Everyone has an opponent that, somehow, seems to have your number. Even though you may have fairly even skills, they always come out on top. After a while you dread playing them just because of the self doubt and damage that losing does to your confidence. You know the problem is mental but that just makes it harder to fix. Here are some tips to help.
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Narrow your focus. Between points, keep your eyes on your strings, the ball, your feet, anything but him/her. You want to stop thinking about your opponent by focusing on neutral things that won’t trigger negative/distracting thoughts.
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Strive to have no emotional reaction to a lost point no matter how bad the error or good their shot.
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Lastly, force out any thoughts about the score, who’s winning/going to win, etc. This is very difficult. It’s useful to fill your mind with ways to execute your game plan or rituals/mantras of…watch the ball, stay loose, etc. Remember to keep these thoughts neutral. I have a saying, if your thought has a tone that can be followed with the words “..you idiot!”, then they are not neutral. For example if your tone to yourself conveys, “Watch the ball you idiot!”, then you are adding stress and negativity not calmness and neutrality.
Stay focused and use the tips above to beat your tennis nemesis. You might even realize that the real nemesis is in your own head.
Some great books on mental toughness and strategy for tennis are “The Inner Game of Tennis”, by Timothy Gallwey, and“Winning Ugly” by Brad Gilbert and Steve Jamison.