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Social media sometimes brings beautiful things between us. This week I came across an amazing thing through the internet – tennis legend Roger Federer’s convocation address. Federer, who holds the record for 237 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 tennis player, has many other victories to his name.
The convocation speech given by Federer last Sunday at Dartmouth College in America is in discussion. After hearing/reading the 25-minute long speech he gave to the students after he was awarded the honorary degree, it can be considered one of the most beautiful speeches given by anyone in recent years.
Readers who are often tired of listening to the leaders’ speeches and reading the news of those speeches may think – what about the speech again? However, some speeches have an important place in the history of world politics and literature. Be it Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech or Jawaharlal Nehru’s first post-independence speech or US President Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize speech, some speeches have inspired people.
Federer, who learned life lessons on the tennis court, is one of the best/greatest players of this century. No player is considered great just because of his skills on the field. It can make him a successful player. Just as not all leaders who win elections become great politicians. People become great – how and for what they use that success. How is the power of success, be it wealth or knowledge or fame, used? This is important. If his knowledge, power or wealth does not contribute anything to make life easier for many people, his success will be his only. As soon as the success of someone else’s record is broken, its price may be like a stale newspaper! Federer was also awarded an honorary scholarship by Dartmouth University for his philanthropic work.
Knowledge/Philosophy has no declared source, like the source of the rain from whose experience it can burst. That’s why Federer’s speech is called ‘Master Class in Life Lessons’. The 42-year-old Swiss star entered college for the second time in his life when he went to college to receive an honorary PhD degree on Sunday. He started his speech by saying that he had ‘stepped into college’ for the second time today. He said – ‘Even though I came to college for the second time, when I returned from here today, Dr. I will return as Federer!
Federer told the students in a few sentences some important life lessons he had learned by spending all these years on the tennis court.
He said he never went to college, noting that he dropped out of school at the age of 16 to play tennis. But he added that he has recently ‘graduated’. ‘Roger Federer, tennis graduate’ and added, ‘Retired doesn’t sound good, graduate sounds sweet.’
After retiring from tennis in 2022, Roger asked himself, ‘What’s the next plan?’ Remembering being asked, he said to the students, ‘Everybody will ask even the students who have graduated – what is the next plan?’
He then spoke about the life lessons he learned from tennis. He called it ‘tennis lessons’, that is, tennis lessons. Some of its important points were:
1. ‘Effortless’ is just a myth
Federer, who has shown an ‘effortless’ game on the court for years, said, ‘Nothing in life is smooth, easy and without effort.’ He said, ‘I have heard the word ‘effortless’ many times. People used to call my game ‘effortless’. Most people used to say this in praise of me, they said it because they were impressed by my game. I used to hear people say, ‘Look how he plays with joy, he hasn’t even broken a sweat’. Is he really not trying? I used to get bored when I heard that.’
‘The truth is that after years of hard work, my game on the field has become so easy. For this I have practiced for years shouting, screaming, getting angry, sometimes swinging a racket, sometimes cutting my beard and swearing. Only after years of such hard work have I learned to remain calm. Nothing in the world seems so easy and peaceful. I have not reached where I am by talent alone. For that, I have tried to put more effort and effort than every opponent’, he told the students.
He mentioned that he received a ‘wake-up’ call early in his career. He said, ‘The Italian Open was happening. One of my competitors publicly questioned my mental rhythm and discipline. He said – Roger will be strong for the first two hours. I will dominate all the subsequent games. At first I was surprised by his words. I did not understand what he meant. Gradually I understood what he was trying to say – the first two hours of the game anyone can play beautifully. Because the body is fit, the limbs can be moved quickly, the mind is also clear… After two hours, your steps start to falter, the body gets tired and melts, the mind starts spinning and your discipline and rhythm start disappearing.’
After narrating this incident, Roger said to the students, ‘That day I realized how much more effort I still have to do. I am ready for that journey. I understood that lesson. I started working hard. And I understood – it is a special achievement to win easily (effortlessly) by looking like you did not force! Why did people start saying that it was easy to play without much pain, and my warm-up during the tournament was also normal. When people see this, people forget how hard I train. I used to work hard since long before the tournament, when no one was watching me.’
Then Roger turned back to the students and said, ‘How many times have you wondered – I have worked so hard, I have studied all night without sleeping, but my friend easily gets ‘A’, ‘A’ in every subject without doing anything. Like me, understand that no one gets anything easily by doing nothing!’
Then Roger said that it is important to have faith in him and said, ‘But, you have to earn that faith yourself…. At first I used to find the opponent’s weakness and hit it, but later I hit what he is strongest at. Whoever is strong in that, I try to defeat him in that. By doing this, my level of play increases and I also get a chance to expand my abilities. You must have a store of your strength and weapons to fight with…so that if one weapon breaks, another can be used. Only one depends on it and if it breaks, what will you do?’
Another lesson that Roger learned was – ‘Not every day in life is the same.’
‘One day confidence will be broken. Your back hurts badly, you can’t move your knees… you get sick… you feel scared. Still, you find a way to win. Those victories are the proudest, the most memorable, because this is when you realize – I am still able to win even though I am not strong and the best.’
2. A game is only a matter of one point, it can be lost
Federer’s next sentence in his speech is – ‘You can lose even if you work as hard as you can.’ He expressed the essence of life in one sentence saying that one cannot win by trying.
As it is said in the Gita, ‘Karma Gar Falko Aash Nagar’, Federer’s knowledge acquired in his 25-year career is almost close to this.
He explained his experience of winning and losing in a little detail. He further said in the interview, ‘Tennis is cruel. Every tournament ends the same way. One player wins and takes home the trophy. The rest of the players sit in the window seat of the ship and look out while returning home and think – how did I miss that shot?’
And he put another lesson in front of the students – ‘Imagine if only one of you gets a degree today!’
‘Every effort of mine would not be defeated under any circumstances. I always wanted to win. However, I have also been defeated. Sometimes I have suffered a big loss. Losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon final was one of the biggest defeats of my life. Some even call it the best game of all time. With all due respect to Rafa (Rafael), I want to say… if I had won, that match would have been a lot more beautiful…’
He explained another lesson, ‘Losing Wimbledon was a big deal because winning Wimbledon meant everything.’
Had he won that Wimbledon in 2008, Roger would have won his sixth consecutive title that year, which would have been a record in itself. Rafael won two sets, Roger won two sets. Rafael won the title after winning the fifth set. Roger said, ‘That day I understood… why people say the end is the most important thing.’
Some losses hurt more than others. With that defeat, I lost my number 1 position. People started saying – ‘His game was terrible. But now that time seems to have passed!’ I knew what I had to do. That was to work harder on yourself. Improve your game and keep competing.’
Winning a game is a big deal for a player. Victory is his goal. However, like winning, losing is an equally important aspect of the game. The same rule applies in the game of life. Every time you think you won the game may not be won!
Roger presented a statistic to illustrate this point. He told the students, ‘I have won 80 percent of the 1,526 singles matches I have played till date. But, what percentage of points I won in these games? Can you guess? Only 54 percent. In other words, even the best tennis player at the top can only win a little more than half of the total points.’
After this he said another important thing – ‘When a player is playing for one point, for him at that moment that one point is the most important in the world. But, when this moment passes, its importance also ends… it is left behind. Keeping this in mind is very important because this ‘mindset’ frees you up to focus on the next point ahead. Then another point again, a clear and sharp look towards another point….’
‘The truth is, whatever game you play in life… sometimes you have to face defeat. No point, no game, no season or no job… Life is a roller-coaster, full of ups and downs.’
It is natural to have doubts about one’s own abilities and possibilities when one is weak. You may feel miserable yourself. And, let me say here – not only you, but also your opponent is doubting his ability. Don’t forget this!’ Federer Uwach.
Roger taught another lesson – ‘…the best people in the world are not the best by winning every point or every game, but they know that I can be defeated… They know that they can always lose again… But, they take this defeat. They know how to accept it, how to minimize its impact.’
Federer’s guru mantra is, ‘Accept defeat… accept the situation… cry if you have to, shed tears… and put a smile on your face even if it’s forced. Go ahead. be tough Be united with the situation and increase your potential.’
3. Life is much bigger than the court
Federer’s third sentence was – ‘Life is much bigger than the court.’
About the third lesson he learned in the speech, Federer said this – ‘The tennis court is a small place. To be precise, a singles court is 2,106 square feet.
The tennis court is the most important place for a tennis player, where he wins and loses. Success, failure and experience are gathered. This court gives him recognition and fame. It is the tennis court that made Switzerland’s famous Roger Federer. Still, Federer says, ‘Life is bigger than the court.’
He said, ‘I practiced a lot, learned countless things, ran many miles inside that small piece of land (tennis court) but life is so much bigger than this.’ Among the students, he said, ‘When I started playing tennis, I knew that tennis will show me the world, but this world will never be made. Even when I was successful, even when I was in the top five, tennis was not enough for me. He wanted a life of his own, a full life. Travel, culture, friendship, life with family…. So I never forgot my roots, neglected and abandoned them. I never forgot who I am, where I came from… and I never let the hunger to see this vast world die.’
Inspired by his South African mother, Roger started a foundation to help children with education. Noting that 75 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to pre-school, he mentioned that his foundation has helped provide quality education to 3 million children and trained 55,000 teachers.
Another knowledge of Federer was – ‘You don’t have to give money, run a non-profit organization to do charity. This work can also be done by giving your thoughts and measures, time and energy to achieve a mission (goal) bigger than yourself.’
He told the students, ‘You have many things to give. I hope you will find your own unique and unique way of making a positive impact on the world. Because, life is really much bigger than the court.’
These words of Federer are relevant and motivating, so this time I presented them in free-style. If there is any mistake in the translation or if my feelings are found to enter into Federer’s matter, it will be my fault! Those who want to find out whether it is a copy or not, or who want to say that they read it in English University websiteYou can go to see.
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