Sport is a universal language. Athletes push their limits, determined to become the next ‘legend’. Fans gather to witness history. From football to tennis to swimming, each sport has its distinct nature, yet they all hide a second battle beneath the surface.
A match within a match. A race within a race.
Our greatest opponent isn’t always on the other side of the court or in the adjacent lane. In fact, this rival is closer than you think. Sometimes it’s ourselves. Our own minds. With access to our fragile thoughts, it has one mission. To ruin our love for the game.
So why do we spend hours on drills exhausting our bodies and barely a minute training our minds? What’s the point of having all the skills if we can’t handle the pressure that comes with it?
When the Mind Becomes the Opponent
Former World No. 2, Paula Badosa knows the lonely reality of the WTA tour. Unlike team sports, there is nowhere to hide when our doubts take over. “If you’re playing against yourself, it’s two against one,” she said in a 2022 interview.
Following repeated injuries, she admitted on Spanish radio show El Larguero in March 2026, “Right now, the negative voice is winning more often than I’d like.” Her battle continues. Mental strength isn’t something you get right once. It’s something you keep training. For Badosa that means becoming her own supporter, not her harshest critic. She has been gradually climbing up the rankings, making her own comeback.
Training the Invisible Muscle
Though there is no universal solution, athletes like Badosa are living proof that mental strength can be trained. And sports psychology offers a way to confront it.
Visualization is exactly what the name suggests. Imagining scenes in our heads before actually facing them. Through cognitive reframing, we can change our mindset from “I’m terrible at serving” to “I’ll add more spin next time,” learning to let go of mistakes and explore new strategies. Reset routines are personal cues to pull us back into the ‘zone’. It may take the form of a deep breath or the straightening of racket strings. But what calms one athlete might distract another. Effective mental training means experimenting and discovering what works for us.
I strongly believe that mental training is a crucial part of sport and should become normalized in physical education curriculums. No matter the set of rules that bind each sport into its labels, sports psychology is the bridge that connects them all.
A Conversation with Para Swimmer Zy Kher Lee
Hoping to understand a new perspective, I interviewed Zy Kher Lee, an internationally accomplished para swimmer who joined Malaysia’s national squad at just 13 and now represents Thailand. A former Asian record holder and multiple ASEAN Para Games gold medalist, Zy shared how mental strategies might be adapted for athletes with disabilities.
For Zy, para swimming begins with self-discovery. “Every swimmer looks different… our body looks different… you sort of have to test it with your own body to find the perfect technique.” Swimming with only his left arm, he spent five years finding a stroke that worked for him. He believes the same is true of the mind.
“There’s no special thing, in my opinion, that people with disabilities go through differently,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s our hobby. It’s something that we do every day. It’s our passion.” The nerves before a race and the doubt after a loss belong to every athlete, whatever their ability.
Zy’s answer to those nerves is preparation. “You would just have to put your mind through every situation possible. And the way to do [that] is to actually do it in training.” In camp, his team races the clock every two weeks and treats each test like a real meet so that by competition day, “your mind knows what it’s going through.” To him, feeling nervous before diving into the pool, is actually a good thing.
And when a bad race leaves him doubting himself, he rebuilds slowly. “Think big, start small. Just setting small goals and then achieving it step by step.”
The Game We All Play
Perhaps Zy put it best: “It’s not really about competing against your opponent. It’s about competing against your time.” Whether it’s a swimmer racing the clock or a tennis player fighting their own doubts at match point, the toughest opponent is often the one inside our heads.
Talking with Zy convinced me that mental strength isn’t a gift reserved for legends. Every athlete, whatever their sport or ability, plays a game within a game. It’s time we started training for both.
Sources:
Lee, Zy Kher. Personal interview conducted by Priya Hirunchupong.
