Sometimes the difference between an athlete winning and losing isn’t physical, it’s mental. The ability to adjust to whatever circumstance the heat of battle presents and tell yourself you can, or you will, prevail.
For some players at the Australian Open, like Iga Swiatek, when it comes to finding motivation on the court, it’s about setting the tone early and finding the right pre-match tunes.
MORE: All the results from AO 2025
Swiatek has been walking on wearing a pair of new personalised headphones – the best Christmas present she got last year – listening to rock music. It’s the only time she listens to rock.
“I love Pearl Jam, but now it’s mostly ACDC; Led Zeppelin,” she says.
Others are bolstered by the adoration of the crowd, which at AO 2025 if there is a local playing is fiercely one-eyed. You’ll be hard-pressed to get through a point without someone from the stands bellowing ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie’, and those who know the chant, embedded into the national psyche, replying ‘Oi, Oi, Oi’. It’s positive reinforcement that can add to an athlete’s momentum.
There is the type that operates best when it’s quiet. Clara Tauson put her loss to defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Friday down to a handful of mistakes in big moments.
However, the Dane also admitted the ongoing evolution of the game – not just on the court but in the stands - was also an adjustment.
READ: No ritual, no problem - Sabalenka fights through to third round
“I really try to stay focused on myself because I’m not used to the crowd walking around at all times,” she said. “But I managed that well. I didn’t feel interrupted by it at all.
“I think tennis needs to evolve so people want to come and watch more of it. That’s one of the things that we have to do, of course. I’m going to adapt, but I like it to be very quiet, and nobody move.”
Then there are the likes of Danielle Collins, the American who sent qualifier Destanee Aiava home in the second round on Thursday night.
Aiava is a Melbourne local and had the full support of the crowd that Collins challenged like Maximus Decimus Meridius did to the bloodthirsty Roman mob in Russell Crowe’s Gladiator.
‘Are you not entertained?’ was in effect what Collins was asking as she blew kisses to the crowd at Melbourne Park, fuelled, not deterred, by those who opposed her.
“I love playing in a crowd that has energy, regardless of what side they're on,” she said. “It motivates me even more, especially when I'm not playing that well.
“One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is the people that don't like you and the people that hate you, they actually pay your bills. It's kind of a cool concept.
“I just remind myself every day when I have that kind of stuff, they're paying my bills."
Sabalenka secured a straight sets victory over Tauson in their third-round encounter, but speaking post-match admitted it was a tough match in which she questioned her ability to push through.
Tauson was not intimidated by her rival’s world No.1 status and observed both players struggled to hold their serve.
“I really had to pull it all together to get that win. I’d say mentally mostly,” Sabalenka said.
The 26-year-old cooled herself down with an icepack in between play and appeared to look up and eyeball her box in the stands multiple times.
In her post-match, on-court interview she thanked fans for their support and the atmosphere they created. She wrote “Love u” on the TV camera lens before leaving the arena.
Asked what kept her motivated on the court, the No.1 seed, who is gunning for a third-straight title at Melbourne Park, revealed it was a mixture: self-talk, her team … and the crowd.
“It’s a combination of everything,” Sabalenka said. “I’m just reminding myself about how strong I am, how much I wanted it when I was a kid, and even right now.
“And then I look in the box and I see all of those people cheering me, helping me to achieve my dreams, and I’m like, ‘I cannot just give up because there’s so many people in my box who is really doing their best.’
“And also, when I hear the support from the crowd, I’m like, ‘Come on, I cannot give up that easily.’
“All three help me to stay motivated and keep fighting no matter what.”