For Federer: Spirit of a Champion

I cried along with Federer (not the wah wah wah crying aloud kind, just the silent tears dropping kind) as I watched the closing ceremony of the Australian Open 2009. To just imagine the utter disappointment after giving the utmost effort only to lose to someone who simply refused to give in, is enough to move me to tears. Here is a man who has won 13 Grand Slams and achieved an aura of invincibility for quite a while before Rafael Nadal comes along. Here is a man who has raised expectations to such an extent that failing to win every single time would seem like a crime, only to realise that the bar has been raised even higher by Nadal. I watched most of the final, following every stroke, every unforced error, every backhand, every forehand, every dropshot, every ace and by the end, I myself was emotionally drained so just imagine how Federer must have felt. Extreme exhaustion coupled with extreme disappointment.

However, there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of to have given your best and lost to the better man on the day and I believe in that the spirit of a champion, and Federer is worthy to be addressed as such in every sense of the word, will not be broken so easily. Every loss will only serves to make the eventual win even sweeter. Every defeat will only make the next victory even more satisfying. His career will not end at the final of Australian Open 2009 and his Grand Slams will not stop at US Open 2008. He will be back stronger than ever and the next time he wins in a Grand Slam final against Nadal, what will be flowing are the sweet tears of victory.

Lesson learnt: In life, there will be times when the odds just seem to be overwhelming against you at a certain juncture, that you may think a failure at this point will be the ultimate end, but life is a long journey with its fair share of ups and downs. Those who can rise up stronger after each fall are the ultimate winners in life.