Tre lezioni da Roger Federer

Il 9 giugno Roger Federer è stato insignito della laurea honoris causa in lettere dal Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. In quell’occasione ha pronunciato un discorso in cui ha condiviso con i laureandi di quest’anno tre lezioni che hanno accompagnato la sua incredibile carriera tennistica.

Da amante e giocatore amatoriale di tennis, grande ammiratore di Roger Federer e professionista della finanza personale, ritengo si tratti di tre lezioni di cui dovrebbe fare tesoro ognuno di noi.

1. Effortless is a myth

"People would say my play was effortless. […]

The truth is, I had to work very hard... to make it look easy.

I spent years whining... swearing… throwing my racket… before I learned to keep my cool.

The wakeup call came early in my career, when an opponent at the Italian Open publicly questioned my mental discipline. He said, “Roger will be the favorite for the first two hours, and then I’ll be the favorite after that.”

I was puzzled at first. But eventually, I realized what he was trying to say. Everybody can play well the first two hours. You’re fit, you’re fast, you’re clear... and after two hours, your legs get wobbly, your mind starts wandering, and your discipline starts to fade.

[…]

But in tennis... like in life... discipline is also a talent. And so is patience."

Nel tennis, nella vita e negli investimenti, la disciplina e la pazienza sono un talento che va sviluppato e allenato.

“tutti possono giocare bene le prime due ore”, ma è quando le cose si fanno complicate che la disciplina e la pazienza permettono di “portare a casa la partita”.

2. It’s only a point

"You can work harder than you thought possible... and still lose. I have.

So, you know, I tried not to lose. But I did lose... sometimes big.

For me, one of the biggest was the finals at Wimbledon in 2008.

Losing at Wimbledon was a big deal... because winning Wimbledon is everything.

In 2008, I was going for a record sixth consecutive title. I was playing for history.

I lost Wimbledon. I lost my number-one ranking.

I knew I would never get another shot at six in a row.

In tennis, perfection is impossible... In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches... Now, I have a question for all of you... what percentage of the POINTS do you think I won in those matches?

Only 54%.

In other words, even top-ranked tennis players win barely more than half of the points they play.

When you’re playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world.

But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you... This mindset is really crucial

The truth is, whatever 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 many ups and downs.

And it’s natural, when you’re down, to doubt yourself. To feel sorry for yourself.

But negative energy is wasted energy.

The best in the world are not the best because they win every point... It’s because they know they’ll lose... again and again… and have learned how to deal with it.

You move on. Be relentless. Adapt and grow.

Work harder. Work smarter"

I periodi difficili, nella vita, negli investimenti e persino nella carriera di un campione come Roger Federer, sono normali.

Quello che conta non è vincere ogni singolo punto, ma avere la caparbietà di continuare a giocare e accettare e superare i periodi bui, perché non sono i risultati di oggi quelli importanti, ma quelli che maturerai da qui a 5, 10, 20, 30 anni.

3. Life is bigger than the court

"A tennis court is a small space. 2,106 square feet, to be exact. That’s for singles matches.

I worked a lot, learned a lot, and ran a lot of miles in that small space... But the world is a whole lot bigger than that... Even when I was just starting out, I knew that tennis could show me the world... but tennis could never be the world.

But even when I was in the top five... it was important to me to have a life... a rewarding life, full of travel, culture, friendships, and especially family... I never abandoned my roots, and I never forgot where I came from... but I also never lost my appetite to see this very big world.

Because life really is much bigger than the court.

Tennis has given me so many memories. But my off-court experiences are the ones I carry forward just as much... The places I’ve gotten to travel… the platform that lets me give back… and, most of all… the people I’ve met along the way.

Tennis... like life... is a team sport. Yes, you stand alone on your side of the net. But your success depends on your team. Your coaches, your teammates, even your rivals... all these influences help to make you who you are."

I soldi non sono un fine, ma uno strumento. Uno strumento per riprendere il controllo del proprio tempo, per vivere più sereni, per avere una vita più appagante. Per dare maggiori possibilità ai propri figli, per poter fare del bene, per lasciare un’impronta.

Grazie per aver letto

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