Roger Federer has won his 20th Grand Slam Title. Once again, he has proved that he is the best in his craft. His acceptance speech at the prize ceremony was so simple and so ordinary yet hardly anyone could prevent the tears from gushing out watching this great man shed a few tears. Ever since I can remember, I have been a fan. I know there have been many greats in this sport before him and there may be many who will come after him, but for me, he has always been different. He always stood out. He has forever been a picture of tranquility, always calm and composed. However tense the situation maybe, rarely did he react on court. No one could ever guess the anxiety behind that face. In my memory, I believe I’ve seen him frustrated in probably just one match where he flung his racket on the ground. He is a man who has made an impression on me.
Another man who has made a very similar impression on me is a man closer back home, Rahul Dravid. Yet another sportsman, a cricketer from the national team of India, this is another man who is the picture of calm. He has retired from the sport now but at his prime, he was known to keep a calm head and keep the team stable under high pressure situations earning him the nickname “The Wall”. Outside India, countries that play and know about cricket, would probably know the name Sachin Tendulkar as one of our greatest players but there are those of us who would agree with an article that has come out a local website in 2016 that stated “Dravid, for most of his career, was considered to be Sachin’s shadow. But he was also considered by many, to be far more accomplished than Tendulkar because of this ability to absorb tremendous amounts of pressure and still be on the top of his game.”
As a young professional, though my career path is different from these giants, there is a lot to learn from them. Federer had to work hard not just to perfect the game but also to control his rage and alter his personality. Dravid had to step out of his comfort zone to adapt to changing formats of the game and emerged a victor even though he struggled for a bit. He never gave up and proved that he still had it in him. He gracefully bowed out of the game at his peak unlike some players who had to leave under less ideal situations. I aspire to be as humble and hard working as these greats and just hope that someday i can reach a fraction of the heights that these inspiring gentlemen achieved. Both these sportsmen show that hard work combined with humility is the surest path to class and eventually, to greatness.
Musings of a confused nut! 