Naomi Osaka dashed to the net and, with a powerful forehand, strategically returned Yuliia Starodubtseva’s serve. Her swing sent a 110 mph ball across the court so fast that it was impossible for Starodubtseva to return the ball, and resulted in Naomi winning another point.
This was only one of the calculated moves Naomi employed to make a comeback after losing the first set and winning the match in the 2025 Miami Open.
Initially, I couldn’t understand the hype around tennis. I found watching paint dry to be more entertaining, especially when it was one of my favorite colors. Two people hitting a ball back and forth? I didn’t get it.
But, eventually, the chatter concerning the Williams Sisters and how they were impacting tennis intrigued me.
One day, I had nothing to do and decided to watch Serena Williams in the 2020 U.S. Open. I was captivated as Tsvetana Pironkova tried to cleverly hit her ball so quickly that Serena wouldn’t be able to return it. The plan failed. Serena stumped her opponent when she sprinted and leaped across the court in time to return the ball and eventually won the match.
From that moment, I was hooked. Tennis requires a lot of physical stamina, but it’s the mental and emotional aspect of the game that draws me. Players need to be strategic thinkers. In addition, they must thrive under pressure, be able to adjust within seconds, control their reactions, think quickly, and not allow mistakes and losses to frustrate them.
I realized it wasn’t just the art of playing tennis that interested me. It was the mental and emotional mindset needed to win. I learned that the mental tenacity and skills required to succeed on the court are also what are required to thrive in other aspects of life.
First, mindset matters. If an athlete lacks mental and emotional fortitude, their physical ability will not provide much. Tennis players are surrounded by coaches, other support team members, family, and fans. However, all these people are in the stands, so their efforts to encourage and assist the player during the game are limited. Additionally, there are no other teammates available to assist the player. Nor is there a cornerman waiting to rub the player’s shoulders, wipe away sweat, and convey words of encouragement between rounds.
But, even though a support team surrounds players, if they lack the right mental fortitude, that support can’t do much for them on the court. If the player’s focus is off, the opponent can exploit their weakness. Because they’re not being strategic in their responses, the other player can anticipate their movements and figure out how to keep them from returning the balls. This behavior usually results in a loss for the player who isn’t mentally prepared.
Skill is also a significant part of tennis. Knowing how and when to use the back and forehand. The skill to hit an ace serve and the physical stamina to run up and down the court for hours. Players and coaches say that practicing tennis isn’t sufficient. Nothing builds a player’s ability like participating in a real game. Improvement happens in real-life games. The coach also contributes to the quality of a tennis player. A skilled coach builds up the players’ physical skill set, as well as preparing them for the emotional and mental requirements of the sport.
Many of the situations we find ourselves in are like those of a tennis player. We may have had coaches who worked with us and prepared us for life’s challenges. We may have a supportive, loving family and friends. Our coworkers may also be one of our biggest cheerleaders. However, in most situations, we are on the court alone. No one can work on our marriage but us. We bear the brunt of responsibility if we’re a single parent. We must speak for ourselves during a job interview. We often have to manage the office bully or manipulator who tries to undermine us at work without support.
We don’t have the option of walking away from many of life’s circumstances, so we have to develop the mental and emotional resilience that will ensure our success; that’s if we expect to win.
There are numerous winning strategies that tennis players can adapt, which can be applied to any facet of life. But I’ve found that when used correctly, these three approaches can ensure victory for us.
Play the ball, not the person.
I can only imagine how intimidating it would be to have Coco Guff, Madison Keys, Carlos Alcaraz, or Frances Tiafoe as an opponent in tennis. However, if the athlete has any hope of winning, she must learn how to play the ball, not the person staring back at her.ย ย ย
Playing the ball and not the person allows us to focus on our own skills and abilities, which better equips us to win. That’s not to say one should ignore the other player’s strengths and weaknesses, but it can’t be our focus. Instead, a skilled player develops a keen awareness of their opponents’ skills and uses it to their advantage.
We, like the tennis player, want to win, and the only way to do it is to focus on what we want to achieve and not so much the things we can’t control. Like what a co-worker may be doing to get the promotion weโre aiming for. Instead, focus on the efforts. We can use our mental and emotional grit to focus on what’s needed to win.
When asked how playing on clay affected his game at the French Open earlier this year, Frances Tiafoe stated that the best thing any athlete can do is play their own game. Regardless of how well someone else plays or the conditions of the court, bring your A game and roll with it. Everyone, irrespective of the situation, can benefit from his advice.
Learn to be flexible and adjust as needed.
I usually find commentators annoying. They can be biased in their opinions of the players, and often change their support at the slightest error the athlete makes. Most of the time, I wish they would be quiet and just let us enjoy the game.
However, there are a few instances when the commentators’ remarks make sense. For example, they will comment that it will help a player’s game if they move closer to the net or step farther from it. Or they suggest the player would win more if they used their forehand instead of their backhand. Even though the player can’t hear the commentators, those who make the adjustments usually end up winning.
We are all creatures of habit, and making change isn’t something we like to do, even if it results in a victory. This includes tennis players. However, tennis requires rapid decision-making and the ability to adjust to ever-changing situations, much like life.
Often, we want to remain static in our stance. We believe we know what’s best, or we’ve become too comfortable and don’t want to let it go. But if we want to win, we have to learn how to become flexible.
There’ll be times when we have to make changes. If the job interview isn’t going well and we want that position, we have to quickly pivot by improving our responses.
What resulted in success yesterday won’t necessarily deliver success today, and it’s essential for us to find a different strategy.
Flexibility is an asset that each of us can add to our toolbox.
Don’t dwell on losses.
No one wins every set, match, or game. Not even the top-ranked players like Jannik Sinner or Jessica Pegula. But when they lose, it’s their mindset that keeps them in the game. They know losing sometimes is expected, but they have developed strategies that hold them together until the end.
Part of learning how to succeed is learning how to deal with a loss appropriately. Don’t linger on the loss. Accept that it happened, find a way to bounce back, and move on to the next play.
When we ruminate or linger on mistakes or losses, it prevents us from seeing things clearly. On the court and in life, we need to be as clear-headed as possible.
I’m not saying to act like it didn’t happen, I’m saying acknowledge it, if appropriate, analyze what went wrong, and move on. Prepare to win the next point.
When we realize we are going to lose, please don’t give up and make it easy for our opponent. We have to make them earn those points.
There was one player who, once she realized she was going to lose, mentally checked out. It was so obvious. Her body language and attitude sent a clear message: if the ball comes close enough for me to hit, I will; otherwise, oh well. I wanted to reach through the screen and shake her and yell, “Don’t make it easy for them.” Don’t just hand the game or the situation over. We made significant sacrifices to get where we are. Our stance should be: you may win this, but it will be earned.
Success on the court is regulated not only by the players’ physical strength and skill, but more so by their mental and emotional tenacity. We are all players in various aspects of life. Often, getting and staying ahead requires more than the skills we acquire in a learning environment. It’s our determination, our grit, our calculated thinking, among other things, that help us achieve our goals. It’s what transpires in our minds that determines whether we win or lose.
Ora Cook is a New York City-based freelancer, storyteller, and coach. Her writing and coaching centers on helping Women of Color heal from the emotional pain of childhood, early adulthood, and relational trauma. When she isn’t writing or coaching, Ora travels the globe. One of her favorite forms of travel is cruising. Ora is an avid traveler and encourages women to travel for therapeutic and recreational purposes. She has also contributed to the Sisters AARP publication.
