Authors – Ryan Miller & Vedika Jogani
Ryan Miller is OMP’s Head of Content and is an award-winning content creator.
Vedika Jogani is OMP’s Product and Content Manager who has a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science, specializing in Mental Performance.
“My confidence comes from my belief in my own ability.”
This may sound like hubris, especially when it comes from the mouth of one of the most divisive tennis players in the world, but it does come from a deeply rooted sport psychology technique.
Nick Kyrgios is on his way back from nearly two years out with injury and ahead of the Australian Open the former world number 17 fronted the media on Friday.
Known as one of the most entertaining players in the world, Kyrgios was asked if his time out of the game has shaken his belief in his own ability to perform and if the game had passed him by.
“I’ve beaten pretty much everyone that the sport has put in front of me before, I am always going to back my ability,” the 29-year-old replied matter-of-factly.
“People always say ‘be realistic’, or ‘it’s not going to be the same’, I unfortunately don’t have that mindset.
“I’m confident in my ability, if I’m playing my style of tennis and my unpredictability, I’ve got a chance against anyone.
“I have to have that mindset otherwise I will get blown off the court.”
This mindset is actually a perfectly reasonable one to hold and reveals where Kyrgios gets his confidence from.
He is drawing on his past successes.
As he also mentioned during his press conference, Kyrgios had to beat at least one of the Big Three (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic) during the early days of his career just to make a Grand Slam Final.
Beating Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, all considered amongst the greatest tennis players of all time, was an achievement in itself and past victories like ones against the best in the are great sources of confidence.
Athletes of any level can look back upon great performances as a way to remind themselves of their abilities.
These victories can then provide a great basis for a visualization script, as athletes recall the sounds, smells, temperature, feel of the Raquet in hand and even what they could taste during that performance.
Nick Kyrgios’ confidence draws heavily from his past successes, a technique that is commonly used in sports psychology.
By revisiting key moments of achievement, athletes can strengthen their belief in their abilities, even after setbacks like injuries or time away from the sport.
This process not only enhances confidence but also activates neural pathways associated with the positive emotions and sensations of those past performances.
Research has shown that the same parts of the brain are activated when recalling these moments as when actually performing them, reinforcing the athlete’s connection to their skills and strengths.
Visualization, a technique where athletes mentally rehearse past performances, helps to boost motivation, focus, and resilience.
By integrating this mental practice into their routine, athletes like Kyrgios can maintain a mindset that pushes them to stay confident, no matter the challenges they face
While time will tell if Kyrgios is truly back and at the level he once was, there is no doubt that he’ll have a deep well of inspiration and confidence to draw upon.
