The US open is starting and I am eager to follow Roger Federer’s performance in the tournament. His recent Wimbledon win was his 19th Grand Slam victory. He is definitively considered the best player who has ever played the game. He is also an amazing example of longevity at the top level.
As a health and fitness professional, I admire his achievements and retain five points that we can apply to our own life.
1-KEEP LEARNING AND WORK HARD
We all have talent but it will not develop if we do not work hard at it. Nothing new with that idea but how much can we keep improving? At 35 years old, Federer has surprised us with his enhanced offensive game and especially a spectacular backhand acceleration that has left many opponents feet away from the ball. We have more learning capacities than we think. In “The Talent Code”,http://thetalentcode.com/, Daniel Coyle explains how “greatness isn’t born. It’s grown.” Since this book was published in 2009, the concept of neuroplasticity has been widely embraced. Our nervous system is an amazing network of connections. Practicing, trying, missing and trying again creates new connections in our brain and peripheral nervous system. That is what Coyle calls “deep practice.” The more we practice, the more we can increase the numbers of circuits and refine them. The difference between average performance and greatness is in the number of repetitions.
2-TAKE TIME OFF
Federer made a joke about it during his post game interview at Wimbledon as he said: “ I am going to take more time off!” A year ago, he suffered a knee injury. He then decided to take six months off, more than the doctors prescribed. What a fabulous lesson for us, amateurs, who return to an activity too soon or too intensively, creating another injury. The body heals but we need to give it more time and rest. Fatigue occurs not only at the physical level, but also at the mental and emotional levels. They are all connected. In the 8th century, yogi Shankara introduced the concept of “Layers of Life” , http://www.chopra.com/sites/default/files/PSMOE-S2L4-LayersOfLife.pdf, to explain that we are multidimensional beings. Western science is now proving this integration of layers. During his six months off, Federer rested, trained first in the gym, then on the court, in preparation for his return to competition. He also enjoyed more time in his native Switzerland and with his family. He now appears rejuvenated, sharper and more than ever eager to win.
3- CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS
No doubt about it, Federer gets nervous too on important points and upset at himself when he misses. But we never see any strong signs of losing his calm like screaming or trashing a racket. He admits that, as a young player, he was losing his temper, until he recognized that this was not serving him. He learned responsiveness versus reactiveness. We too can learn to respond to situations with better awareness for our own benefit and the one of others.
Resilience is also one of Federer’s strength. Helped by his team and family, he seems to quickly forget about a loss and move on. He never stop believing that he can do better. He teaches us here that failures are part of further success.
4- WE DO NOT SUCCEED ALONE
Federer has always chosen coaches who have helped him improve aspects of the game he was not best at, like hitting an offensive backhand. Finding coaches in different parts of our life is a great idea.
Federer receives a tremendous support from his wife Mirka, a former player. As a new father, he first had to learn living with young babies. He adapted and family life has obviously become a very important part of his emotional balance. Even if he is very passionate for the sport, tennis is not all his life. Family helps him disconnect from it and stay fresh.
5-BE GRACEFUL
Federer’s movement is graceful. Perfect technique, no energy wasted and flow generate immense power and limit risk of injuries. He makes difficult shots look easy, a sign of greatness. Furthermore, there is a way around him that makes me admire him even more. He always has the perfect word for his opponents, his team, the place he is at and in general about every situation he faces. During his career, he has earned victories and faced losses with the same grace.
Over the years, Roger Federer has had to face many tough opponents, and, a few years ago, we all thought he would never win a grand Slam again. In 2017, after a long time off the competition, a new backhand and more hard work, everything seems to be falling into place. Luck? Destiny of a man born on 08/08? Or maybe the way he has been able to connect precisely with who he is, be passionate about what he does, work hard and let go of expectations to just surrender to the present moment and enjoy it too. I believe we can apply these concepts in our life what ever our own Grand Slam might be.
Go Roger!