How to Bounce Back From a Big Loss

The loss affects your mentality but not your ability

When you lose a big match, you may feel let down and extremely disappointed. You may even start thinking that you can't play good tennis again after such a loss. But if you think logically, you will realize that your physical and technical abilities have not changed. You still possess the same skills you had before you lost, the same skills that helped you win other matches.

The loss can be attributed to incorrect tactics, bad luck, your opponent having an incredible day, and many other factors that affect a tennis match. What the loss cannot do is change your skills. You are still able to play the same level of tennis.

There is no logic that can prove a lost match will prevent future victory. If the loss seems to affect your skills, it is because you think that it can. Only you can degrade your level of play by negative thinking and by creating illogical beliefs that something is now wrong with your game.

The most painful loss can be the greatest teacher

Pete Sampras lost a U.S. Open final in 1992 to Stefan Edberg and later stated that his loss was the "wake-up call" he needed to learn what it takes to become a world champion. We all know what happened after that: Sampras set a new record by finishing the year at number one for six straight years.

Instead of blaming your loss on circumstances out of your control, find weaknesses in your game and work on them. Your own actions are 100 percent within your control.

Tennis is a demanding sport, and it's unlikely that you have reached your potential in all parts of the game. Sometimes only a painful loss can show you where your game is still not good enough and motivate you to take your game and training sessions to the next level.

Bouncing back from a painful loss doesn't have to be difficult or take a long time. If you understand that losing a big match happens to everyone, that none of your abilities have changed, and that your biggest loss can be your biggest teacher, then you won't just bounce back to the same level you played before, you will become a better player in a short amount of time.

Winning or losing is not within your control. Becoming a better player is always your choice, and that choice will eventually bring you success.

[This article appears courtesy of Tomaz Mencinger, originally published on TennisMindGame.com]