Federer's life lesson in philosopher mode
On Sunday, Roger Federer was "invited" to give a speech to this year's graduating class at Dartmouth University (New Hampshire, USA). At the age of 42, he successfully turned his tennis experience into a life lesson.
As a result, the video of his speech quickly went viral. Another point gained by the Swiss with 20 Grand Slam titles (you'll understand as you read).
Roger Federer: "In tennis, perfection is impossible. Of the 1,526 singles matches I've played in my career, I've won almost 80%.
Now I've got a question for you. What percentage of points do you think I won in those matches? Only 54%. In other words, even tennis players at the top of the rankings barely win more than half the points they play.
When you lose every second point on average, you learn not to dwell on every point. You teach yourself to think: 'Okay, I made a double fault, it's just a point. I went to the net and got passed again, that's just one point. Even a great shot, an overhead smash that ends up in the Top 10 best points on ESPN, that's just a point too.'
So that's why I'm telling you this. When you play a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world. And it is. But when that point is behind you, it's behind you.
This state of mind is really crucial, because it frees you up to focus fully on the next point, and then the next point after the next point. With intensity, clarity and focus.
The truth is, no matter what game you play in life, sometimes you're going to lose a point, a match, a season, a job... It's a roller coaster with lots of ups and downs.
And it's natural when you're down to doubt yourself and feel sorry for yourself. And, by the way, your opponent has his own doubts too. Never forget that.
But negative energy is wasted energy. You have to become a master at overcoming difficult moments; to me, that's the sign of a champion. The best in the world are not the best in the world because they win every point, but because they know they're going to lose again and again, and they've learned to deal with it.
You accept that, you cry if you need to, then you force a smile. You move on, relentlessly. You adapt and grow. You work harder. You work smarter. Remember: work smarter."
