Winning Tennis Matches: Build Your Tool Bag for Success

Winning tennis matches isn’t just about forehands and serves—it’s about being prepared for anything that gets thrown at you on the court. The best players are armed with tools they’ve gathered over time—tools for their body, their mind, their performance routines, and their resilience.

At Tennis Fitness, we call this your “Performance Tool Bag.” The goal? Fill it with strategies, habits, and routines so that when the pressure’s on, you’ve got what you need to show up and play your best tennis. When players are armed with the right tools, they can handle tough opponents, stressful moments, and turn matches in their favour—consistently.

So, what do you need in that tool bag? Let’s break it down.

1. Preparation: Prime the Body and Mind

 Winning starts long before the first ball is hit. One of the most overlooked areas of match performance is what happens before you step on the court. Preparation needs to be part of the plan. Players need to be prepared to get this right! Parents and coaches need to be leading from the front here too. It takes a team to reach the top of a player’s potential. Work together and just get started with the steps below.

We’ve developed Match Day Protocols that players of all levels follow to get into a peak state—physically and mentally—and stay there.

Here’s what top preparation looks like:

• Mobility Work (5–8 mins): Done in the morning, keeps the body loose and primed for movement. This prevents injury and keeps players prepared for match play.
• Breathwork (2–3 mins): Settles nerves, sharpens focus. Best done after mobility. 2-3 min of daily breathwork overtime trains the body to take long slow breaths. This crosses over onto the match court and helps players recover quicker and keep themselves calm.
• Visualization (2–5 mins): Mentally rehearse the match. Boosts confidence and clarity. This skill helps players see themselves being in situations they may encounter e.g serving out a match and allows them to work through how they will deal with the situation. They can see it and feel it, so when they are actually in it that moment, they have a better chance of doing the right thing.
• Specific Warm-Up Routine: Mimics match demands and prepares the nervous system. This is a must for every young player. I see to many young players taking the court underprepared, often taking 3-4 games to get going, sound familiar? If you saw how the pros warmed up, you would be amazed at the level of intensity they build up to.
• Nutrition & Hydration Planning: Fuel is everything. Food, fluids, and timing must be on point. Parents and players need to learn what to eat and drink – pre match, during matches and after matches. Putting the wrong things into a player’s body is going to make them feel sluggish and have poor concentration.
• Recovery Protocols: Post-match stretching, foam rolling, and journaling to reset and rebuild. It takes discipline to stretch and foam roll after a match, but if you want it enough you will get it done – simple. Journaling is your best way to debrief and breakdown a match – what you did well and what could be better. We have developed specific journals for practice and matches.

Nail these steps, and players walk onto the court ready—not hoping—to perform.

2. Match Management: Play Smart, Stay Tough

Great prep sets the stage. Now it’s time to perform. That means understanding the flow of a match, managing your emotions, and playing with the intensity required to win.

Here are some key match management tools:

• Between-Point Routines: Use breathwork, body language, and self-talk to stay composed and reset after every point.
• Emotional Management: Learn how to let go of frustration. Every player loses points—you just can’t afford to lose focus with them.
• Play with Intensity: Most young players don’t play match points at a high enough intensity. Bring fire to your movement and decisions. Just think Carlos Alcaraz and the energy he brings on the match court. We need to get young players used to competing and playing with high physical intensity. This is how we develop them into the next Alcaraz!
• Know Your Strengths: Be aware of what you do well. Use it. Pressure your opponent. Rafa Nadal was a master of playing to his strengths and attacking his opponent’s weaknesses. This level of understanding needs to happen as early as possible.
• Break Their Momentum: Change the pace, mix up your play, slow your serve routine—anything to stop their rhythm and get control of the match. As long it is within the spirit and rules of the game. Novak is the master of this, he mixes up how he plays depending on what is needed. he also plays within the rules of the game and breaks momentum other ways – slowing down the match, speeding up the match, or distracting his opponents with his actions.

These are real match tools—gained from over 25 years of working with pros—and we’re now passing them on to juniors and developing players.

Introducing The Tennis Fitness Academy Platform

We’re nearly ready to launch our biggest project yet.

A new online training and education platform for players aged 8–18.
Designed for players, parents, and coaches who want to learn how to train smarter, play better, and win more.

What’s inside?

✅ Age-appropriate tennis fitness training to improve speed, agility, strength, and endurance.

✅ Recovery and warm-up protocols to stay fresh and injury-free.

✅ Tournament prep, mindset strategies, and tools for playing your best under pressure.

✅ Custom plan builder: Learn how to build your own training schedule around your life.

✅ Education modules on cheating, resilience, dealing with losses, and more.

✅ Live weekly meetings with our team and other players from around the globe.

Want to Be One of the First In?

We’re offering free access to the platform for 10 committed junior players aged 8–18.

 Must be able to commit:

• Minimum 3 training sessions a week
• 30 mins a day for body preparation and recovery
• 30 mins a week for learning
• Commitment to join live check-ins every 2 weeks

Think you're ready? Click here to apply now

Let’s Build Your Winning Tool Bag

Whether you’re aiming for a scholarship, playing club tennis, or dreaming of the pro tour—this platform is built for YOU. The earlier you start building your tool bag, the more prepared you'll be to dominate when it matters.

Let's make winning your new standard.

P.S. Are you after a Tennis Fitness Program right now? Click here

Good luck out there,
Nathan & The Tennis Fitness Team