The Mental Skill That Sets Novak Djokovic Apart — SS #38

“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” — John Kabat-Zinn

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In a now-famous 60 Minutes interview, 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic disagreed with journalist John Wertheim’s suggestion that his mental strength was something he was simply born with.

Jon Wertheim (JW): “[…] People understand big muscles, and speed and grace, [but] mental strength, which is what I think is your great gift, is much harder to articulate.”

Novak Djokovic (ND): “I would have to correct you. It’s not a gift. It’s something that comes with work.”

JW: “You train for the mental side the way you would for your serve or your forehand?”

ND: “Absolutely.”

JW: “How?”

ND: “There are different techniques. Conscious breathing is a big part. Especially in the moment where you are under tension.”

JW: “I think a lot of people think, ‘Oh, in the moment, Novak is so locked in.’”

ND: “I might appear locked in… but trust me there’s a storm inside. And the biggest battle is always within. You have your doubts and fears. I feel it every single match. I don’t like this kind of mindset which I see a lot in sports, which is like, ‘Just think positive thoughts, just be optimistic, there is no room for failure, there is no room for doubts. It’s impossible to do that.”

“You are a human being.

“The difference between the guys who are able to be the biggest champions and the ones that are struggling to get to the highest levels, is the ability to not stay in those emotions for too long.

“For me, it’s really relatively short. As soon as I experience it, I acknowledge it, I maybe burst, or I scream on the court, you know, whatever happens, but then I’m able to bounce back and reset.”

What is this skill Djokovic is referring to?

This ability to stay present and always return to the now?

I would argue that it’s a kind of mindfulness.

If you’re familiar with this concept, it’s likely from its rise in popularity over the last few decades in Western circles. But to see how mindfulness fits into sports psychology—and how it can transform your performance on the tennis court—we need to explore its roots and applications.

An Abridged History of Mindfulness in Sports Psychology

Traditional sports psychology methods, known as Psychological Skills Training (PST), draw heavily from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). They focus on techniques like goal-setting, thought reframing, imagery, relaxation, and self-talk skills.

These methods are designed to improve resilience, focus, and emotional regulation, all of which help athletes manage stress, maintain motivation, and develop a healthier relationship with their sport.

The idea is straightforward: developing these psychological skills creates a strong foundation for better performance. They help you manage stress, stay motivated, and build a healthier relationship with the sport. Additionally, these methods are thought to be effective in reducing negative thoughts and anxiety.

But what if we don't have to fight to restructure and battle our thoughts?

Many tennis players struggle with spending too much time in their heads. For example, if you’re worried that losing in the first round of the tournament will be the worst thing ever and the thought of that fills you up with buckets of anxiety—whatever level you play at, whether at the recreational level or professionally—one approach might be to evaluate the veracity of your thoughts.

Asking yourself questions like:

• Is it reasonable to think that losing will be the worst thing that has happened to me?

• Will losing this match mean that my life will be over or that I won’t be able to function normally in society, or that I won’t be able to play tennis anymore?

• What’s the worst thing that will happen if I lose? I’ll be upset for a while? But isn’t this self-inflicted because of how much anxiety and tension I’m creating around my match?

• Isn’t it better, then, to turn all my attention to enjoying and performing well as opposed to fixating on this?

Once thoughts are broken down this way, we can often start to see that they might be distorted in some ways and don’t always align with reality.

It’s not about lying to ourselves, but about being fair and evaluative of what we’re thinking.

Now, the problem is, that it can be difficult to do all of this when you’re at 3–3 and 15–40, you’ve just put the first serve halfway into the net, and now you’re battling to keep your serve, and not double-fault. Then the thoughts of losing and how terrible it would be start coming to you.

Sure. During the change of ends, you can and certainly should use these skills to interrogate your thoughts in this manner..

But how the hell are you supposed to do all of this when you’re trying to put a second serve into the court?

You’re going to be too caught up in your thoughts and internal interferences.

The Mindful-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) Model

There is another way.

In 2004, Gardner & Moore proposed the Mindful-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) model. When introduced, their case study laid out some of the potential issues with traditional psychological skills training and the assumptions that it was based upon.

Particularly, Gardner & Moore highlighted that there seemed to be a weak relationship between improving performance and reducing negative thoughts and cognitive anxiety.

So they offered an alternative. Mindfulness-based approaches, like MAC, focus instead on nonjudgmental observation, present-moment awareness, and commitment to value-based goals. (They also work in components of Hayes’ Acceptance-Commitment-Therapy.)

Here’s How It Works in Practice

Instead of battling anxiety about what a loss might mean to your social standing, what your coach or partner might think, or how it’s the worst thing to happen to you in your week, you acknowledge the thought running through your head (“Losing this match will be horrible, horrible stuff,”) without judgment. You notice and observe that it’s just a thought—and that it doesn’t necessarily represent reality. There is no prolonged, protracted need to engage in thought stoppage or reframing.

Then, you bring your focus back to the present and commit to your value-based goal—for example, before your match, you hopefully had taken my prior advice and created a pre-match goal sheet, writing down that you want to maintain acceleration on your 2nd serve regardless of the situation because you’re more interested in long-term development rather than giving in to the whims and pressures of your mind.

No need to fight or suppress your thoughts. Just notice, return, and commit. Commit, in our case as tennis players, to the action, strategies, and ways of playing and being that we conceptualized at the start of the match through our goals.

Does it Work? The Science Behind Mindfulness and Performance

Mindfulness in sports and performance has been a thriving area of study for the past two decades. Here’s what the research says: I’ve picked out a collection of studies and work that I’m familiar with. (By the way, this is what I’m researching for my thesis—along with the application of some CBT principles.)

Performing Well — Despite Experiencing Anxiety

Rothlin et al. (2016) found that trait mindfulness helps athletes perform well under pressure by reducing competition anxiety and diminishing its negative effects. Their study demonstrated that mindfulness decreases the tendency for athletes to worry incessantly about performance and outcomes, while also helping them focus on their tasks.

Mindfulness doesn’t just lower anxiety—it also plays an impact on performance even when athletes are not feeling the best or are struggling with cognitive anxiety. Athletes with high levels of mindfulness are better able to maintain their focus and execute under pressure in spite dealing with cognitive anxiety.

Positive Impact on Working Memory Through Lesser Cognitive Load

In fast, reactive sports like tennis, working memory is critical—it allows us to maintain focus and remain present to the tasks at hand to give them our full focus. Remember the example we started this newsletter with, that of an athlete disputing their negative, irrational thoughts about what a loss would mean to them and their social standing?

The problem with taking that approach is with how much cognitive load it applies to our minds—when we really need to be applying that load to task-related stimuli (like the incoming ball!)

According to Jha et al. (2010), mindfulness training can enhance working memory capacity, even in stressful situations. The study found that individuals who practiced mindfulness were better able to retain information and make decisions under stress.

For us tennis players, a potential way this translates is to clearer thinking during rallies, better shot selection, and more of an ability to stay present and in the now when we’re ball striking—even when the stakes are high. By preserving working memory, mindfulness reduces the mental clutter caused by stress and anxiety, ensuring that your brain’s resources are allocated to what matters most: our performance!

Flow

Recall the times when you played your best. How you were living in the moment. There was minimal internal interference from your thoughts. How all you saw, perhaps, was the ball, and where to hit it. How everything was automatic and occurred almost without thought. And perhaps it was like an out-of-body experience.

I’m pointing this out to note that mindfulness in sports is tangentially related to the concept of flow and being able to attain this state in performance.

Overall Benefits from Mindfulness-Based-Interventions

A meta-analysis by Wang et al. (2023) found that mindfulness-based interventions significantly improved mindfulness itself and key psychological factors, such as flow, emotional regulation, and acceptance.

These benefits, as we’ve discussed, directly contribute to improved athletic performance. For us tennis players, this means a greater ability to stay in the moment, manage emotions during tough matches, and potentially access flow states more consistently.

How Do You Practice Mindfulness?

So how do you reap the benefits of present-moment awareness and mindfulness-based interventions?

Through meditation.

If you’re still with me, I hope something has clicked here.

It’s easy to conflate meditation and mindfulness, especially if this is your first time exploring these concepts. While they’re closely related, they’re not quite the same.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Mindfulness: is the skill of being fully present, aware of where you are and what you’re doing, without being overly reactive or overwhelmed by your thoughts or emotions.

Meditation: is one of the ways we practice mindfulness.

Think of meditation as the gym where you work on and build your mindfulness muscles. Just as you practice serves or patterns to improve your ability, meditation helps you train your mind to stay present, and focused in high-stakes situations.

And you have to practice.

Mindfulness is a mental skill.

Simply reading this—though I do appreciate you giving me your time—doesn't really do much.

Here’s how:

If you’re an experienced practitioner or simply starting out, I hope these steps will help:

• Sit (don't lie on your back).

• Close your eyes.

• Turn your awareness to your breath. And always come back to it. Turn your attention towards it.

• Notice the tendency of your mind to wander, ruminate, and do its own wild thing.

• Every time you notice your thoughts have drifted away, gently return to your breath. Do not judge yourself for being unable to stay on your breath.

• Repeatedly, you will notice that your mind and internal dialogue tend to be anxious, needling, critical, and judgmental.

• No problem. Simply return to the breath.

• Eventually, you can start to focus on the different sensations that occur in your consciousness: bodily sensations, the dark space at the back of your eyelids, the emotions you might be feeling, etc.

It's all about being able to return consistently to the now; always return to the present moment.

The breath is a great anchor for new practitioners.

Bringing it Back to Djokovic

Keep in mind what Djokovic said: “The difference between the guys who are able to be the biggest champion and the ones that are struggling to get to the highest levels, is the ability to not stay in those emotions for too long.”

Mindfulness practice isn’t just about meditation—it’s about applying these skills on the court and other facets of our lives.

Djokovic embodies mindfulness, or the MAC at least, when he:

Resets between points: Watch how he uses his rituals or bounces the ball to anchor himself in the moment.

Commits to his values: Djokovic doesn’t waver from his fierce demeanor and belief, even under immense pressure.

Accepts adversity. Whether it’s dealing with an angry, hostile crowd or fighting back from losing a set, Djokovic’s ability to stay present and focused on the task at hand sets him apart. Sure, he can give it back to the crowd and engage with them. But when the ball’s about to be struck, he is super present.

By practicing mindfulness, you can develop the same mental skills that help Djokovic perform at his best—even when the odds are against him.

Slowly, try to integrate this practice into daily living and tennis practice and your matches. Remember, you will reap the benefits of better performance and improved automaticity through lesser cognitive load on your working memory.

It definitely helps to have value-laden and even strategic goals, which is why I am so into player identity and patterns of play, and ensuring you are super specific about your goals pre-performance

Here are some ways to integrate mindfulness into your tennis matches:

1. Do a session before you go onto the court to set yourself in the right space.

2. Try to come back to the present through the use of the breath in between points and rallies. Make this a process goal

3. Notice thoughts, feelings, and emotions non-judgementally

4. Return to your value-based goals and preplanned goals when it’s time to play

Key Takeaway

Mindfulness isn’t a magic cure, but it’s a proven tool for managing anxiety, enhancing focus, and improving performance.

Start small.

Be consistent.

Commit to 10 minutes a day.

I have access to a paid meditation app that allows me to gift a free 30 days to anyone. If you’re interested, just reply to this email and I can set you up. There’s absolutely nothing in this for me, by the way, no affiliate deals, etc.

Back to mindfulness.

You have to practice to be skilled.

Same as any part of your tennis.

And watch how it transforms your ability to stay present and perform on the tennis court. You might even be pleasantly surprised about how it starts to impact all facets of your life.

Disclaimer: I am not an Association of Applied Sports Psychology CMPC, certified sports psychology practitioner, nor am I a licensed mental health counselor, PsyD, or clinical PhD. I am pursuing a master’s in sports, exercise, and performance psychology, and I am a sports psychology practitioner-in-training. I have over 20 years of experience in tennis, including playing, coaching collegiately and with professional players, along with club management experience as a director of programs. I am certified by the Professional Tennis Registry and am a member of Tennis Australia. My aim is to bring the best information to tennis players around the world so that you can apply it for long-term improvement—but sometimes I will make mistakes. If this is your area of research or expertise, and you feel I’ve misunderstood something, please get in touch with me and if required I will happily issue a correction.

References

Jha, A. P., Stanley, E. A., Kiyonaga, A., Wong, L., & Gelfand, L. (2010). Examining the protective effects of mindfulness training on working memory capacity and affective experience. Emotion, 10(1), 54–64. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018438

Röthlin, P., Horvath, S., Birrer, D., & grosse Holtforth, M. (2016). Mindfulness promotes the ability to deliver performance in highly demanding situations. Mindfulness, 7(3), 727–733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0512-1

Wang, Y., Lei, M., & Fan, J. (2023). Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Promoting Athletic Performance and Related Factors among Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032038