Concentration in tennis: how to stay focused during a match

In tennis, a single point can last just a few seconds, while a match can go on for several hours. During that time, players constantly have to shift their attention: tracking the ball and their opponent, making tactical decisions, responding to the score, dealing with mistakes and preparing for each new point.

Concentration in tennis does not mean maintaining the same level of focus throughout an entire match. Attention constantly shifts with what is happening on court, so what matters is being able to direct it towards the task at hand, notice when it drifts and bring it back to the game.

We explore how concentration works in tennis, where a player’s attention can shift during a match and which skills can help them stay focused.

What is concentration in tennis?

Concentration is the ability to direct attention towards information that matters for a particular task and maintain that attention for as long as needed.

On a tennis court, the focus of attention is constantly changing. During a point, a player tracks the ball, their opponent’s position and movement, and the direction of their shots. Before serving, attention shifts to their own plan and execution. Once the point is over, they need to recover, assess the situation and prepare for the next one.

For a tennis player, then, both the ability to focus and the ability to shift attention at the right moment are important.

Research suggests that tennis experience may influence how attention works. In a 2025 study comparing experienced tennis players with novices, differences between the two groups emerged at an early stage of visual processing during the perception of motion in depth — a process that is important for judging the movement of the ball. The researchers linked this difference to experienced players’ ability to filter out irrelevant information more quickly.

What happens when a player loses concentration?

During a match, attention can shift away from the immediate task towards a previous mistake, the score, an opponent’s behaviour, an umpire’s decision, the crowd’s reaction or the possible outcome of the match.

In many of these situations, the issue is not a complete loss of concentration, but where attention is directed. Instead of focusing on the information needed for the next point, a player may remain caught up in something that has already happened or something that might happen later.

This matters particularly in tennis. Every new point requires current information and a new decision, so dwelling on a previous moment can interfere with preparation for what comes next.

One of the key skills involved in concentration is recognising when attention has shifted and bringing it back to the task at hand.

How the past and future can distract from the game

Mistakes naturally attract attention. A double fault, a missed break point or an unforced error can stay in a player’s mind even after the point is over. Yet the next point already requires a different decision: assessing the opponent’s position, deciding on a plan and preparing to serve or return.

Thinking about the possible outcome of the match can be equally distracting. Being close to victory, facing the possibility of losing a set or recognising the importance of a particular point can shift attention away from execution and towards what might happen as a result.

This is why tennis players often work with the idea of taking one point at a time. It helps bring attention back to the specific task they can perform in the present moment.

Why concentration works differently between points

Tennis has a distinctive rhythm: short periods of intense play are constantly interrupted by pauses. Maintaining the same intensity of focus from the first point to the last would be difficult — and unnecessary.

The pause after a point gives a player a brief opportunity to ease their focus, recover, assess what has just happened and prepare a plan for the next point.

This helps explain the repetitive behaviours often seen among professional tennis players between points. Some adjust their racket strings, some use a towel, bounce the ball several times before serving or follow the same sequence of movements.

The exact actions vary from player to player. Their repetition can help create a familiar transition between one completed point and preparation for the next.

How routines help players refocus

Once a point is over, a player can allow themselves a brief reaction before shifting towards recovery: regulating their breathing, releasing muscular tension and controlling their pace. The next step is to assess the situation and decide on a plan for the new point. Once that decision has been made, attention can narrow again towards executing a specific action.

With regular repetition, this sequence becomes familiar and can make it easier to return to the game after emotionally difficult moments. Rather than having to find a new way to reset after every mistake or demanding rally, the player has a familiar sequence they can return to.

How emotions affect concentration

Competition naturally produces emotional and physiological responses. An important point, a tie-break or the closing stages of a match can increase tension even for experienced players.

When tension becomes too high, attention can also be affected. A player may rush between points, hold more tension in their muscles, miss relevant information or make less accurate tactical decisions.

Returning to a familiar pace can help in these situations. Players can use the time between points to regulate their breathing, reduce physical tension and return to their usual routine before the next point.

This can help redirect attention towards the game and the specific task in front of them.

How fatigue affects attention

A long tennis match places considerable demands on both the body and cognitive processes. Players are constantly processing information: anticipating the trajectory of the ball, reading their opponent’s movements, selecting shots, keeping track of the score and adjusting their tactics.

As physical and mental fatigue build, maintaining the quality of these processes can become more difficult. Concentration therefore needs to be considered within the broader context of a player’s overall preparation.

Physical endurance, recovery and effective use of breaks during a match can help create the conditions for players to maintain their attention and decision-making quality for longer.

Can concentration be trained?

Concentration is a skill that can be developed as part of the training process. Players can give their attention to a specific task: tracking particular aspects of the ball’s flight, noticing their opponent’s position before a shot, following the same routine before serving or deliberately returning to their tactical plan after a mistake.

Sports psychology also uses techniques such as breathing exercises, visualisation and self-talk — short words or phrases that can help direct attention. The most suitable tools depend on the player, the situation and the particular skills they are working on.

These skills require regular practice. A familiar routine or way of refocusing is much easier to use during a high-pressure moment in a match when the player has already practised it repeatedly in training.

Concentration throughout a match

It is difficult to avoid distractions completely during a tennis match. Mistakes, the score, emotions, fatigue and external factors are constantly competing for a player’s attention.

The quality of concentration therefore depends largely on recognising where attention has shifted and bringing it back to the task at hand. The previous point is already over, while the outcome of the match has yet to be decided. What remains is the next action: preparing to return, choosing the direction of a serve, tracking the ball or executing a tactical plan.

The ability to bring attention back to the next point, again and again, is what helps a player maintain concentration throughout a tennis match.

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