Tennis is all about mental toughness, and you have to keep your head in the game. I make time to relax away from competition pressures, travel and intense training schedules to make sure I’m looking after myself. Taking time out with family and friends helps to maintain the work-life balance everyone needs.

Stosur frames elite tennis as a psychological contest as much as a physical one: “mental toughness” and “keeping your head” suggest emotional regulation under pressure, sustained focus, and resilience after setbacks. She then links performance to deliberate recovery—stepping away from competition, travel, and training to protect wellbeing. The emphasis on family, friends, and “work-life balance” positions rest and relationships not as distractions but as supports that stabilize an athlete’s identity beyond results. The quote reflects a modern high-performance ethos in which mental health, recovery, and sustainable routines are treated as prerequisites for consistent success.