Tournament nerves/mindset means everything. A big reason why the gods tend to beat other top 10 players is their unyielding confidence. While they enter a set basically knowing they're going to win, the other player knows they are entering an uphill battle. The more confident you are, the better you'll play. This is why many people don't say "always play to win" if you're too worried about losing it can drastically hinder your play. I've been entering tournaments since 2006 and I'm 33 years old, and I still occasionally encounter this. It happens to everyone. Never hold a player's status on a pedestal. Respect good players obviously, but don't get nervous. Do whatever it takes to keep your mood enlightened. Have fun. Learn to enjoy playing from behind. Feel good when you're behind. Love the challenge. Play friendlies with the best player in your region. Get used to losing and don't fear it. Losing doesn't matter unless it's grand finals anyway, where the amount of money you'll make drastically changes. Don't worry about your reputation or what people see your skill level as. Just keep focusing on situations, and record your sets so you can see your mistakes. After a while, playing people better than you will become the norm, and fighting seemingly uphill battles will become easy. Just stop worrying.