Tennis, golf and perhaps basketball have a wonderful way of doing this because more often than not, the exceptional athletes in these sports have a staying power that allows the public to follow them through the years of their entire careers.
With the growing number of tournaments worldwide and the media coverage that accompanies it, these athletes have the opportunity to make their mark in their sport and create a stream of influence in the public that actually goes beyond countries and continents.
The 2006 Australian Open, which concluded last Sunday, showed how one athlete in particular has placed his mark in the history of tennis. The achievement was not only inspiring for me to watch but was equally very touching.
Throughout all of his matches, easy or not, Roger Federer played as though ice rather than blood was what ran through his veins. Not once did I sense a glimpse of what he used to be known for when he had his fiery temper. The same intensity that used to be displayed outwardly through his sudden bursts of emotion, he now seemed to preserve and channel inward enabling him to actually fully focus on the shot at hand. Maybe this is how he manages to always stay in control of any given situation.
As I watched him play Tommy Haas where he looked like he was on the verge of losing the entire match, he played the fifth set with total abandon — showing absolutely no fear of what the outcome would be. (He has also been known not to do too well in five setters.) He retrieved impossible shots and converted these into winners. You could actually say from the way he was playing that this man was on a mission and, achieve it or not, he was determined to use every shot in his bag to reach it. He was totally in what some would call "his present moment."
I never enjoyed the acceptance speeches that come during the awarding of the trophy. I always thought that these moments are not what the athlete trained for therefore not what he is about. But what I saw last Sunday changed my mind.
As Federer said the words "I hope you all know what this means to me" with tears in his eyes after Rod Laver put the trophy in his hands, I felt that we were getting an actual glimpse of the journey this man has taken on his shoulders in becoming the number one player of the world. The immediate battle was over—for now—thus a moment when he let his guard down. "I guess it’s all coming out now" were the words that followed accompanied with more tears. It was actually a privilege to have been able to witness this side of him that he has had to hold back from the public as a price for being the number one in the world. And for someone like him, maybe there is no other way.
As I watched glued to the set, I began to slowly understand why this man has come to the world of tennis at this time in our history.
For the enormous sacrifices that are made on the journey to even attempt to reach this stage are immeasurable. And perhaps what separates the majority from those who can be called exceptional is the ability to "risk all of it" in the process and let things fall as they may.
Whether it be in playing a sport or living life in general for that matter, the courage to "put everything on the line" for what you love or believe in regardless of the outcome is probably where the difference actually lies.
What a breath of fresh air it was to see Martina Hingis back on tour. More than just adding to the depth of the playing field of women’s tennis, it added another dimension to how the game can be played and won today. Though power and strength are a definite plus with the new equipment and weight training that they are all doing out there on the tour, the ability to "feel the shot and sense the player" is another tool that can be used almost if not just as effectively. This is a gift that not everyone is fortunate enough to be born with. However, one’s chances of getting a glimpse of this feeling comes closer if one plays for the pure love of it and enjoys himself or herself in the process.