From the 'Score-Flip' trick to her strict training rules and the pressure of representing India, explore what drives this young athlete to the top of the podium.
When she is 18, Anahat is a clear contradiction: she has won India a historic title by becoming World Junior Champion, but she sees herself as a "bad loser" and still has arguments with her parents over chocolate. While her fellow students are experiencing the safety of university life, she is playing on the glass courts in Cairo and Bega, juggling the intense pressure of international expectations with a mental approach that is just as interesting as it is against common sense.
1. Why coming in second place is the worst sensation
In the usual account of athletic achievement, winning a silver medal is considered a triumph. For Anahat, however, it serves as a disturbing reminder of the opportunity she lost. She examines the different levels of failure according to how close they are. A third-place finish (losing in the semi-final) represents a clear departure, while second place brings about a gradual and prolonged suffering. You have won all the matches in the event with the exception of the most important one, and you are just one step short of the highest point on the podium, so failing at the last hurdle seems like a complete failure rather than a partial success. In my opinion, coming second is the most disappointing situation. The reason is that you've put in all the effort, won all the matches during the event, and yet end up in second place rather than first. That's why I just hope I had come third.
2. The 'Score-Flip' Psychological Trick
Anahat points out a particular mental mistake that affects even top players such as Roger Federer. When reaching the end of a match, Federer tends to overconsider the idea of not having done anything wrong, whereas a player like Novak Djokovic believes that the victory is already secured. herself she is inclined towards the Federer trap - she tends to hesitate or overthink when she is leading. Her method of countering this is known as the "Score-Flip". If she is ahead by 10-7, she mentally changes her internal scoreboard to read 7-10. In this way she makes her brain believe that she is about to suffer a defeat, which in turn sets off a survival reaction and stops her from relaxing. It is only after she has actually won the final point that she permits herself the advantage of having a "winning" mindset.
Rule 3: The two-hour training rule for combating boredom
The most striking feature of Anahat’s routine is the short amount of time she spends on it. Although other competitors at the national level usually work for six hours a day, Anahat limits herself to two. This has nothing to do with a lack of effort; rather, it is a refined way of coping with her own boredom threshold. Anahat knows that boredom is the one thing which can destroy her performance. Once she gets bored of the repeated routine of squash, her mental state changes entirely. Her "escapes" - such as painting, playing the piano and learning to drive - are not merely hobbies; they are necessary tactical resets. By remaining a "creature of habit" in her training and at the same time actively looking for new experiences outside the court, she makes sure that she is mentally excited when she arrives at each match.
4. Controlling the Variables: Six Pieces of Dairy Milk
In the chaotic setting of the international circuit, Anahat uses what she calls 'control variables', the most important of these being her bedtime routine, which involves eating exactly six pieces of Dairy Milk (either Oreo or Silk). She began this habit when she was eight years old, carrying two small bars in her kit bag and firmly refusing to share them with anybody. It goes beyond simply being a teenage habit; it is a firm cornerstone. Whenever her nutritionist tried to get her to reduce it to four portions for the Asian Games, Anahat's competitive spirit came to the fore and she would not move from her position. In a world in which an athlete's life is controlled by coaches and timetables, it is those six portions that are the only aspect of her life which she herself can decide.
5. The Superstition Loop: Anchors and Mental Clutter
A complex network of superstitions acts as a source of confidence for Anahat; the fact that she always wears black and white clothes, together with a particular "Support Order" (which involves looking at her father, then her mother, and then the coach), provides her with a 'winning formula' when the situation becomes difficult. Yet she is very conscious of the tension between these anchors and the real mental clutter, and she frequently finds herself paying more attention to whether she had wiped her hand on the right spot on the wall than to her tactical adjustments. Preference for monochrome: she believes that black and white are her favourite colours and throws away any red clothes after just one failure. Using physical anchors such as wiping your hands on particular spots on the wall or turning the racket in a certain way between points. The struggle is that she is attempting to get rid of these habits since, although they give her confidence, they can divert attention from the "squash aspect" of the game.
6. The obligation of the team concerning the 'India' label
The extent of the psychological pressure that Anahat experiences depends on the type of tournament. When competing in senior events she plays with the confidence of the underdog, driven by 'excitement'. In junior tournaments, where she holds the number one ranking, the stress caused by expectations is always with her. The sense of duty is most evident when taking part in team events. In Bega, Australia, where she was competing alone, she had the sensible judgement to retire from the final because of a serious ankle injury in order to safeguard her career; but at the World Junior Team Event she went ahead with the same kind of injury even though she was advised against it. When I'm playing for myself, the situation is entirely different; it's just me who feels bad if I lose. But when I lose a team event match, it's 100 other people who feel the effect. When the situation involves the collective interest, her instinct to save her own life gives way to a sense of duty towards her coaches, her teammates, and her country.
Conclusion: The Price of the Podium
The life of a top athlete consists of a series of sacrifices. Recently Anahat had herself in a hotel room in Egypt, looking at her friends posting photos from their high school graduation on Instagram. The day had a greater effect on her than almost any loss suffered during a game. Nevertheless, even though she has missed a number of milestones and has had to make strenuous trips - such as journeys that last for 24 hours all the way to the most remote place - she is still basically thankful. She acknowledges that if she attempted to lead a "normal" life, she would be asking to go back to the court within a week.
All champions have their own particular internal engine and Anahat Singh's is powered by chocolate, monochrome colours, and a deliberate decision not to believe that she is winning. What 'fuel' or 'mental flip' do you use in order to cope with your own high-pressure situations?