“I should not lose to X player for Y reason. The other games are things like I need to be in X physical shape to win or his huge forehand is going to kill me.”

There’s a “circle” that you need to make in tennis.

At first, you don’t know anything. Once you start playing, you start learning about some things like; big forehands will kill you, if you’re 5:1 behind, you’ll lose, if you’re not fit, you can’t win, if you didn’t practice, you won’t play well, etc.

This period of accumulating more and more information takes years and with some it never stops. Our mind likes to KNOW.

But in time, you realize that with every “knowing” or every “rule”, there are exceptions. Big forehands don’t ALWAYS kill you. Sometimes they miss. If you’re 5:1 behind, you sometimes make it back.

If you didn’t practice, you can still play well. If you missed an opportunity to finish the set at 5:4, you eventually win it in the tie-break.

What you will hopefully realize (as I have) is that in fact you DON’T KNOW. You don’t know for sure what will happen and whether the player with a big forehand is really good. You don’t know if that really good player is really good TODAY against YOU.

I came to the conclusion that I don’t know and that nothing is really for sure. I don’t believe ANYTHING my mind creates about the opponent or the future or the outcome of the match. I don’t believe my mind – because I’ve found it to be wrong so many times by now.

Therefore I am not “bound” my beliefs, fears or predictions. I just play every point and I don’t care whether he is supposed to be “good”.

I don’t believe he is good until he beats me. I don’t believe he is good just because he passed me twice. I want to see him pass me at 5:5 at 30:40. And even if he does, I don’t believe he can do it on the match point.

And even if he does and wins the match, I don’t believe he can do it next time we play. Sooner or later I’ll be right and this will reinforce my belief that he is NOT that good.

This will reinforce my skepticism into all thoughts and beliefs that cause me to feel fear or not confident.

I also found that if I persist with my skepticism, the mind gives up – because I don’t agree – ever. So eventually I don’t think anymore – only thoughts related to tactics and solving problems.

As I read your story I see lots of thoughts and “knowing” – and you’re also realizing that they are limiting you.

Imagine for a while how would it be if you had all the tennis skills you have, but you knew nothing (except tactics and how to adjust tactically).

How would you play?

What you describe at the end sounds like being in the zone. It is that easy – just let it go, but it’s also that hard for a human mind to do.