Remembering Dr. Jim Loehr: Character, Mental Toughness, and the Whole Person in Tennis

This week, we remember the legacy and impact of Dr. Jim Loehr, a groundbreaking performance psychologist in tennis, who passed last week at age 83. Last year, Patrick McEnroe and Dr. Loehr had an insightful conversation on mental toughness and the whole person behind elite performance, which we're resharing today.

Dr. Loehr's contributions to tennis were profound and lasting. Over more than three decades, he worked alongside some of the sport's most respected coaches and guided thousands of professional and junior players. His landmark first book, Mental Toughness Training for Sports, features a foreword by Arthur Ashe, and remains a foundational text for athletes to this day.

His reach extended well beyond tennis. Dr. Loehr worked with more than 17 number-one-ranked athletes and teams across professional tennis, golf, basketball, football, hockey, boxing, motorsport, and the Olympics. His energy management principles were applied across sports, business, medicine, and the military. He authored 19 books, including the co-authored bestseller The Power of Full Engagement.

The TennisWorthy Podcast is presented by the International Tennis Hall of Fame. For more information and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.