Twenty six years ago I stepped onto a grass tennis court for the first time. It was at the legendary West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills where the US Nationals and, later, the US Open had been played. I had always heard that it was a very tough surface on which to play tennis…bad bounces, very fast, very slow, difficult footing, short points, slippery. I had never hit a ball on the grass and there I was playing a match on it for the very first time.
I have been fortunate to play International competitions many times. I have grown to feeling comfortable and relaxed when I put on my USA jacket with the mission to bring home the Cup for our country.
Rafa Nadal has won 88 out of 89 five set matches on clay. His record at the French Open is 65-1.
There is this unique energy that surrounds each of the Grand Slams for me. The French is the one that is about toughness and grit and heart and fitness. All of the main sources of great competitive energies are in play on the clay.
Buddha said, “an idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”
I defeated a tough opponent, Mike Dahm, in today’s quarterfinal. He is always a tough out as he has defeated many of the top players in the age group.
Won today 6-1, 6-0. The games were closer than the sets. My opponent had a good game. Experienced, good hands, strokes, serve and a deceptive drop shot. He had game point five times but I was able to find some strong focus to win four of them.
I played a few tournaments as a junior player. I can’t recall it being enjoyable. I would play badly. I would get frustrated. Embarrassed. I would misbehave. I would lose. Winning felt like the only reason to play and the only way I could find something about the experience that made it worth doing.
In the Monte Carlo semifinals on Saturday we got to witness another step in the evolution of Novak Djokovic, the competitor.
A few years ago, Novak used to retire in matches if he did not feel well. Hey, no judgment. That is what normal people do.
I am on my way to Ft Lauderdale where I am presenting to the International Board of Directors of the Israel Tennis Centers. My task is to get these already successful people to refire their rockets to the place where they were when they first started and felt the passion every day.
