Nike, Agassi, Ash Barty and the Psychology of Greatness | Mindset Coach Ben Crowe

What if the secret to performing under pressure is to stop thinking of it as pressure at all? Ben Crowe is one of the world’s most sought-after mindset and leadership coaches, helping elite athletes, executives and teams redefine success, manage expectation and unlock their potential. In this episode, recorded during the Wimbledon Championships, Ben joins Georgie Ainslie to share the principles behind his new book, Where the Light Gets In, and explain how a change in perspective can transform the way we perform and live. Ben reflects on his work with former world number one Ash Barty, revealing how she learned to separate who she was from what she achieved, rediscovered the joy of playing tennis and developed the mindset that helped her triumph at Wimbledon. He also discusses his relationship with Andre Agassi and the extraordinary journey that saw Agassi rebuild his career and return from world number 141 to become number one again. Ben explains how Agassi found a deeper purpose beyond winning and learned to compete on his own terms. Drawing on his years at Nike, Ben shares lessons from founder Phil Knight, the importance of balancing process with instinct, and the story of the bold “what if?” thinking that helped create the Air Jordan phenomenon. He also explores how Michael Jordan used stories, rivalries and even imagined criticism to fuel his motivation. #BenCrowe #AshBarty #AndreAgassi #Wimbledon #Mindset #HighPerformance FAQs Who is Ben Crowe? Ben Crowe is a mindset and leadership coach who has worked with elite athletes, teams and business leaders, helping them manage pressure, redefine success and separate their identity from their achievements. What is Ben Crowe’s new book, Where the Light Gets In, about? The book explores how changing perspective can transform the way we experience pressure, success, adversity and self-worth. It draws on Ben’s work in elite sport, business and personal development. How did Ben Crowe work with Ash Barty? Ben worked closely with Ash Barty on the mindset behind her remarkable rise to world number one. He explains how she learned to separate goals from expectations, accept her imperfections and distinguish who she was from what she achieved. What did “I decide” mean to Ash Barty? During a difficult match at the 2019 French Open, Ash reminded herself that she could decide her mindset, attitude and self-worth. She recovered to win the match, went on to win the tournament and soon became world number one. What was Ben Crowe’s relationship with Andre Agassi? Ben first developed a relationship with Andre Agassi through his sponsorship work at Nike. They later reconnected and continued exchanging ideas about identity, purpose and redefining success. What does Ben Crowe mean by the “play state” and the “fear state”? The play state is characterised by curiosity, creativity, adaptability and presence. The fear state emerges when we become distracted by outcomes, external expectations or other people’s opinions. What is the difference between confidence and belief? Ben describes confidence as evidence-based: it comes from skills and previous experience. Belief goes deeper, allowing someone to trust their potential even when they have never faced a particular challenge before. What can we actually control under pressure? Ben identifies three controllables: intention, effort and mindset. He recommends accepting everything outside our control and focusing our energy on those three areas. What did Ben learn from working at Nike? Ben discusses Nike’s culture of storytelling, vulnerability and instinct. He shares Phil Knight’s formula of 49% process and 51% gut instinct, as well as the bold thinking behind the Air Jordan story. __ 0:00 Andre Agassi, Ash Barty and the Air Jordan story 1:22 Where the Light Gets In, identity and redefining success 9:26 How expectations create pressure 13:59 Confidence, belief and the fear of failure 16:24 Acceptance and moving from fear to play 22:52 Nike, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi 36:09 Imposter syndrome, self-worth and authenticity 40:57 Finding identity and purpose after elite sport 48:25 Ash Barty’s Wimbledon journey and “I decide” 54:17 Andre Agassi’s comeback and believing in your potential __ The Performance People podcast, in partnership with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, talks to high-performers in the world of sport and beyond, to bring defining moments, hard-earned insights and expert advice to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday. ___ The views and opinions expressed on Performance People are those of the guests and hosts, and do not necessarily represent the views of ainslie + ainslie, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, or any affiliated organisations. This podcast is produced by Gameface Limited and is intended for general information and entertainment purposes only. © Gameface Limited 2026. All rights reserved.