OBJECTIVE: The present research aims to explore the relationship between coping style, teacher-student relationship, and sports anxiety among middle school students. METHODS: A total of 289 Chinese middle school students from three schools in Shanghai participated in the survey. RESULTS: (1) A negative teacher-student relationship significantly affects sports anxiety, and conversely, sports anxiety significantly impacts the negative teacher-student relationship, demonstrating a strong mutual effect
(2) Both active coping style and negative coping style significantly influence sports anxiety, while sports anxiety also significantly affects active coping style among middle school students. In the two-way model of teacher-student relationship (including positive and negative dynamics) and sports anxiety, the mediating effect of coping style is not significant. CONCLUSION AND PERSPECTIVE: This study enhances our understanding of the roles of student-teacher relationship and sports anxiety, providing a concrete sample and example for educational authorities in developed countries to identify relevant issues in the field of physical education.