresh grip on your racket before you start. If during a match you need to replace your grip ensure you have spare grips in your racket bag.

You cannot control how your opponent plays the game. A hacker is a term used to describe a player who gets to every ball and pushes the ball back in play. You must understand that if your opponent puts more balls in play than yourself, they will win and have played the game better than you on the day. You must be able to adapt your game strategy, believe in your ability and skills as well as stay mentally strong not blaming points lost on external factors. 

Your opponent is not lucky. Is there a reason you feel your opponent is lucky? Do they have momentum in the match? Are you hitting shots that are not challenging your opponent and therefore coming back with interest? Are you fast enough around the court? Are you allowing your mind to tell you things that are not true?

This is in your control. If you turn up to a competition unprepared can you expect to win?

You must be supportive of your partner regardless of how well you feel they are playing. You cannot win on your own in a game of doubles so you must play and communicate as a team. If you are positive and uplifting this will be good for your own game as well as uplifting for your partner. If your opponents see your negativity it will give them a boost which will not work in your favour. 

This is in your control. If you are well prepared you will have sorted your hair before playing. This includes packing extra hair bands or a hat in your tennis bag. 

The court you play on at a competition is out of your control. You can, however, prepare for this. Research or contact the venue before your tournament and ask what the court surface is, or the potential court surfaces you may play on. 

The court you play on at a competition is out of your control. You can, however, prepare for this. Research or contact the venue before your tournament and ask what the court surface is, or the potential court surfaces you may play on. 

You cannot control the umpire’s decisions. Decisions are less likely to go your way if your behaviour on court is undesirable. If you are positive in your body language and with what you say the umpire will see you in a more positive light. 

You cannot control the baby crying at the side of the court or the loud coaching session on the court next to you. You must learn to block noise out so you can focus fully on your tennis. Try and replicate this situation in training, for example playing some loud music on court.

You can control whether or not you have your glasses. This comes down to how prepared and organised you are before your match. Having a tick sheet of everything to take to training or competition is a good idea so you can check this off before you leave your house. 

You cannot control the height of the net at a competition. It is likely the net height has been measured before your match. However, you could either question the net height before you start with the umpire or mentally accept that the net height is the same for both you and your opponent.

You cannot control the height of the net at a competition. It is likely the net height has been measured before your match. However, you could either question the net height before you start with the umpire or mentally accept that the net height is the same for both you and your opponent.

What you eat is in your control. You must learn to understand your body and what you can and cannot eat before training or competition.

You can control whether you take enough water / fluid to training or competition. Water is essential to you performing well and turning up without any or enough to last a match shows how much you care about performing well. It is important for a tennis player to be well educated about hydration.

Tiredness is in your control. You can control what time you go to bed. Tiredness can also come from poor nutrition and hydration as this affects your energy levels. This is all within your control and requires you to be educated and action what you know will help you perform. 

You can play tennis and you must believe in yourself and your skills. If you go into a match without a question in your mind that you could not have done any more to prepare (on court practice, sleep, hydration, nutrition, fitness, recovery) then you are more likely to believe in your ability and skill. 

You can control and avoid this situation by bringing a minimum of two rackets to training or competitions.

You can control this situation. It is not a good idea to go into a match wearing brand new trainers or trainers you have not spent time training in. If you have worn your trainers in practice you can be sure they will be comfy when competing. 

The reason you think you should win may be for a host of reasons. It could be you have beat your opponent before or because you are ranked higher. However, tennis is about who plays better on the day. Focusing on the process point by point is where you need to focus your mind, not the match result.