Johanna, your question hits on one of the most real and universal experiences in competitive tennis—getting stuck in a loop of negative thoughts. First off, the idea of “preventing” negative thoughts can actually add fuel to the fire. Why? Because the mind doesn’t have a brake pedal—it just has a gas pedal. Trying to stop or suppress negative thoughts usually backfires. The more attention you give them—even in resistance—the more power they gain. So instead of “preventing” the spiral, we learn to let our foot off the gas. And in mental fitness, that gas pedal is your attention. Negative thoughts spiral when attention stays locked on them. But just like you can move your feet, you can move your awareness. Shift your focus to something real and grounding—like your breath or your exhale. That single move cuts off the spiral’s power source and gives you space to come back to presence.

This kind of attention training is exactly what we practice in the CP Blueprint, especially during the week focused on Composure. We call composure “the ability to stay present with how you feel”—and that’s exactly what we’re doing here. The Blueprint guides athletes through breath practices, interoception tools, and Match Play resets so you don’t get trapped by your thoughts. We teach you how to watch your thoughts like passing clouds and how to process emotion instead of suppressing it. It's not about having no emotion—it's about having the awareness and tools to hold those emotions and stay in your power. When athletes master this, their game expands, not because the thoughts disappear, but because they’re no longer owned by them.

You already have this skill in you, Johanna. Every athlete does. The question is: have you practiced it? Most people never get taught how to process frustration, sadness, or fear—they’re just told to “stay positive.” That’s not what we do. We train you to face it, breathe with it, move with it. Because that’s how you play from presence—not perfection. If you want to build this skill in a real, structured way, schedule a Blueprint interview with Senior CP Coach Tim. It’s a no-pressure call. We’ll just help you see if you’re ready to go deeper into your mental game and join the portal. You don’t have to fight the spiral—you just need to learn how to watch it pass.

⬇️ Use the Scheduling Form below to book your Interview Call with Senior CP Coach Tim Mattek today.

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Complete Performance Tennis has worked with over 1,000 athletes globally this year in the areas of mental skills and performance. The coaches here have 60+ collective years of full-time involvement in athletics as players, trainers, mentors, and coaches. As a father and two brothers of Olympic Gold Medalist and 10x Grand Slam Champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the CP Team has been intimately involved with performance at the highest levels. And continue to work with WTA, ATP, ITF, D-1, and nationally-ranked juniors world-wide.  

Complete Performance was built for the real ones—the true competitors, the big dreamers, the athletes chasing more than just wins. It’s for those ready to move past frustration, unlock their power, and live in their zone—permanently. The CP Portal isn’t just a library of tools—it’s a performance ecosystem, crafted to equip players with the mindset, method, and momentum to rise. Every tool, every session, every step is designed to help athletes express their genius in real time, under real pressure. Thousands have already stepped in. The question is—are you ready to own your peak?

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*Availability Limited*

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