Here are notable athletes across sports who have publicly used hypnosis (or hypnotherapy/mental-rehearsal techniques often described as hypnosis) to improve performance, recover from injury, or manage stress. I list the athlete, sport, and a brief note about how they used hypnosis.
Tiger Woods — Golf
Used visualization and mental-conditioning techniques; reports indicate he worked with mental coaches who used hypnotic/visualization methods to build focus and pre-shot routine.Jack Nicklaus — Golf
Discussed the use of mental rehearsal and relaxation techniques; Nicklaus has commented on visualization-like methods similar to hypnotic rehearsal before shots.Michael Jordan — Basketball
Jordan used sports psychologists and mental-rehearsal strategies; some accounts say he used guided imagery/hypnosis-style techniques to prepare for big games.Novak Djokovic — Tennis
Works with mental coaches and uses deep relaxation, breathing, and visualization methods; Djokovic has described meditative and mental training practices akin to hypnosis for focus and recovery.Rafael Nadal — Tennis
Uses mental routines, breathing and imagery; his team has used mental-conditioning approaches that include guided focus and relaxation.Lindsey Vonn — Alpine skiing
Has worked with sports psychologists and used visualization/hypnosis-style mental training to prepare for races and recover from injury.Joe Namath — American football (NFL)
Famously used a hypnotist early in his career to help with performance anxiety and concentration.Sandy Koufax — Baseball
Known to have used hypnosis (or hypnotic relaxation) for control of nerves and to improve pitching focus.Jerry West — Basketball
Reportedly used hypnosis to improve free-throw shooting and concentration.Muhammad Ali — Boxing
Used strong mental imagery and affirmation techniques; some reports indicate he worked with coaches who used hypnosis-like suggestion and visualization.Chris Evert — Tennis
Used relaxation and visualization techniques as part of her mental-training routine; cited hypnotic-type guided imagery at times.Paula Radcliffe — Marathon running
Used mental training, visualization and relaxation techniques (including hypnotherapy) to manage pain and prepare mentally for races.Jana Novotná — Tennis
Worked with mental coaches and used guided imagery/hypnosis-like methods to regain confidence after setbacks.Billy Jean King — Tennis
Employed mental-training methods such as relaxation and imagery; has spoken about psychological preparation that includes hypnotic-style techniques.Bobby Riggs — Tennis
Known to have used hypnosis in his promotional and performance preparation.
Notes and caveats:
Many modern elite athletes use sports psychologists who employ cognitive-behavioral techniques, guided imagery, deep relaxation, and hypnosis or hypnotherapy. In public accounts these methods sometimes blur together (visualization, meditation, guided imagery, suggestion), so descriptions may vary.
Some athletes explicitly say “hypnosis” or “hypnotherapy”; others describe techniques (visualization, mental rehearsal, guided relaxation) that are functionally similar and are sometimes labeled hypnosis by journalists or coaches.