Viktor Frankl, Tennis, and the Paradox of Winning: Why Letting Go Helps You Win More

You’re up 5-4 in the third. Serving for the match. And suddenly, your grip tightens. Your shoulders stiffen. Your brain floods with noise:

“Don’t mess this up.” “What if I choke?” “I have to win this.”

And then you double fault. Not because your technique failed, but because your mind did. You were too focused on the finish line to take the next step.

Here’s the truth: the more you try to win, the more likely you are to lose. It’s not a lack of skill. It’s psychology. And Viktor Frankl nailed it decades ago.

“Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue.”

Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, believed that chasing outcomes often leads to the exact opposite. In tennis, we live this. When you obsess over the result, you tighten up. You hesitate. You forget how to flow. The very pressure to win becomes the thing that holds you back.

But when you let go of the outcome? You play free. And that’s often when you play your best. Winning becomes something that happens to you, not something you force.

What Is Frankl’s Inverse Law?

Viktor Frankl proposed something radical:

The more directly you chase success, happiness, or fulfillment, the more you sabotage it.

He called this the Inverse Law. It goes against everything we’re taught about achievement. True success, he argued, isn’t hunted down—it’s the side effect of doing something meaningful with presence and purpose.

In tennis, that means you can’t force a win. You earn it by showing up fully, playing each point with clarity and composure, and trusting your preparation. Letting go doesn’t mean giving up—it means committing to what you can control.

The moment you stop trying to prove your worth with every shot, you give yourself space to play the way you actually train. The paradox is simple: results come when you’re not fixated on them.

Why Trying Too Hard Makes You Lose

Outcome obsession creates pressure. Pressure creates tension. Tension creates errors. It’s a domino effect that can unravel even the most skilled player.

You can sense it happening:

You’re playing not to lose. You start second-guessing your shots. You lose track of your strategy.

You go from proactive to reactive. From confident to cautious. And that internal shift is what leads to sloppy footwork, rushed decisions, and timid play.

It’s not about caring less. It’s about shifting your attention from the scoreboard to the task. From “I have to win” to “What’s the best decision for this point?” That’s where freedom—and better tennis—lives.

How Champions Reflect Frankl’s Mindset 

They may not reference Viktor Frankl—but they live his principles. The best players in the world don’t just train harder. They think differently under pressure.

• • • Novak Djokovic: Talks about staying in the moment. “I try not to think too far ahead,” he says. That’s detachment from outcome—a refusal to let the scoreboard control his mind.

    • Rafael Nadal: “Losing is not my enemy. Fear of losing is my enemy.” He accepts the possibility of failure, and that makes him fearless. He plays to solve problems, not to avoid mistakes.

    • Roger Federer: Describes his best tennis as effortless. He’s not forcing it. He’s flowing. His late-career resurgence was built on playing with joy and freedom, not desperation.

These players trust the work they’ve done. They stay grounded in routines and rituals that anchor them to the present moment. They let go of outcomes and focus on execution. And the results? They follow. Not in spite of that mindset—because of it.

How to Apply It to Your Game

Here’s a mindset shift you can try starting today—simple, but powerful.

1. 1. 1. Detach from the result: The score doesn’t matter. The point in front of you does. Think: “What does this point need?” Not: “What if I win or lose it?”

      2. Welcome the nerves: Nerves mean you care. They’re not the enemy—they’re fuel. Acknowledge them, then refocus.

      3. Focus on process: Control what you can. Footwork, targets, shot selection. These are your domain.

      4. Let go: You trained. Trust it. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be present.

Try these mantras:

“One ball at a time.”

“Let it happen, don’t force it.”

“I trust my game.”

Say them out loud before a match. Or between points. Anchor yourself in something deeper than the score.

Why It Matters Beyond Tennis

Frankl wasn’t talking about forehands. He was talking about life. But the parallels are everywhere.

We grip tightly to relationships, careers, even happiness—thinking the more we push, the closer we’ll get. But often, that tension creates resistance.

Don’t aim at success. Aim at purpose, presence, and doing the work. 

When you stop trying to control everything, and start showing up fully—you find freedom. In matches. In relationships. In everything. You start to perform better, live deeper, and enjoy the process more.

Frankl’s mindset and principles aren’t just a tennis tactic. It’s a way of life. When you detach from the outcome, you allow yourself to be present and play free.