What you should definitely learn from Roger Federer about defeats
Playing like the Maestro is impossible for us normals. So we should learn from Roger Federer where we can best feel with him: after defeats. According to tennis insider Marco Kühn .
by Marco Kühn
last edit: Jul 29, 2020, 02:55 pm
Defeats are your best teachers
In life, as well as on the slippery ashes on the baseline, you learn effectively and long-term through grueling setbacks. You have learned important lessons only when you feel ashamed during the match, would like to flee from the pitch in a hurry and you can already see your tennis career hanging on a rusty nail in your basement.
You will not believe this? Then please sit back, put your smartphone aside for a short moment and consider what you have learned from your 6: 1 and 6: 2 successes. What insights could you take with you? Did you learn more about your weaknesses as a player? Would you improve in the long run if you won every match with an eye patch and wooden stick?
Caught. You would stagnate in your athletic development. As soon as a stronger opponent wanted to cross the racket with you, you would have problems.
What can you do? You can do it like Roger Federer.
The Federer effect for your game
Ever since Roger Federer played Hicham Arazi at the French Open in 2002, I've been a passionate Federer fan. It was not easy to see how a Spanish long-distance runner managed to play Federer off the court for years with a simple tactic. Rafa's high, mind-boggling topspin, which you can hardly control for a one-handed backhand, hit Roger's heart straight.
If we shake Federer's emotional defeats against Rafael Nadal aside, we will see progress in Federer's game due to the defeats against Rafa. Over the years, Roger pushed his net game, his aggressiveness at the baseline and the art of keeping the ball short. His tolerance for frustration will probably have increased a lot in Winterfell.
Would he have developed all of this if he hadn't stumbled across Rafa? Of course, you can fill in entire comment columns on Facebook.
The evidence speaks for itself. Roger has had wonderful successes in recent years, which not even the most knowledgeable Mats Wilander would have thought possible. These successes were also based on the defeats against the Spanish matador who enjoys fishing in his spare time.
Where we are fishing. What can you fish out of this story for your tennis career?
It's a simple idea that you can apply right after reading this article.
Ask yourself this one question
The sun may have disturbed you when it hit the ground. The groundsman did his job just half-heartedly shortly before the baseline - all well. But excuses for your last loss won't get you anywhere. You should rather ask yourself what happened in the rallies.
We come to a crucial question: How did your opponent score most of his points?
Please do not take protection. Haven't you been patient because your opponent played every other ball high on your backhand? Has your opponent hardly earned any points themselves, but lived off your mistakes? Was your second serve constantly flying around your ears?
By asking yourself tough questions, you get uncomfortable answers. This type of answer tells you what to change and improve next in your game.
Only then will your trainer come into play. Talk to them about your findings. Based on these lessons, you can now work on your game with your trainer, but also in your head. I wish you every success and above all: fun.