Mental Game: A Conversation with Cornell Women's Tennis on Mental Health

When you play tennis, it feels as though the whole world slows down. Every second ticks by slower, your vision tunnels, and suddenly the only thing that seems real is the yellow ball sailing over the net towards you. Hit a clean stroke, and you become slightly aware of the person on the other side of the net, but really all that matters is the ball. The strokes come easily, the aces too, and the game just clicks. 

But you’re not always lucky enough to be in such a flow state. Even a few missed balls can make you falter, as the noise of the crowd makes you doubt being up for the task. A few missed serves turn into a few lost games, or worse, a lost set. You could be one of the best players in the world, and still lose to a 17 year old - twice, as Iga Świątek did (Ubha). Among the broken racquets and scuffed up courts, there’s a much larger message about the mental game within the sport: you have to be in it to win it. 

Although tennis is a very fast-paced and physically demanding game, one of the most important aspects is arguably within complete control of the players. Their mental game. Professional tennis has recently been witness to the rise in sports psychologists as part of top players’ teams, such as Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka (Gregory; Tignor). Both women have now held the World #1 ranking in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Top men’s players have also benefited from sports psychologists, like Andy Murray, who won Gold at the 2012 London Olympics, the US Open in 2012, and Wimbledon in 2013 (Cambers). Not only has there been a rise in the use of sports psychologists, but also of an overall discussion of mental health within tennis, from Naomi Osaka pulling out of the French Open to Andrey Rublev’s battle with depression and anxiety (Baseline Staff; Futterman; Shmerler). With an increase in these discussions, the game is rapidly evolving and potentially facing a major culture shift.

To better understand these new developments, I sat down with two of Cornell's own Division I tennis players, Martina Marica ‘27 and Michelle Ryndin ‘27, regarding the mental aspects of the sport and how the game is changing. 

I asked them which aspect of the game is most important; the physical or mental, with Marica responding, “I think the mental aspect of the game is probably more important than the strokes, you can have the game but overall it's how you navigate the tough moments and the deciding points, especially in college tennis.” 

Especially playing without advantage, or “ad”, games go by much faster, and you have to be ready to get the match going. ( “Ad” is when a player must win by two points once a tie is reached in a game at 40-40, “ad” meaning advantage by a player. Playing without “ad” means the next point wins.) Marica continues, “You have to stay strong mostly because one point can change the whole direction of the match, and if you keep yourself fixated, which a lot of players struggle with that, you could end up losing”. 

Off court, Marica and Ryndin take steps to focus on their mental game with the team. They often go over matches and talk with teammates about their play and what went wrong. There are certain things some teammates say to help each other and calm their teammates’ nerves, while others rely on more independent preparation, such as listening to music or, in Ryndin’s case, meditating. In terms of being a DI athlete, spending time with teammates outside of the context of tennis adds depth to relationships that is good for their mental health. For Marica, “Having these shared experiences that we all connect to has helped [me] know that I’m not just in this by myself, and that's helped my mental health. Just having good friends along the way and people I can rely on and talk to and understand what I’m going through has been helpful.”

These are all things that the athletes do on their own, independent of the university. Over the years in professional sports such as tennis, the increase in discussion surrounding mental health has catalyzed an increase in the amount of resources and opportunities available for professional athletes to seek support. I was curious to see if this trend coincided with university athletics as well, where players have to compete at the highest collegiate level while excelling academically. Marica and Ryndin went on to highlight that Cornell provides its student-athletes with plenty of physical and mental support. However, it is up to each team to take advantage of these resources as they see fit. 

As the two pointed out, the Men's Tennis team has even hired a mental coach to speak with individuals at set times regarding their play, which could be a future option for the women’s team. It could be a positive addition to include a mental coach for some players, helping elevate their overall game, although Marica and Ryndin are satisfied with their experience as part of the tennis program here. As Ryndin puts it, “There are a lot of resources to use, so I think Cornell is good in that aspect, it's just up to us to use it.” When asked if the university was accommodating towards their mental health, they admitted that there is always room for improvement, but as a whole, it cares about student-athlete well being. 

Throughout my discussion with Ryndin and Marica, I wanted to get a better grasp on mental health within tennis, both professionally and in collegiate athletics. With sports psychologists becoming steadily more common on the Pro Tour, I was invested in collegiate players’ opinions on the matter. What were their thoughts on professional tennis players taking advantage of sports psychologists? 

In Marica’s eyes, she agrees with their use and believes that its effectiveness depends on the player. Mentioning Aryna Sabalenka, she points out the world #1’s weak mentality on-court early in the tournament, as evidenced by repetitive double-faulting, but tightened up her game and succeeded after talking to her sports psychologist. She goes on to state, “We all have the capacity to do well and navigate these circumstances ourselves, but having someone tell us, and just be [supportive], [that] can be helpful. You always just need that word of encouragement or someone who can understand.” For Ryndin, she sees it as a way to build confidence in players, and that “people utilizing that resource is important, especially because, [it could] make all the difference for someone who’s struggling with confidence.” The use of sports psychologists, both players argue, is something that should be more normalized within sports and seen as a tool to maximize potential.

 Historically, tennis and sports in general have not always been this open about mental health. For years, players struggled with anxiety and depression silently, being forced into early retirement or even committing suicide. The openness with which people discuss their mental health, therapy, and sports psychology marks a crucial turning point within sports culture, and hopefully represents a step in the right direction. It’s not only about winning and losing, but about what you do after, and how you take care of yourself to keep playing the sport you love. I hope the entire sports community can learn from these developments to foster a healthier and more competitive culture. 

References:

• Baseline Staff. “Paula Badosa “Moved” by Andrey Rublev’s Mental Health Journey: “so Much Respect.”” Tennis.com, 25 Feb. 2025, www.tennis.com/baseline/articles/paula-badosa-moved-andrey-rublev-mental-health-journey-anxiety-depression-much-respect. Accessed 1 May 2025.

• Cambers, Simon. “Players Using Psychologists to Find the Extra One Percent.” Reuters, 2 Sept. 2014, www.reuters.com/article/sports/tennis/players-using-psychologists-to-find-the-extra-one-percent-idUSL3N0R354W/. Accessed 1 May 2025.

• Futterman, Matthew. “Naomi Osaka Quits the French Open after News Conference Dispute.” The New York Times, 31 May 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/05/31/sports/tennis/naomi-osaka-quits-french-open-depression.html. Accessed 1 May 2025.

• Gregory, Sean. “Inside Tennis Star Iga Swiatek’s Unique Mental Game.” Time, 27 Apr. 2023, time.com/6273975/iga-swiatek-tennis-psychology-training/. Accessed 1 May 2025. 

• Shmerler, Cindy. “The Mental Health of Tennis Players Is No Longer in the Shadows.” The New York Times, 15 Jan. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/01/15/sports/tennis/mental-health-players.html?register=google&auth=register-google. Accessed 1 May 2025.

• Tignor, Steve. “Brain Training: It’s a Good Time to Be a Sports Psychologist—Particularly One Who Specializes in Tennis.” Tennis.com, 19 Sept. 2021, www.tennis.com/news/articles/brain-training-it-s-a-good-time-to-be-a-sports-psychologist-particularly-one-who. Accessed 1 May 2025.

• Ubha, Ravi. “Women’s Semifinal: Andreeva Shatters Swiatek’s Title Defense and Record Hopes.” BNP Paribas Open | Indian Wells, 2025, bnpparibasopen.com/news/womens-semifinal-mirra-andreeva-iga-swiatek-2025. Accessed 2 May 2025.