Mental dynamics of performance in racket sports: a systematic review of attention, emotion, cognitive load, and decision-making in tennis and table tennis

  • Andre Igoresky 
    Universitas Negeri Padang
    Indonesia
  • Ifdil Ifdil
    Center for Educational Neuroscience, Trauma, and Human Behavior, Universitas Negeri Padang.
    Indonesia
  • Rudyanto Rudyanto
    Universitas Negeri Padang
    Indonesia
    https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4720-1289

Abstract

Performance in racket sports is shaped by attentional control, perceptual-cognitive processing, emotion regulation, and the availability of cognitive resources. This systematic review examined how attention and perceptual-cognitive processing, emotion and competitive pressure, and cognitive load and mental fatigue relate to performance in tennis and table tennis. Following PRISMA 2020, Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were searched for peer-reviewed empirical studies published within the 2020–2025 search window. The search identified 283 records; 19 duplicates were removed, 264 records were screened, 58 reports were sought for retrieval, 4 were not retrieved, and 54 were assessed for eligibility. Twenty-nine full-text reports were excluded, leaving 25 studies for qualitative synthesis. Methodological quality was appraised with the MMAT 2018. Because the included evidence differed substantially in study design, constructs, measures, and performance outcomes, no pooled effect size or meta-analysis was conducted; findings were synthesised through deductive thematic analysis. Reviewer-level screening/appraisal decisions were not preserved in the source record in a form that permits valid retrospective calculation of Cohen’s kappa, so no coefficient is imputed. Three themes emerged: attention and perceptual-cognitive processing; emotion, anxiety, and pressure; and cognitive load, mental fatigue, and regulation. Overall, external/holistic attentional strategies, perceptual-cognitive training, and selected self-regulation interventions were associated with improved performance, whereas anxiety, pressure, and mental fatigue were commonly associated with performance decrements.

Keywords
  • Racket sports, Attentional focus, Competitive anxiety, Mental fatigue, Perceptual-cognitive skill
Lisensing Information
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

References
  1. Beckmann, J., Fimpel, L., & Wergin, V. V. (2021). Preventing a loss of accuracy of the tennis serve under pressure. PLoS ONE, 16(7), e0255060. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255060
  2. Behaein, N., Farsi, A., Franz, E., & Lipowski, M. (2025). Effects of biofeedback and mindfulness on the psychological skills and forehand flick accuracy in adolescent table tennis players. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 43, 581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-025-00581-6
  3. Cañal-Bruland, R., Müller, F., Lach, B., & Spence, C. (2022). Context modulates the impact of auditory information on visual anticipation. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-022-00368-8
  4. Carboch, J., Brenton, J., Reischlova, E., & Kocib, T. (2023). Anticipatory information sources of serve and returning of elite professional tennis players: A qualitative approach. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 18(1), 205–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221092345
  5. Carboch, J., Mrazova, K., & Brenton, J. (2025). Perceptual-cognitive training effect on the development of anticipation skills in tennis serve return. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541251346119
  6. Chen, L., Zhou, Y., & Huang, R. (2025). The role of social-emotional skills in sports participation and mental well-being. Children and Youth Services Review, 170, 108145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108145
  7. Conde-Ripoll, R., Escudero-Tena, A., Suárez-Clemente, V. J., & Bustamante-Sánchez, Á. (2023). Precompetitive anxiety and self-confidence during the 2023 Finnish Padel championship in high level men’s players. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1301623. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1301623
  8. Conde-Ripoll, R., Escudero-Tena, A., & Bustamante-Sánchez, Á. (2024). Pre and post-competitive anxiety and self-confidence and their relationship with technical-tactical performance in high-level men's padel players. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6, 1393980. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1393980
  9. Crespo, M., Botti, M., Reid, M., & Granitto, G. (2025). International high-performance tennis coaches’ perspectives on the importance of mental skills: A preliminary study. ITF Coaching & Sport Science Review, 33(95), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.52383/itfcoaching.v33i95.545
  10. Dai, C., Zhang, Y., Cai, X., Yin, Y., Guo, Z., Zhu, X., Zhou, S., & Peng, Z. (2023). Total sleep deprivation reduces the table tennis anticipation performance of young men: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3372. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043372
  11. Díaz-García, J., Clemente-Suárez, V. J., Fuentes-García, J. P., & Villafaina, S. (2023). Combining HIIT plus cognitive task increased mental fatigue but not physical workload in tennis players. Applied Sciences, 13(12), 7046. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13127046
  12. Ding, C., Soh, K. G., Sun, H., Roslan, S., Cao, S., & Zhao, Y. (2024). Does mental fatigue affect performance in racket sports? A systematic review. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 16, 100. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-00892-8
  13. Filipas, L., Rossi, C., Codella, R., & Bonato, M. (2024). Mental fatigue impairs second serve accuracy in tennis players. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 95(3), 636–644. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2023.2174488
  14. Firmansyah, H., Martini, T., Darajat, J., Mudjihartono, M., & Hendrianto, R. (2024). Self-confidence, anxiety, and performance in gymnastics athletes. Jurnal Pendidikan Jasmani dan Olahraga, 9(1), 126–132. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpjo.v9i1.68713
  15. Fritsch, J., Jekauc, D., Elsborg, P., Latinjak, A. T., Reichert, M., & Hatzigeorgiadis, A. (2022). Self-talk and emotions in tennis players during competitive matches. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 34(3), 518–538. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2020.1821406
  16. Fritsch, J., Latinjak, A. T., Elsborg, P., & Hatzigeorgiadis, A. (2023). Examining the relation between emotional experiences and emotional expressions in competitive tennis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 68, 102467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102467
  17. Fuentes-García, J. P., Villafaina, S., Martínez-Gallego, R., & Crespo, M. (2023). Pre- and post-competitive anxiety and match outcome in elite international junior tennis players. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 18(1), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221122396
  18. Guo, Z., Liu, J., & Chen, H. (2025). Mindfulness and mental health of college athletes: The role of stress coping and resilience. Journal of Affective Disorders, 380, 214–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.058
  19. Habay, J., Proost, M., De Wachter, J., Díaz-García, J., De Pauw, K., Meeusen, R., Van Cutsem, J., & Roelands, B. (2021). Mental fatigue-associated decrease in table tennis performance: Is there an electrophysiological signature? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(24), 12906. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182412906
  20. Harris, D. J., Vine, S. J., Eysenck, M. W., & Wilson, M. R. (2021). Psychological pressure and compounded errors during elite-level tennis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 56, 101987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.101987
  21. Haryanto, J., Drenowatz, C., Picabea, J. M., Ndayisenga, J., Padli, Zarya, F., Edmizal, E., Ockta, Y., & Geantă, V. A. (2024). Self-confidence and cognitive speed: Key predictors of topspin accuracy in competitive table tennis. Physical Education Theory and Methodology, 24(6), 912–919. https://doi.org/10.17309/tmfv.2024.6.08
  22. Hijah, Q. N., Komarudin, K., Saputra, M. Y., & Novian, G. (2025). Intervensi meditasi perhatian penuh: Cara mengurangi stres pada atlet bola voli junior. Indonesian Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 5(2), 234–242. https://doi.org/10.52188/ijpess.v5i2.1189
  23. Hong, Q. N., Pluye, P., Fàbregues, S., Bartlett, G., Boardman, F., Cargo, M., Dagenais, P., Gagnon, M.-P., Griffiths, F., Nicolau, B., O’Cathain, A., Rousseau, M.-C., & Vedel, I. (2018). Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), version 2018. Registration of Copyright (#1148552), Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
  24. Ji, Q., Liu, L., Lu, Y., Zhou, C., & Wang, Y. (2024). Mechanisms of action anticipation in table tennis players: A multivoxel pattern analysis study. Neuroscience, 546, 33–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.03.016
  25. Keller, M., Kuhn, Y.-A., Lüthy, F., & Taube, W. (2021). How to serve faster in tennis: The influence of an altered focus of attention and augmented feedback on service speed in elite players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(4), 1119–1126. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002899
  26. Li, Y., Wang, X., & Zhao, M. (2025). The effect of stress, mental toughness, and their interaction on athletic and academic performance. Learning and Individual Differences, 118, 102612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102612
  27. Liao, M. (2025). Mindfulness meditation as a tool for enhancing recovery and reducing burnout in elite tennis players. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1661724. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1661724
  28. Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000100. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000100
  29. Łuba-Arnista, W., Arnista, P., Niźnikowski, T., Sadowski, J., Mastalerz, A., Ratkowski, W., Niźnikowska, E., Różański, P., & Starzak, M. (2025). Is holistic focus of attention equally effective to external focus in performing accuracy of table tennis forehand stroke in low-skilled players? BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 17, 1133. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01133-2
  30. Martínez-Gallego, R., Villafaina, S., Crespo, M., & Fuentes-García, J. P. (2022). Gender and age influence in pre-competitive and post-competitive anxiety in young tennis players. Sustainability, 14(9), 4966. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094966
  31. Mizuno, K., & Masaki, H. (2024). Effects of left-hand contraction on tennis serve performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1386025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1386025
  32. Nakamoto, H., Hashimoto, S., Kamei, M., Murata, M., Ikudome, S., Karakida, K., & Tanaka, Y. (2024). Inhibition of ironic errors and facilitation of overcompensation errors under pressure: An investigation including perceived weakness. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 46(3), 149–159. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2023-0042
  33. Nicolas, R., Carien, R., Ouarti, Y., & Laurent, D. (2025). Beneficial effects of imagination of successful action after an actual error on baseline performances in non-expert young tennis players. Psychological Research, 89, 23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-024-02051-7
  34. Niźnikowski, T., Łuba-Arnista, W., Arnista, P., Porter, J. M., Makaruk, H., Sadowski, J., Mastalerz, A., Niźnikowska, E., & Shaw, A. (2022). An external focus of attention enhances table tennis backhand stroke accuracy in low-skilled players. PLoS ONE, 17(9), e0274717. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274717
  35. Öztürker, C., Şahan, A., & Erman, K. A. (2025). Impact of mental fatigue on tennis players’ attention and groundstroke performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1544785. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544785
  36. O’Connor, E. J., Murphy, A., Kohler, M. J., Chan, R. W., & Immink, M. A. (2022). Instantaneous effects of mindfulness meditation on tennis return performance in elite junior athletes completing an implicitly sequenced serve return task. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4, 907654. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.907654
  37. Pa, W. A. M. W., Rahim, M. R. A., Mazalan, N. S., Nazarudin, M. N., Daud, W. R. W., & Abdullah, M. F. (2024). The effect of pre-competition anxiety on tennis accuracy shot performance among Malaysian varsity tennis players. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 32(3), 1017–1034. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.32.3.07
  38. Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
  39. Ramalingam, V., Keng, C. S., & Lee, P. F. (2021). A narrative review on mindfulness practices in optimizing performance among sports individuals. Malaysian Journal of Movement, Health & Exercise, 10(2), 47–54. https://doi.org/10.15282/mohe.v10i2.6684
  40. Ren, P., Song, T., Chi, L., Wang, X., & Miao, X. (2022). The adverse effect of anxiety on dynamic anticipation performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 823989. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.823989
  41. Rizqullah, F., Komarudin, K., Saputra, M. Y., & Novian, G. (2025). Kecemasan atlet pencak silat: Studi perbandingan atlet sparring dan atlet seni pada tahap training to compete LTAD. Indonesian Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 5(2), 268–276. https://doi.org/10.52188/ijpess.v5i2.1209
  42. Robazza, C., Morano, M., Bortoli, L., & Ruiz, M. C. (2023). Athletes’ basic psychological needs and emotions: The role of cognitive reappraisal. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1205102. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1205102
  43. Robin, N., Carien, R., & Dominique, L. (2022b). Tennis service performance in beginners: The effect of instructional self-talk combined with motor imagery. Journal of Motor Learning and Development, 10(2), 267–283. https://doi.org/10.1123/JMLD.2021-0044
  44. Robin, N., Dominique, L., Guillet-Descas, E., & Hue, O. (2022a). Beneficial effects of motor imagery and self-talk on service performance in skilled tennis players. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 778468. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.778468
  45. Rodríguez-Cayetano, A., Pérez-Muñoz, S., De Mena-Ramos, J. M., & Rosa-Guillamón, A. (2022). Tennis vs padel: Precompetitive anxiety as a function of gender and competitive level. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 17(4), 852–862. https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2022.174.13
  46. Schaefer, S., & Scornaienchi, D. (2022). Table tennis expertise influences dual-task costs in timed and self-initiated tasks. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 84(5), 1691–1703. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-022-02506-2
  47. Shangguan, R., & Zha, Z. (2025). The impact of framing effects, competitive state, and time pressure on risk-taking decisions in tennis players of different skill levels. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1573070. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1573070
  48. Soleimani Rad, M., Tahmasebi Boroujeni, S., Jaberimoghaddam, A. A., & Shahbazi, M. (2022). Performance and decision making of a complex skill under monitoring and outcome pressure conditions: Which of them can reinvestment predict? Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 58, 102128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.102128
  49. Starzak, M., Niźnikowski, T., Biegajło, M., Nogal, M., Łuba-Arnista, W., Mastalerz, A., & Starzak, A. (2024). Attentional focus strategies in racket sports: A systematic review. PLoS ONE, 19(6), e0301117. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301117
  50. Tebourski, K., Bernier, M., Ben Salha, M., Souissi, N., & Fournier, J. F. (2022). Effects of Mindfulness for Performance programme on actual performance in ecological sport context: Two studies in basketball and table tennis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12950. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912950
  51. Thiessen, B., Blacker, M., & Sullivan, P. (2024). Mental toughness and choking susceptibility in athletes. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1414499. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1414499
  52. Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8, 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45
  53. Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
  54. Vancurik, S., & Callahan, D. W. (2023). Detection and identification of choking under pressure in college tennis based upon physiological parameters, performance patterns, and game statistics. IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, 14(4), 3078–3090. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAFFC.2022.3165139
  55. Wang, H., Xu, L., & Tang, F. (2025). Arousal grows up, arousal goes down: Emotion regulation, trait anxiety, and rumination across contexts. Personality and Individual Differences, 234, 112948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112948
  56. Wang, J., Wu, Y., Zhang, X., Zeng, Y., Zhou, Z., Zhang, H., Xie, X., & Wu, Y. (2023). Tac-Anticipator: Visual analytics of anticipation behaviors in table tennis matches. Computer Graphics Forum, 42(3), 223–234. https://doi.org/10.1111/cgf.14825
  57. Wang, Y., Zhao, Q., Shan, X., & Lu, Y. (2024). Coping strategies and brain activity in table tennis players faced with discrepancies between predicted and actual outcomes. Journal of Sports Sciences, 42(8), 665–675. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2024.2358291
  58. Yusuf, N. R. A., Fitri, M., Hamidi, A., Apriady, H., & Ockta, Y. (2025). Examining anxiety levels and self-efficacy in Pencak Silat athletes: A comparative study. Journal Sport Area, 10(1), 25–36. https://doi.org/10.25299/sportarea.2025.vol10(1).18248
  59. Zhang, S., Woodman, T., & Roberts, R. (2024). The divergent effects of resilience qualities and resilience support in predicting pre-competition anxiety and championship performance. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 71, 102574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102574

Downloads

PDF

Statistic

Abstract Views
: 11 times
PDF
: 0 times