06/18/2026
A big Florida Tennis thank you to Paula Blatcher, the founder of Renew with Paula™, for this “thoughtful” article on tennis.
What Is Your Body Trying To Tell You?
As tennis players, we spend countless hours working on our strokes, footwork, fitness, and strategy. Yet one of the most important factors affecting our performance often goes unnoticed: the conversation happening between our mind and body.
Have you ever noticed how different it feels to play during practice versus during a tournament?
During practice, you swing freely. You trust your shots. You play naturally.
Then tournament day arrives. Suddenly the match means something.
You want to win. You begin thinking about the score, the outcome, and what might happen if you lose.
You may be leading comfortably, only a few points away from victory, when something shifts.
Instead of continuing to play confidently, thoughts begin creeping in:
"Don't miss."
"Play it safe."
"Am I tossing the ball correctly on my serve?"
"Was I positioned right for that shot?"
"Should I use this ball or that one?"
"What if I double fault?"
"What if I blow this lead?"
Before long, the mind has shifted away from simply playing the next point and toward trying to control the outcome.
At that moment, it can be helpful to pause and ask:
"Is this helping me play freely, or is this fear trying to protect me from disappointment?"
What many players don't realize is that these thoughts are often coming from a part of the mind whose primary job is protection, not performance.
The subconscious mind is constantly attempting to keep us safe from emotional pain, disappointment, embarrassment, rejection, or failure. It doesn't necessarily understand that winning the match is our goal. It only recognizes that losing might hurt.
So it steps in.
Sometimes it creates hesitation.
Sometimes it creates doubt.
Sometimes it encourages us to play it safe rather than play to win.
And occasionally, the body joins the conversation.
A cramp appears.
A tight shoulder suddenly gets your attention.
An ache you hadn't noticed becomes impossible to ignore.
Certainly, there can be legitimate physical reasons for these experiences. Tennis is a demanding sport that places tremendous stress on the body. But many athletes have also experienced moments where their emotional state seemed to influence how their body felt.
I remember experiencing this first-hand after being involved in a car accident years ago.
The next day, everything hurt.
I felt sore, uncomfortable, and focused on the pain.
While waiting to see the doctor, something unexpected happened.
A man arrived who immediately caught my attention. We exchanged phone numbers, spoke the following day, and shortly afterward went on a date.
What amazed me was how quickly many of the aches and pains I had been focused on seemed to disappear.
The accident hadn't changed.
My circumstances hadn't changed.
But my emotional state had.
My attention shifted.
And my body responded differently.
That experience left me wondering how often our bodies are communicating something deeper than what we initially recognized.
As both a tennis player and someone who has spent years helping people explore the connection between thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and physical experiences, I've come to appreciate that our bodies are constantly communicating with us.
Sometimes the message is physical.
Sometimes the message is emotional.
Sometimes it's stress.
Sometimes it's fear.
Sometimes it's simply asking us to pay attention to something we've been ignoring.
The next time you step onto the court and notice tension, tightness, doubt, or a sudden shift in your game, perhaps pause for a moment before immediately trying to fight it.
Ask yourself:
"What is my body trying to tell me?"
The answer may reveal far more than how to improve your tennis.
It may reveal something important about your life as well.
The more I have studied both performance and personal growth, the more I have come to appreciate that many of the struggles we face are not signs that something is wrong with us. Often, they are signs that a protective part of us has taken over, one that may have been trying to help us for far longer than we realize.
The challenge is learning to recognize when protection is helping us and when it is quietly getting in the way of life, the match, or the opportunities we truly want.
Sometimes the answers become clear on their own. Other times, having someone help you explore those patterns can make all the difference.
Paula Blatcher is the founder of Renew with Paula™ and has spent over 20 years in the wellness and holistic health field. An avid tennis player, she helps individuals explore the connection between thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and personal growth through a variety of supportive approaches. She can be reached at
I specialize in helping individuals overcome their lack of self-confidence, anxiety, stress, and limiting beliefs.
