In the game of tennis, players are required to think for themselves. It is one of the few sports where a player must learn to think independently on the court (independent problem solving is a key to self-esteem). During a match, players are not allowed to get help from parents, coaches or teammates, and therefore have to learn how to deal with every situation on their own. This independence includes handling pressure situations on your own, looking to yourself for answers on figuring out a way to win and thinking through challenging situations on your own.

With no coaches or teammates (except in doubles and certain situations) the player’s independence and self-reliance plays a big role in whether or not he can take control and problem-solve his way through the match. A player can receive countless hours of coaching, guidance and training during practice on how to handle certain situations during a match, but once the player steps out on the court, he is on his own. It is solely up to the player to understand what it takes to win the match against a particular opponent and use what he has learned during practice to do so. Independence is best developed through experience, in which a player is put in a game situation and is forced to think for himself with no outside help.