I was watching the epic 5 hour Wimbledon final yesterday ... what a match! Rafael "Rafa" Nadal defeated Roger Federer in 5 sets. The match took so long (and after two rain delays) that the awards were handed out when it was getting dark in London. It was after 9 pm.
Roger Federer will go down as one of the best tennis players of all time. He has already won the second most grand slams. He won 5 Wimbledon titles in a row before last night. He has been ranked #1 for 232 weeks in a row. He was hurting after such a tough loss. Really hurting. But I could not help but feel more admiration for him in the loss. The way he handled it. The class.
Roger Federer will go down as one of the best tennis players of all time. He has already won the second most grand slams. He won 5 Wimbledon titles in a row before last night. He has been ranked #1 for 232 weeks in a row. He was hurting after such a tough loss. Really hurting. But I could not help but feel more admiration for him in the loss. The way he handled it. The class.
We will all suffer "losses" in life. If I was Roger's friend, I would talk to him about his convictions and values and ask him how he was able to "win" in the hearts of so many people while losing in his own?
How do you "lose" in life and at work? Can you still win at the same time?
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.
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3 comments:
What about Nadal? He showed me so much grit and determination that seemed to will him to victory. A Spainard had not won Wimbledon in 40+ years. Having visited Spain and being married to Spainard, I know how much it means to my extended "familia."
Nadal took Fed's best punches and bounced back to win an epic battle that has to be considered the best Wimbledon final ever. So C'mon give him some props!
No doubt, when you lose tie-breakers like that, when you blow a two set lead, when you have to go into the lockerroom and think about it for hours during rain-delays ... he could have let down a little bit. But he didn't. He perservered against maybe the best grass-courts player ever.
Not sure I would praise Federer for his grace in losing. It is easy to lose with grace if you don't lose that often. Mediate losing to Woods in the Open is a better example of losing with grace.
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