🎧 This week I joined the Tennis Pros of San Diego — Unmatched Podcast to talk about identity and pressure. I share a few practical tips for your tennis game and a little bit about my own journey.
Embrace The Pressure
What if pressure wasn’t the thing to fear, but the thing to want?
This is what you compete for.
This is what you train for.
This is where you grow.
You won’t always feel good or confident.
But confidence doesn’t come first. Belief does. Trust and intention do. Then action.
The best players don’t wait to feel ready.
They trust what they’ve trained for and play through discomfort.
They accept the nerves and uncertainty, and have a plan to manage them, knowing it’s a sign of excitement, not weakness.
Pressure isn’t something to fix.
It’s a reminder to trust your training.
As Alcaraz said after his US Open win,
“Even when I was nervous, I told myself — this is what I want.”
The great ones don’t avoid pressure. They embrace it.
You don’t build confidence by avoiding pressure.
You build it by stepping into it until your brain learns:
“This is where I rise.”
It’s not about feeling fearless.
It’s about taking action while you feel everything.
Identify Your Pressure Points
Every player has moments when pressure hits harder: second serves, break points, tiebreakers, match points.
Identify them, then plan for each.
What do I feel?
Notice the signs—heart rate, thoughts, tension. Where does pressure show up first?
What’s my strategy?
This is where you commit to your routine, the simple things that steady you when the moment feels heavy.
Take a breath, slow down, and decide how you want to show up for this point.
This is where you bring out your mental tools—your cue word, your focus target, your body language.
If you need help building your between-point reset, check out The Reset That Keeps You Locked In.
Pressure doesn’t have to surprise you. Let it trigger your plan.
Keep It Simple
When things feel tight, simplify.
Come back to what’s in your control.
Take one full breath.
Play one point at a time.
Decide how you want to show up for this shot.
Let go of the score or outcome.
Focus on competing in this moment.
That’s how you reset under pressure—by keeping it simple.
Your Pressure Plan
When pressure shows up, use this sequence:
Identify: Know the situation that triggers it.
Accept: “This is pressure.” It’s excitement, not danger.
Simplify: Ask, What’s in my control right now?
Act: Breathe, focus on your target, and commit to this shot.
Do this one extra time in your next match and you’re already making progress.
That’s how you rise.
Next week: Your Mental Game Checklist — how to prepare before pressure starts, stay grounded during it, and show up locked in before the match starts.
Keep going,
Mike Franco
Mental Performance Coach | Mental Performance Tennis Academy (MPTA)
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