Imagine stepping on to the court. This is it. This is the make or break moment. To succeed would be amazing. To fail would be unimaginable. It’s the kind of pressure players like Federer and Nadal face every time they walk onto the court. Even if you’re not playing at the pro level, though, you may still face pressure on the court, and that pressure can cause some pretty serious repercussions. It can change the way you think about each shot, create opportunity for injuries, and even cause you to lose the match. What can you do to deal with the pressure? These tips may help.

1. Start Before the Match

Before the match ever begins, you should have a pre-match routine that allows you to stay focused without creating stress. It should consist of everything you need to do to be prepared for your match. think about what you should be eating, checking your equipment, your physical warm-up, and maybe a positive thinking or guided imagery exercise to help you mentally prepare. It should be the same routine before every single match.

2. Take Things on a Point by Point Basis

You want to win the match, but that’s only done on a point by point basis. You can’t look at the big picture when you’re actually playing. Instead, your goal should be the next point, keeping the ball in play, and executing your game plan in real time. If you only think about the win instead of the next point, you may struggle with the pressure.

3. If Pressure Does Build, Eliminate It

In the event that the point by point mindset isn’t able to eliminate pressure during the match, you need to eliminate it. The best way to do that is take extra time to breathe. Perform your own routine before serves and returns. Clear your minds, and keep your head on your court, instead of the spaces around you.

Your mind can be your best or your worst asset on the court. Your best bet is to deal with the idea of pressure before your next match so it doesn’t deal with you during your next match.