For decades, we’ve been sold a false idea about high performance: that suffering, constant sacrifice, and permanent tension are the only paths to victory. In tennis, this belief has become almost sacred. “Focus,” “Don’t get distracted,” “You have to suffer to win.” We hear it as kids, repeat it as coaches, and enforce it in training sessions where laughter is frowned upon and joy seems like weakness.
But… what if it’s the opposite? What if fun isn’t the enemy of focus, but its purest source? What if those who don’t enjoy the game are the ones who truly can’t win?
I’ve worked with players at all levels, from beginners to rising talents on the edge of going pro. And I’ve noticed something they all share: the best ones never lose their connection to the game. They keep exploring, risking, feeling. They enjoy it. And from that enjoyment, concentration appears—not as effort, but as a natural result.
Real fun creates presence.
Presence activates intention.
And intention generates real focus.
I’m not talking about fake smiles or lack of discipline. I’m talking about the type of joy that comes from movement, from a liberated body and a mind deeply connected to the present moment. When a player is truly enjoying themselves, they let go. And in that release they enter what we call flow. In that state, there’s no obsessive thinking, no fear of failure, no emotional baggage. There’s just creation.
How can we expect a player to be creative if we fill them with fear? How do we expect freedom if everything in their training is about control? How do we expect lasting focus if they’re never allowed to enjoy themselves?
Forced focus is short-lived. Focus that comes from joy, that’s the one that lasts. Players who know how to enjoy themselves are dangerous: they adapt, flow, create. Because they’re not trapped in outcomes, they are living the game.
🎾 Next time you see a player smile on court, don’t assume they’re distracted. Assume they might just be entering their best version.
Because if you’re not having fun, you’re not winning.