Varsity tennis players share their skills for facing pressure

Photo by Zainab Shahbaz

In tennis, knowing how to hit the ball isn’t enough when a match gets close. When things come down to a tiebreaker or a tough loss, staying calm and shaking off missed shots is just as important as anything else on the court. 

Coming off an undefeated 16-0 regular season and a 13-0 run in Mississippi Valley Conference play, senior standouts Mackenzie Sagers and Indre Jankunas know lots about competing in big moments, from representing the Tigers at the Iowa Class 2A State Individuals Tournament to playing in the state team quarterfinals. 

For Sagers, who recently committed to play college tennis at the University of Northern Iowa, keeping a clear head start with small routines between points so she doesn’t let one mistake ruin the rest of the set. 

“During tiebreakers, I always say to myself to think one point at a time, this allows me to now think about losing the tiebreaker or going down in the tiebreaker,” Sagers said. “When I am in a tiebreaker I tend to go to the fence where my towel is after every tough point. I do this to reset the points before, and to give myself a short break to catch my breath.” 

When Sagers starts feeling nervous during the match, walking back to her towel and looking over at her mom or her dad, UNI head coach Chris Sagers, who also coaches her, helps her calm down and get ready for the next serve. Even after tough losses in the state finals the past two years, she has learned how to keep things in perspective. 

“After I lost in the state finals last year and this year I learned that, even though you gave the match your all, you can’t win every point, set, or match, and with this you still got to celebrate the victories that you had,” Sagers said. 

While Sagers relies on taking a quick break at the fence, Jankunas uses focus during the actual rallies to keep one missed shot from turning into a bunch of errors. 

“One way I try to reset my mindset during a tiebreaker is by taking deep breaths in between points, and during the point I count each shot to focus on staying consistent,” Jankunas said. “Since the beginning of this season I’ve learned that counting during the points helps me focus on how I’m hitting during the point rather than everything else going on around me, which helps me avoid letting one error bring me down in the tiebreaker.” 

When the pressure starts to build in a close game, Jankunas looks toward her teammates or looks around the court to clear her head before the next point starts. 

After a tough loss, both seniors agree that taking a minute alone is necessary before moving on. Sagers likes to think through what happened and talk over her mistakes with her parents so she’s ready for the next match. Jankunas does something similar after walking off the court. 

“Most of the time after a loss I try to walk around the courts or the area to have some time to myself, and then I normally will find my teammates to just talk with them and get my mind off of the match,” Jankunas said. 

Whether it’s counting shots during a rally or taking a breath at the fence, handling pressure in tennis isn’t about playing a perfect match. For Cedar Falls players, it comes down to having a quick way to reset, leaning on teammates and coaches, and moving on to the next point.