How Do You Beat a Better Player?

Here's the truth that most players never figure out: You don't beat them. You get them to lose to you.

I know that sounds backwards, but stick with me here.

When you're facing someone who's ranked higher, hits harder, or moves better than you, your instinct is probably to try and raise your game. Play bigger. Go for more. Match their power.

That's exactly the wrong approach.

If it was possible for you to just flip a switch and play at a higher level on command, you'd already be doing that every match. The fact is, you have a ceiling on any given day - but so do they.

The Secret Weapon: Focus on Them, Not You

Tallon Griekspoor, currently ranked in the top 30, shared something fascinating in a recent interview. He said whenever he plays a match, he looks more at the other side of the net than he looks at himself.

Think about that for a second. A top 30 player spends more time studying his opponent during the match than obsessing over his own game.

Here's what he discovered: "I've had matches where I felt terrible, but I looked at the other side of the net and I see a guy who's also about to freak out and shouting to his coach and probably even feels worse than I do."

Your opponent becomes the most important person on the court.

The Coach's Brutal Honesty

Griekspoor once spoke with a potential coach who had worked with top players. When asked how his player should approach matches against Griekspoor, the coach was brutally honest:

"We never found any holes against you. The only thing I told my player was: stay with him, stay there until 5-all. He's going to freak out at some point."

That was an eye-opener. Here's a top-level coach essentially saying: "We can't outplay this guy technically, so we'll wait for him to beat himself mentally."

The lesson? Even better players have breaking points. Your job is to hang around long enough to find them.

Your Game Plan: Make Them Uncomfortable

Instead of trying to be someone you're not, focus on making your opponent someone they don't want to be.

Find what they don't like:

• Do they hate slow, high balls to their backhand?

• Are they impatient when points drag on?

• Do they get frustrated when you make them hit extra balls?

• Are they uncomfortable at the net or when pulled wide?

Then give them a steady dose of that throughout the match.

This isn't about hitting perfect shots. It's about tactical intelligence. It's about recognizing that tennis is as much a mental chess match as it is a physical contest.

Bring Them Down to Your Level

Here's what separates smart competitors from talented players who underachieve: Smart players understand that consistency and mental toughness often trump pure talent.

When Griekspoor talks about his biggest improvement over the past year, it's not about developing a new shot. It's about "winning matches on bad days where I don't feel great physically or mentally."

Your advantage as the underdog? You have less to lose. You can play free, take calculated risks, and force your opponent to prove they deserve to win.

Meanwhile, they're dealing with expectations, pressure, and the growing realization that this match isn't going according to plan.

The Momentum Game

Every match has momentum shifts - sometimes within just one or two points. Your job is to recognize these moments and capitalize on them.

When you sense your opponent is feeling pressure, that's when you step in. Make them play balls. Put pressure on their serve. Force them to make decisions under stress.

Remember: If it was easy to beat you, they would have done it already. The longer the match goes on, the more doubt creeps into their mind.

Stop Trying to Be Perfect

Here's your permission slip to stop trying to play perfect tennis against better opponents.

You don't need to feel the ball perfectly. You don't need every shot to be textbook. You just need to win more points than they do.

Focus on:

• Staying in the point longer than they want

• Making them earn every game

• Recognizing when they're getting frustrated

• Capitalizing on those moments with smart, aggressive play

The beauty of this approach? It works regardless of your technical level. You're using your brain, not just your racket.

Your opponent might be better than you on paper. But between the lines? That's where matches are really won and lost.

Hit reply if you've got questions about reading opponents or have a story about beating someone you weren't supposed to beat - I'd love to hear it.

See you on the court,
Chris & Cade

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