The lessons from yesterday’s Australian tennis Open final could go on and on and the incredible displays of mental toughness pay testament to just what can be achieved psychologically when you have an immense talent base upon which to draw.
For most mortals, tough situations are avoided and the desire to pitch oneself against the toughest opponents looked at with dread – not so for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. These two players seem to thrive on being pushed to their limits. The punch and counter punch, constant raising of performance and response speak volumes about these two sporting greats – Federer, majestic, calm, full of poise and timing, striving for success; Nadal, intense, relentless, passionate, dynamic and seemingly driven by raw emotion to ensure he doesn’t lose. Two very different recipes to bring out an incredibly similar standard of performance.
We are lucky to be witnessing these epic encounters – seldom in sport will two such stand-out performers be defined by the performances they produced collaboratively, despite their immense individual achievements. It’s a privilege to be able to learn from watching these two greats.
