Practice Tennis Like A Pro: 10 Quotes From Top Players On What It Takes To Succeed

From current legends like Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, to past champions like Pete Sampras and Arthur Ashe, we've witnessed some of the greatest and most talented tennis players of all time.

But what is it that separates the elite from the rest?

If you're on course to be the next tennis star, putting in hard work and dedication is the key to success. You'll need to practice tennis skills from the ground up, as well as fine-tune your strategy and form.

And who better to turn to for advice? We've gathered advice from some of the sport's greatest minds and compiled them to give you some advice and inspiration to make it to the top.

1: “Tennis is not a gentle game. Psychologically, it is vicious."

– Richard Evans

Like so many great sports, tennis skills are about far more than the physical feats that the players put themselves through.

Every great tennis player is at the peak of their athleticism and will have been honing their skills relentlessly. But they will also have been working on their mental skills as well as their physical.

In every tennis game, there will be moments when your opponent will try to undermine you, identify your weak point, or simply outlast you.

There will also be times when you make mistakes that can frustrate you – the key is to stay calm, focused, and in it.

2: “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”

– Arthur Ashe

No one is born the perfect tennis player. Even the most gifted players in the world will have had to start somewhere.

Succeeding as a tennis player is about so much more than a hard-fought victory. It understands that lessons must be learned at every point along the way to become a fully-rounded great player.

It may be a cliché, but you can learn just as much from a defeat as you can from a win. Succeeding means picking yourself up when you feel like you played badly.

It also means recognising that you will always have work to do on your game.

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3: “Everything comes at a cost. Just what are you willing to pay for it?”

– Serena Williams

No one said that winning was easy, and if you want to succeed as a tennis player, you will realise that quickly. It will take a lot of hard work to get to the level where you can play like a pro.

Are you going to be able to put the amount of time in that you need to hone your tennis skills?

Are you going to be able to handle the defeats that will come your way on your path to success?

And can you be humble enough to check your ego at the door to learn what you need to?

4: "You play the ball. You don’t play the opponent. Be free in your head. Be free in your shots. Go for it."

– Rodger Federer

Everyone has seen those games of tennis where it is so clear that one player has got in the other’s head. They have worn them down or wound them up, and they are no longer playing their own game.

If you want to succeed, you cannot allow this to happen.

That means that, no matter how good your opponent is, you cannot let yourself be led by what they are doing or how they are behaving. Do not be intimidated – just play your game.

Remember that you are in control of how you play, not them, so play the ball!

5: “Losing is not my enemy, fear of losing is my enemy.”

– Rafael Nadal

This quote comes down to the idea of playing scared. There is always going to be a winner and a loser, and some days that loser might be you. But if you play like you are scared of losing, you are so much more likely to do so.

When you play scared, you are not going to be thinking clearly. You will be less in control of your actions, and you will be more impulsive. Don’t think about what might happen if you lose.

Play to win and stay positive. Once that desperation starts to sneak in, it can be tricky to shake.

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6: "The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose."

– John McEnroe

Losing is a part of any sport, and one of the best beginners’ tennis tips is that even the best players in the world can’t win every single game. If you get angry every time you lose, you will not be able to take anything away from the entire match apart from that bitterness.

There is nothing wrong with being upset that you lost. But it is so important to be clear-headed and humble enough to accept that there will always be lessons you can learn from every mistake.

If you can do this, you can focus on improving your game and identify those weak spots, so you don’t make the mistakes next time.

7: "I go out there because I love tennis and I love playing."

– Bethanie Mattek-Sands

This point is so important to remember. Some people get so caught up in the competitive nature of the sport that they start to lose sight of what drew them to it in the first place.

You can tell the difference between people who are playing because they feel like they are supposed to and people who are playing because they love it.

Loving tennis means that you will always go out there and have a positive experience, even if you lose. It’s what makes the greats get up and keep playing, even if they are having an off night.

If you don’t love it, then what is it all for?

8: "Champions keep playing until they get it right."

– Billie Jean King

Practice makes perfect, and when it comes to tennis, practice makes the perfect champion. Even the most naturally gifted players in the world need to practice day in and day out to ensure that they are staying on top of their game.

Doing this isn’t a sign of weakness. It shows that you understand that there is always room to improve.

Tennis skills require work to develop and maintain. It takes work to get to the top, and it takes a lot of games to get to the point where you start winning on a regular basis. If you keep playing, you’ll keep improving.

Practising with a tennis ball machine and doing different tennis drills can help you hone your skills and become a better player. It’s the fastest way to get to the top!

9: "I've said it lots of times before, I play for myself, so I'm not worried about other people's expectations."

– Taylor Fritz

Following on from Bethanie Mattek-Sands’ quote about loving the game, it is important to remember who you are playing for. You need to play tennis because you love it, not because anyone else wants you to.

And you need to remember that if you are happy with where you are and your progress, that is what counts.

Your tennis trainer will tell you that it's up to you as soon as you step onto the court. That means that anyone else’s expectations about your game and what you should be doing don’t matter.

You are the only person that you need to answer to.

10: "One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation."

– Arthur Ashe

Self-confidence will always be one of the most important assets that any tennis pro can have. Some people are born with an abundance of it, but if you want to feel confident in yourself and your game, you need to prepare.

When you know that you have done the work, identified the areas that you want to focus on, and are as ready as you will ever be to go out there and play, your confidence will have a massive boost.

If you don’t, then you will spend time second-guessing every decision.

Solo tennis practice is a great way to prepare yourself and feel confident. Working on the basics, like mastering your serve of tennis balls and your backhand, is essential to becoming a great player.

Final Thoughts: Practice Tennis Like A Pro

Practicing tennis like a pro is a multi-faceted process. You do need to make sure that you have the right tennis training equipment, but you also need to be able to put the work in and know that you are going to have to sacrifice something if you want to succeed.

You need to be able to learn from your mistakes and accept that you won’t be able to win every game.

But it’s also about recognising the reasons that you are playing for. You must remember that you love the game – otherwise you wouldn’t be here. It’s not about what your opponent wants or what anyone else expects from you.

It’s about doing the preparation, putting in the hard work, and being happy with the results.

FAQs

Can I practise tennis by myself?

You can definitely practice tennis alone to work on your skills. Certain tennis drills, like hitting against a wall, can help to develop skills like accuracy and power. Tennis ball machines are a handy way to practice by yourself, too. But you'll get the most rewards from practising against other players.

How can a beginner practice tennis?

The best way for a beginner to practice tennis is to play as much as possible. A good tennis trainer will be able to teach you the essential tennis skills that you need, and they will run you through drills including serving and rallying. But if you really want to develop, you should start playing matches.

How can I practise tennis at home?

Ideally, you will have a court where you can practice tennis at home. However, not everyone has a tennis court in their back garden, so think about what space you have and the kind of tennis practice exercises that you can do in them. Can you and a friend or family member practice rallying, for example?

What is an inspiring quote for tennis?

There are a lot of great inspiring quotes for tennis from many of the great former players. Billie Jean King said, “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” This is such an important lesson to learn because there are always going to be things that you can do to improve your game. There are always lessons, even in defeat. .