I would like, in this article, to focus attention on how Timothy Gallwey’s “Inner Game” model can explain the quality of athletic performance.
In the previous article, we explained the concept behind the “Inner Mental Game” model.
The key elements that make up this model are:
- Active Awareness / Flow
- Trust
- Choice
At Roland Garros this year, we witnessed several matches — and before and after each one, the players gave statements to the press.
The comments from Marion Bartoli, after her victory over Mariana Duque-Marino, caught my attention because they help us understand how Gallwey’s “Inner Game” model works and how it can explain performance outcomes.
Tim Gallwey tells us in his book “The Inner Game of Tennis” that the foundation for reaching the state of flow lies in giving meaning to the activity we are performing.
Let’s recall that the flow state is the state in which we perform at our best — where Self 2 acts freely without interference from Self 1.
Marion Bartoli, speaking to
L’Équipe
:
“It’s an opponent I had never faced before; she’s a clay court specialist and gave me trouble at first, but overall I suffered much less than in the first round (1)… and I managed to raise my level of play in key moments, so I’m happy with that, and I hope to keep going tomorrow (2)…
Mentally, I’m very present and showing up in tough, close matches… so that’s good, and I think I’m managing difficulties much better than last year. I’m calmer on court, I find solutions (3), I can produce tennis when I need to… So overall, I think my attitude is much better than last year (4), and now I hope to raise my level of play to reach the second week. But it’s true that with experience, I manage the situation better than I did last year (5).
There are moments when I play very well for two or three games, and then, when I need to keep pushing, I slow down a little… So it’s really about consistency — keeping a high level of play for as long as possible.”
My reflections
The following analysis is based on the possibility that Marion’s statements reflect an internal dialogue she may have had during the match.
- She seems to give significant meaning to suffering. If, during the match, she “overvalues” suffering by assigning it negative meanings, it’s clearly Self 1 interfering with Self 2.
- She isn’t sure she can perform at her best the next day. Once again, this is Self 1 interfering with Self 2 — and it also shows a lack of confidence, one of the key elements in Gallwey’s Inner Game Triangle (Awareness, Trust, Choice).
- She mentions managing things better than last year. If she reflects on this comparison during the match, she can’t possibly enter a state of flow — because Self 1 is busy evaluating and judging.
- She believes her attitude has improved. That judgment, even if positive, still means Self 1 is active — observing and assessing the performance instead of letting go.
- She says she now manages situations better. Once again, this internal commentary likely keeps Self 1 engaged, preventing access to the effortless performance of Self 2.
As Gallwey explains, to access the flow state regularly, one must work on meaning — on the why behind actions, not just on technical execution.
The next day, Marion faced Francesca Schiavone — and lost.
Her statement afterward:
“I started well, won the first five points, and then the games just slipped away. I couldn’t get back into it. (1) Obviously her game always bothers me, but this time I don’t understand — I didn’t expect to play such a lousy match.” (2)
Sentence (1): It’s likely that, because of the issues mentioned earlier, Marion experienced strong internal dialogue during the match, blocking access to the flow state and Self 2.
Sentence (2): Here, Self 1 is clearly judging the performance harshly and taking control of the narrative.
Conclusion
When comparing Marion’s statements with Gallwey’s model, it seems understandable that she didn’t progress further in the tournament.
She likely needs to work more deeply on the meanings that drive her motivation to continue her career — and only then focus on the three elements of Gallwey’s model: Awareness, Trust, and Choice.
Mario Mason
