MESSAGE #678 HE DID IT, SHE DIDN’T…
“In the long run, the sword is beaten by the mind.”
-NAPOLEON
Roger Federer was seeded #2 and won the French Open.
Dinara Safina was seeded #1 and lost.
What was the difference?
The difference is how they handled the pressure. Even though Roger had never won the French Open, he has had more experience playing in pressure situations. And he knows that negative emotions produce negative results. This was Safina’s third Grand Slam final and she wanted it badly. She wanted it so she could say she truly was #1.
But as it turns out, Roger was calm and cool and Dinara self-destructed. She even double-faulted on match point.
Physically, there was very little difference between Federer/Soderling and Safina/Kuznetsova, so it all came down to the mental side.
If Safina focused on her game plan, her attitude and effort instead of the outcome, the result may have been different.
How you deal with pressure is up to you. You choose how you react. And your reaction/perception will affect your results.
Will this match make or break Safina’s career? Probably not, unless she lets it. If she learns from her experience and gets back to work, she’s young enough to still reach her prime. Much of what we think becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What do you think?
Thanks for reading.