Roger Federer (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player. He is ranked No. 9 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has won 20 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, an all-time record shared with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer has been world No. 1 in the ATP rankings a total of 310 weeks – including a record 237 consecutive weeks – and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. Federer has won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most of all-time behind Jimmy Connors, including a record six ATP Finals.
Here are some of Roger Federer’s Success lessons:
1. Respect your opponent
“I fear no one, but respect everyone,” Federer is quoted as saying.
Federer is known for showing respect to his adversaries, and like many other tennis pros, chooses to highlight the best qualities of the players he meets on court. He showed this respect again on Sunday evening when he thanked Nadal.
“I would have been happy to lose to be honest, the comeback was perfect as it was,” he said.
“There are no draws in tennis but if there was, I would have been happy to draw and share it with Rafa, really.”
2. Seize opportunities that come your way
With many top seeds exiting the draw early at this year’s Open, commentators were keen to analyse why some players, including Federer and the Williams sisters, were flourishing. One explanation has been the speed of the courts at Melbourne Park, with Federer himself recognising that the conditions presented him with a unique opportunity.
Faster courts suit players who came through the ranks prior to 2005, Federer said in a post-match interview.
“I think with faster conditions, the older generation, I’m saying like anything before 20015, they are used to faster courts,” he said.
“From that moment on, it was a switch. Maybe it was shortly before that, I’m not sure. But we had to grow up in faster conditions … That’s why maybe I stayed as calm as I did today. Maybe it has helped me, too, in my comeback, no doubt about it.”
3. The comeback strategy
Roger Federer never let any loss or injury bog him down. The tennis star feels that it is extremely crucial to recover fully before coming back again, that ensures fewer injuries in the future. For those running businesses, one needs to devote adequate time to recover, take stock, reflect. Don’t stop for months on end, but take a break that will rejuvenate you and help you get things back on track.
4. Surround yourself with a positive support group
Roger Federer might be confident, but he says that he also leaned heavily on friends and family during his break from tennis. By surrounding himself with people who believed in him, he could stay on course and see out his rehabilitation and training. You might not be a champion tennis player, but it’s still important to surround yourself with a positive support group. Your group of friends, family, and co-workers will directly affect your resilience, determination, and ability to handle stress.
5. Overcome fear of failure
Roger Federer won the 2003 Wimbledon at the age 1 month shy of 22 years. If you want to be great in any field, you will find Federer’s ploy of working hard and never fearing failure as a motivation. A person can lose hope and can be very pessimistic in his approach if he tries too hard to avoid failure. To be successful, you have to give it all that you have, with a positive mindset. There is no way you won’t achieve success by being fearless in your approach towards a task or project.
How many of Roger Federer’s success lessons do you resonate with? Leave a comment below.
