Work on mental aspect of game from junior level: Ankita Raina

Indian tennis player Ankita Raina has emphasised the importance of working on the mental aspect of the game, saying that it will help a player in the later stages of career.

Raina joined the 'Education Webinar for Coaches' being orgsed by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Thursday and spoke to AITA registered coaches and tennis experts.

"We all are realising the importance of working on your Tennis skills and fitness but I feel that one should start building on his mental aspect of the game from the junior level itself," said Raina.

"When we are transitioning from junior to senior Tennis, it is observed that many players either drop out of the sport or they choose something else in life," she said during the session.

"If we work on mental training from a very young age, it will definitely help the players. As you keep improving yourself in your game and reach higher and higher rankings, there would be a stage where your mind will be tested, and at that stage, those who had worked on the mental training from a young age will be able to manage it well," she added.

Raina is the highest-ranked Indian on WTA rankings at 163.

Mental Training session expert Janki R Deole conducted a session on 'Importance and Integration of Sports Psychology in Tennis.' Understanding Sports Psychology and Its Importance in Tennis, the Mental Training Routines, etc., were some of the topics touched upon by Deole during her session.

( With inputs from ANI )