Why the best player in the room just stopped chasing results
Iga Swiatek arrives in Melbourne with a choice that sounds backward to many competitors: she is not setting results-based targets for the 2026 Australian Open. In media on January 12 she said she would focus on improvement and readiness rather than rounds or trophies, a stance summarized by Reuters as avoids setting goals for 2026. The tournament begins on January 18, 2026, and the storyline is familiar. She is a serial major winner seeking her first Melbourne crown, yet she is deliberately keeping outcomes out of her day-to-day field of view. For match-day patterns that pair well with this mindset, see our Australian Open pressure-proof routines.
If you coach juniors, parent a talented teen, or compete yourself, you have probably tried the opposite approach. You tape up a target: reach quarterfinals, break the Top 100, win State. The brain reads that banner and responds with urgency, but also with a quiet tax. In tennis, every point is a small laboratory of focus. Outcome goals ask the mind to live in the future. Points ask it to live in the next 10 seconds. When those two clocks compete, attention frays and the body gets tight.
Swiatek’s shift is not a vibe. It is a method built with her sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz and grounded in routine, measurement, and language. The aim of this article is to translate that approach into a clear, coachable toolkit you can run at practice today and use in the match tiebreak tomorrow.
The hidden costs of chasing outcomes
Outcome goals are not inherently bad. They can guide season planning. The trouble starts when the goal bleeds into the point. Here is what usually happens under pressure when a player is living in the result:
- Working memory overload: thinking about what a win means, the rankings points, or who is watching consumes the same mental bandwidth needed to track ball height and spin.
- Threat response: heart rate spikes, grip tightens, swing path shortens. The player looks “careful” and loses racket-head speed.
- Narrow attention: vision tunnels to the opponent or the line judge. Court awareness shrinks. Players miss early cues like a short backswing or a late split step from the opponent.
A process-first model flips this. The player still cares about winning, but they do not spend attention on it. They spend attention on controllable actions that increase the chance of winning. The mindset sounds simple. The tricky part is doing it at 5–5. That is where tools replace slogans.
The process-first toolkit
Below are four modules you can build and train. Together they form a no-goal operating system that reduces pressure and improves performance in clutch moments. Each module includes a why, a what, and a how.
1) Attention cues that travel with the ball
Why it works: A cue is a short phrase that directs attention to a controllable action. Good cues are portable across surfaces and opponents. They are specific, brief, and framed in the positive. “High first, heavy through” gives your brain a plan. “Do not miss” does not.
What to use: Prepare a scout of three cues for serving, three for returning, and three for rallies. You will not use all nine in one match. You will select one per phase and stick with it for a full game.
Examples
- Serve: “Up the toss, through the hip,” “Kick up and slice out,” “Land inside the court.”
- Return: “Split on toss,” “See up, drive down,” “Early feet, late hands.”
- Rally: “Height over middle,” “Heavy to backhand,” “Roll cross then knife line.”
How to train it
- Cue rehearsal drill: Feed 10 balls per phase. Player must say the cue aloud on each contact. Switch the cue only after a full 10-ball set.
- Cue pressure ladder: Play first to 7 with serves only. Before each point, player states the chosen serve cue. If they change it mid-game, opponent gets a free point. This punishes cue-hopping.
2) Between-point reset script
Why it works: The 20 to 25 seconds between points is where mental noise inflates. A scripted reset stops rumination and rebuilds a calm, actionable plan.
What to use: A four-step script that takes 12 to 15 seconds:
- Release: one small, physical action that marks the last point as done. Example: wipe strings with thumb from throat to tip. If you double faulted, drop the ball, tap the baseline, pick it up. The body tells the brain the page has turned.
- Breath: one slow, nasal inhale of about four seconds, two-second hold, six-second exhale through pursed lips. Count it. This lowers arousal and steadies vision.
- Reframe: a brief, neutral description of what matters next. Example: “Plus-one to backhand corner,” or “Deep cross then short line.” Avoid judging language like “stop missing.”
- Visualize: one quick image lasting one to two seconds of the next ball flight. See the arc and landing zone, not the trophy.
How to train it
- 15-second beeper: Use a metronome or a coach’s timer. Player must complete the four-step script within the window before returning to position. Start at 25 seconds, progress to 15 in later sessions.
- Error trap: Coach feeds a tough ball every third rally to provoke misses. Player earns a bonus point only if they complete the reset script immediately after an error.
3) Pre-point breathing that sets tempo
Why it works: Under pressure, breathing gets shallow and fast. That steals endurance and changes swing timing. A short, standard pattern stabilizes both.
What to use: A box-breath micro pattern before serve or return:
- Inhale 4 through nose
- Hold 2
- Exhale 4 through nose or pursed lips
- Hold 2
This eight-beat box takes roughly 12 seconds when paired with a ball-bounce routine. Pair the exhale with the moment you lower the racket head before starting the motion. On return, time the exhale with your last mini hop before the split step.
How to train it
- Serve tempo build: Five balls per corner. Player must keep the breathing box, toss height, and bounce count consistent. Any deviation resets the rep. Aim for 20 consecutive serves with the same tempo.
- Return rhythm drill: Coach calls out the beats as the server bounces the ball. Player syncs the last exhale with the split step on the opponent’s toss apex.
4) Process scoring that turns matches into experiments
Why it works: If you measure only games and sets, your brain will drag you back to outcome mode. Process scoring creates a parallel scoreboard for controllables.
What to use: Pick three process targets per match and score them out of one on every point. Example:
- First-strike plan executed on serve or return: 1 if yes, 0 if no.
- Positional discipline: 1 if you recovered to the intended spot after contact, 0 if not.
- Intentional height: 1 if ball cleared the net by your chosen margin, 0 if not.
Keep a running tally on the back of your scorecard. Evaluate in changeovers. Set a target like 70 percent for each category, not a number of games.
How to train it
- Process-only set: Play a first-to-21 points tiebreak. You can win the set only if you hit at least 70 percent on your process score. If not, the set is a no-contest even if you led on points. This teaches the brain what you value.
- Color bands: Put colored tape on the net at your preferred clearance. Count a process point only if the ball passes above that band.
Building your no-goal plan for Melbourne-style pressure
Here is a complete example you can adapt for a junior player preparing for a January hard-court event.
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Pre-match briefing
- One attacking pattern on serve: body serve to backhand, plus-one forehand heavy cross.
- One neutralization pattern on return: chip down the middle and recover on the baseline hash.
- One rally bias: 70 percent to the opponent backhand with height, change line only on balls above the tape.
- Cues chosen: Serve “up the toss, through the hip.” Return “split on toss.” Rally “height over middle.”
- Process targets: First-strike plan, positional discipline, intentional height.
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In-match routines
- Between-point reset: Release by wiping strings, 4-2-6 breath, reframe pattern, one-clip visualization.
- Pre-point breathing: Box-breath at 4-2-4-2 with consistent serve bounces.
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Bench behaviors
- Changeover scan: Score process, circle one cue if drifted, drink water, one sentence to self “stick to height and space,” then off the bench at 60 seconds.
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Post-match review
- Write three lines: one pattern that held, one adjustment you made, one cue to test next time.
- Note any point where the reset script broke. Build a drill to rehearse that exact moment.
A case study at 5–5, 30–30
Picture a tight second set in Melbourne heat. If conditions are extreme, have a sideline plan ready with our WBGT heat rule playbook. You are serving. Your mind chirps that two holds from here could swing the match and your season. Outcome thinking has arrived. The no-goal system steps in.
- Cue choice stays the same: “up the toss, through the hip.” Do not switch because it feels scary.
- Reset script after a long rally miss: wipe strings, 4-2-6 breath, reframe “plus-one to backhand corner,” visualize a high crosscourt arc landing deep.
- Breathing box sets your tempo as you bounce three times and pause for a steady toss.
- Process scoring keeps your mind on execution. You give yourself a 1 for first-strike plan if the serve lands body and the plus-one goes cross even if the opponent makes a brilliant counter. You can lose the point and still win the process score. Paradoxically, that steadiness makes you tougher on the next point.
Repeat this at 6–6 and the tiebreak feels like a series of clear tasks rather than a referendum on your identity.
The role of language and emotion
Swiatek and Abramowicz have been open about emotion as part of performance, not something to erase. The vocabulary in your toolkit matters. “Relax” is too vague. “One slow inhale through the nose” is actionable. “Be positive” is empty. “Height over middle” is specific. To understand how they think about routines and regulation, study how her psychologist honed her mental game.
Notice the pattern: routines create a safe lane for emotion to move through without steering the car. The goal is not to feel nothing. The goal is to behave on purpose.
How coaches should install the system
- One module per week: Week 1 attention cues, week 2 reset scripts, week 3 breathing, week 4 process scoring. Do not add all four at once.
- Rehearse under fatigue: The last 20 minutes of a hard practice is where scripts are forged. Players should practice reset and breathing when legs are heavy.
- Clipboards and pens on court: Make process scoring visible. If you do not write it, you will forget it.
- Film two game segments: Record with audio. Check that the cue is spoken before each point. Track breath audibility as a proxy for pace.
- Build a shared vocabulary: Coaches, parents, and players should use the same five to six phrases. Consistent language is a force multiplier.
What parents can do without overcoaching
- Ask two questions after matches: “What cue worked best today?” and “How did you reset after mistakes?” Do not ask about the score first.
- Praise behaviors, not outcomes: “I loved how you took the breath and committed to crosscourt height at 4–4.”
- Support the routine environment: Pack a small towel for the release step, a pen for process scoring, and a water bottle for changeover scripts. Small logistics make mental training stick.
How OffCourt.app can help you operationalize this
Off-court training is the most underused lever in tennis. OffCourt unlocks it with personalized physical and mental programs built from how you actually play. Create a mental routine pack in the app: load your serve, return, and rally cues; set a between-point script checklist; and track your process scores after each session. Because OffCourt ties drills to match data, you can turn match data into training and see whether your 70 percent height target correlates with fewer short balls and more plus-one forehands.
For coaches managing multiple players, build team templates for each module. Share a standard script and swap in individual cues. The goal is scalable consistency.
A short practice plan you can run tomorrow
Total time: 75 minutes
- Warm-up 10 minutes: dynamic movement and rhythm runs. Add two minutes of box-breathing to set tempo.
- Cue rehearsal 15 minutes: servers state the cue and hit 20 serves to targets. Returners state the cue and attack 20 feeds with the same return pattern.
- Reset under error 20 minutes: cooperative live rally with an intentional error every third ball. Players must complete the full reset script before the next point. Score only when the script is executed.
- Process tiebreak 20 minutes: first to 21 points. You can win only if you hit 70 percent on your three process targets.
- Debrief 10 minutes: each player writes three lines in their log and packs their routine kit for the next session.
What this means for Melbourne and beyond
A no-goal mindset is not about lowering standards. It is about where you pay attention and how you translate that attention into repeatable behavior under pressure. Swiatek can hold two ideas at once. She can dream of the trophy while working her plan one breath, one cue, one process point at a time. The dream sits on the shelf while the work happens in the next 10 seconds. This separation is a skill, not a personality trait.
Whether you are a blue-chip junior or a high school coach, you can install the same skill set. Pick your cues. Script your reset. Breathe on purpose. Keep a second scoreboard. Run the practice plan above for two weeks and track how often you feel in control at 5–5. Then refine, not reinvent.
Your next step: write your four-step between-point script on an index card and test it in your next practice set. If you want a ready-made template and automated process scoring, build it inside OffCourt today. The trophy will still be there. Your attention will finally be where it can help you earn it.