Featured Post

Last call for the gotta play tennis podcast

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

REFLECTIONS: BELIEVE...and anything can happen!

Most might agree that what's ahead for all of us is virtually unknown. We can speculate and predict by viewing past history or statistics, but it is impossible to forsee what simple BELIEF can accomplish. 
    This past week at the Wimbledon Championships, the number two seed, current French Open champion, former Wimbledon Champion and world number two, Rafael Nadal, was ousted in five sets by the number 100 player in the world, Lukas Rosol. This giant killer lost in the very next round, but perhaps his effort has rippled through the halls of the All-England club and ignited the spirt of those willing to find a little bit extra in their games. 
    No challenger can ever be underestimated in this golden age of tennis. We have been witness to some of the best athletes, shot-makers, and overall natural talents to ever hold a racquet in the last decade of play. All you need do is look at Roger Federer's 16 Grand Slam titles breaking the all-time record set by Pete Sampras in 2002, Rafael Nadal's 11 Slams including a record 7 French Open titles, and the incredible 2011 year of Novak Djokovic winning the Australian, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open titles during one of the longest winning streaks in tennis history at 43 match wins.
    Given the magnitude of these statistics, if one were ranked #100 or even in the 20s to 30s, they would realistically consider their chances of making the quarterfinal round at Wimbledon pretty slim. And yet, that is just what BELIEF can do. From the list of eight men remaining in the quarterfinal round, we have Mikhail Youzhny at number 25, Philip Kohlschreiber at 27, and Florian Mayer at 31 in the world respectively. This is quite the contrast from some other Grand Slam tournaments that found much higher ranked players in the last eight.
    We may sometimes justify a set of circumstances in our head that can limit our success–thinking that results are solely dictated by the actions of our opponent. Even worse, we can approach a match with a defeatist attitude based on what the challenger has done yesterday instead of what they have yet to prove today.
    What does this mean for our games? BELIEVE. It costs you nothing, and it is right around the corner if you follow the signs. When you arrive, anything can happen.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please keep your comments honest but family appropriate.