There seems to be something special about Eugenie Bouchard.

Sure her game is solid, her serve decent, her ground strokes strong. But it’s something else that is putting her over the top and I think it can be summed up in two words: mental toughness.

This was apparent in her quarterfinal French Open win over Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, coming from 4-1 down in the third set to win 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-5. In a match like this, it takes incredible strength to win. When you think about it, all Navarro needed was to win eight more points. The odds were certainly stacked against the Canadian, yet she found a way to muster the strength to not accept losing and, in the end, prevail.

In tennis, perhaps more than in any other sport, you are tested between your ears. Before every point the crowd goes quiet, anticipating the serve which when executed well comes at the receiver like a bullet out of a gun except this bullet has spin on it which could take it in any direction. If the serve does get returned then the rally begins, each player doing best to make their opponent miss while keeping the ball in a 39’ x 27’ space. And as the rally goes longer the more tense it becomes with each contact of the ball a barrier dividing elation for one and destruction for the other.

Of course tennis isn’t the only sport with such pressure-packed situations; all sports at any level — but especially at the top — will test your fortitude. Whatever you play, you will be faced with a situation when it would just be easier to pack up shop and go home. But to succeed and go where you want to you will have to overcome, stare failure in the face, and simply refuse to lose.

Fortunately there are “tools” — things to keep in mind — when you find yourself in a similar situation. Practice these and it might just be you making history, while captivating a nation in the process while following you with your very own hashtag.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

As Mark Cuban’s mentions in this podcast, the secret to success is “prepare, prepare, prepare.”

This means the most important work you can do in preparing for these pressure packed situations occurs long before you even step into the competitive arena. It begins with those early morning practices, those extra reps in training, that additional wind sprint when all your body wants to do is go back to head.

But perhaps more importantly is believing in yourself and visualizing that you may actually some day be in a situation like this. What does it sound like in those moments? What does it feel like to connect with the ball, touch the wall, burst off the starting line? What’s the world like? Is the sun shining or is it cloudy? If you have envisioned yourself there before it will seem a little less overwhelming when you actually are.

Works On Your Fundamentals

However it should be noted that all the work in the world can all be for naught if you aren’t performing your particular skill, technique, or fundamental properly.

At the highest levels the differences in success and failure are miniscule and often that difference can be traced back to actual mechanics in an athlete’s movement. To give yourself the best chance of success in any situation take a step back and examine how you are hitting the ball, striding around the track, or moving through the water. Is there wasted movement that is using time and energy? Are your movements awkward on your body which could lead to injury?

Perfecting fundamentals requires good coaching and may also require one to slow down and take time to examine and then practice until they get the technique down properly. This can be frustrating and can take a lot of patience (it would be easier to simply return to the form or technique that has got you where you are) but trust in your coaching and the process and the fact that this will help you get to where you want to go in the long run.

Breathe

There is this picture of LeBron James dunking where he is driving the lane, three defenders collapsing on him as he rises up until he is eye level with the rim.

There are thousands of pictures like this but there is one thing that stands out about this one: Amidst all the excitement and stress LeBron’s face is as serene as Bob Ross painting a “Happy Tree.” There is no emotion or excitement — it is simply someone at the top of their game doing exactly what they expect themselves to do. They are perfectly calm in a potentially overwhelming moment which is the byproduct of self- belief which stems from preparation.

The lesson to take from this is that when you find yourself in a tense situation take a deep breath and believe in all the work and preparation you have undertaken to get to this point.