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BRONXVILLE, N.Y.—Most tennis players understand that sometimes your toughest opponent is yourself. Mental toughness is essential because no lead is safe, no deficit is too large to be overcome, and a player has no bench or timeouts to retreat. A player who loses focus—even for a few points—can easily lose a major advantage or fall far behind in a match.

For Sarah Lawrence College senior Maddy Dessanti (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck), the idea of mental focus and mindfulness has evolved beyond sport and become her life's passion. Whether on or off the tennis court, the Teaneck, N.J., native has discovered that meditation and mindfulness can have a lasting impact on one's state of mind.

"Tennis is a great practice of meditation and mindfulness," notes Dessanti. "You always have be present in the point. You cannot be thinking about the last point or the next one. Tennis is as much of a mental sport as it is physical."

After picking up her first racket at age 13, Dessanti initially found herself attracted to the finesse and physicality of the sport. She recalls appreciating the masterful shots of professionals on television and the non-stop action. Having played baseball and softball in her youth, she quickly learned that the breaks in tennis are infrequent and short.

"I like the constant activity of playing tennis," she details. "In tennis you're always moving. There is no sitting in a dugout."

When Dessanti chose to come to Sarah Lawrence, tennis wasn't the top priority. Rather, she says, it was the academic style of the College that most attracted her.

"I wanted breadth in a student-constructed curriculum instead of being handed my class schedule. I also was (and still am) really attracted to the grading system. I always felt letter grades were artificial measurements of achievement. And the intellectual, creative, and free spirited student body appealed."

With studies concentrated on religion and creative writing, Dessanti came across a book that would change her mindset permanently. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle introduced her to the world of meditation, a realm she continues to explore every day. The widely-acclaimed book discusses consciousness, incorporates elements of all major religions and has appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.

"The book mainly focuses on practicing of mindfulness and living in the present moment, quoting religious figures such as the Buddha and Jesus. I started practicing mindfulness very deeply and found it to be eye opening."

Dessanti notes that she was attracted to meditation because it is a very individualistic practice and can be applied in countless ways. For example, to cope with the physical pressures of playing tennis, she found it simple to incorporate mindfulness into her playing style.

"My studies of Buddhism in particular give me a positive outlook," describes Dessanti. "If I'm down points or games, I'll start a dialogue in my head: 'Don't beat yourself up about it,' 'I have to accept the last point,' 'stay present,' and most importantly 'relax' so I can win the next point."

Having made meditation and mindfulness a central theme of her Sarah Lawrence studies, Dessanti enjoys sharing the practice with others. As a sophomore, she started attending meditation group sessions and was inspired by the connections she made.

"The difference between meditating in a group versus meditating alone is similar to that between going to an office to work versus working from home. It is easier to allow yourself to become distracted when no one is around."

As Dessanti concludes her final year of undergraduate studies, she looks forward to continued practice of meditation and exploration of new elements of mindfulness. She has plans to continue visiting with and learning from sects of different religions. Though her collegiate tennis playing career draws to a close, Dessanti enjoyments of the sport is far from finished, and her passion has given her a new perspective on the world.

Sarah Lawrence tennis wraps up its season with the Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) Championship at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Saturday, Oct. 27.