Tennis
This exercise will help you find your flow state Stefanos Tsitsipas style
With a world ranking of No.3 following the 2023 Australian Open final, find out how tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas prepares mentally for the biggest matches of his career.
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When everything is clicking for Stefanos Tsitsipas on a tennis court it’s one of the finest sights in the sport. Extremely technical motions look effortless and complex split-second decisions are made with time to spare.
The 24-year-old has discovered over his career that when his mind is free he has total clarity on the court and can perform at levels that have seen him reach two Grand Slam finals and No.3 in the world rankings.
But how can you consistently find a zone where you are fully in the present and things almost seem to happen automatically?
Listen to the podcast in full below:
Read on to learn just a few of the habits Tsitsipas shared to locate, and remain, in his flow state in the podcast hosted by professional base jumper and high-performance psychologist Cédric Dumont.
01
Be patient and present
Did you know Tsitsipas organises the Red Bull Bassline tennis event?
© Antoine Truchet/Red Bull Content Pool
“I suddenly felt free. Every decision I went for felt like the right decision at the right time. You’re not playing with your skill anymore, you’re playing with your soul,” Tsitsipas reveals.
He first truly experienced being ‘out of the cage’ in February 2021 during his five-set comeback victory against Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, one of the biggest moments of his career so far. “I let go of all expectations. I was trying to focus on the present,” he remembers.
You’re not playing with your skill anymore, you’re playing with your soul
02
Instinct is the secret recipe
Overthinking is a behaviour everyone can relate to and Tsitsipas explains that allowing himself to trust his instincts enables him to play his best tennis.
“It’s a combination of effort, less performance, stopping overthinking, and putting more instinct into playing. I think this is the secret recipe to achieving it.”
03
Embrace your recovery time
“You need food for your brain to be mentally fit,” Tsitsipas understands.
When dealing with busy calendars, maintaining energy levels is a constant battle, and Tsitsipas knows that if his rest and recovery hasn’t been optimal, his focus and mental state will suffer during a match. Sleep and diet are essential parts of the puzzle.
“There are moments you feel lousy and not energetic. Diet, sleep, rest and recovery are the main reasons, or cures, for this.”
04
Learn to let go, you can’t force it
Being in the flow state helps Tsitsipas play his best game on court
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The curiosity about achieving full flow state is that to find it you need to forget all about it. If you will it to happen and try to force it by thinking about it constantly, Tsitsipas believes you won’t ever truly reach peak performance.
“Once you think you want to be in the flow state, you won’t reach it. It just happens gradually, it builds up, it’s a climax you reach,” he explains.
05
Explore meditation and breathing exercises
“It’s a ritual that’s become a part of my life,” says the Greek of the breathing exercises he undertakes on a regular basis.
“I feel if you’re able to effortlessly do what you want out there without thinking or breathing, you can really achieve great things when it happens automatically.”
Find out more – including simple exercises to do at home – in Mind Set Win.
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