For decades to come Roger Federer will be remembered not only one of the greatest tennis players of our time, but of all time. While his backhand may have made him rich and famous, it\u2019s his willingness to praise and compliment his opponents that elevate him to the top of my list.<\/p>\n
Federer is and has long held a single-digit ranking. He makes millions on the court and even more in endorsements.<\/p>\n
Marcus Willis, his second round Wimbledon opponent and a Great Britain teaching pro, has a 772 ATP ranking (not good) and earns the majority of his income teaching tennis for $50 per hour. I have many friends who are teaching pros and believe me, it\u2019s a hard way to make a living.<\/p>\n
Because he was playing Federer, Willis faced his opponent on Wimbledon\u2019s Centre Court. An honor yes, but I expect a bit overwhelming. The match won\u2019t be remembered for long because Federer won in three sets, 6-0, 6-3 and 6-4. What will be remembered is Willis\u2019 determination and Federer\u2019s praise of his effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I got my fair share of support,\u201d said Federer in his post-match comments. \u201cHe deserved more. He deserved more in the bigger moments. He played some great points. He fought hard. Great personality for a Centre Court like this. I must tell you, it\u2019s not easy for him to come out and just play a decent match. There\u2019s a lot of pressure on him. I thought he handled it great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Later in the press conference Federer spoke of Willis\u2019 playing style. \u201cWhat I like about his game is he reads it well. He knows when you\u2019re coming in. He can slice easily, even really deep in the court\u2026Clearly, he\u2019s got an extreme grip on the forehand. Even today he had not too many problems coming over the ball. On grass you would think it would be the toughest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Making the moment even more special, Federer waited on Willis before coming off the court and allowed him to walk off first to capture the spotlight. You would have never seen John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors extend such a courtesy. After all, they earned their reputation as the \u201cbad boys\u201d of tennis.<\/p>\n
Some say, \u201cnice guys finish last.\u201d Maybe it was McEnroe or Connors who coined the phrase because they certainly lived it. Yet I see Federer\u2019s example as not merely a winner tossing out an obligatory compliment, but a confident and gracious man heaping praise when it was deserved and earned.<\/p>\n
As I digested Federer\u2019s actions I wondered how I could use them in my own life: on and off the court. Then I got my chance.<\/p>\n
Before playing a match last night I was asked about a fellow player while standing among a group of our mutual tennis friends. I could have responded in a negative fashion. After all, my most recent experience with them was not pleasant yet they have many remarkable qualities. I chose to take the high road in my remarks because overall, they deserved no less.<\/p>\n
Maybe nice guys can finish first; win or lose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For decades to come Roger Federer will be remembered not only one of the greatest tennis players of our time, but of all time. While his backhand may have made him rich and famous, it\u2019s his willingness to praise and compliment his opponents that elevate him to the top of my list. Federer is and has long held a single-digit ranking. He makes millions on the court and even more in endorsements. Marcus Willis, his second round Wimbledon opponent and a Great Britain teaching pro, has a 772 ATP ranking (not good) and earns the majority of his income teaching tennis for $50 per hour. I have many friends who are teaching pros and believe me, it\u2019s a hard way to make a living. Because he was playing Federer, Willis faced his opponent on Wimbledon\u2019s Centre Court. An honor yes, but I expect a bit overwhelming. The match won\u2019t be remembered for long because Federer won in three sets, 6-0, 6-3 and 6-4. What will be remembered is Willis\u2019 determination and Federer\u2019s praise of his effort. \u201cI thought I got my fair share of support,\u201d said Federer in his post-match comments. \u201cHe deserved more. He deserved more in the bigger […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[526,527,478,528],"class_list":["post-1077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-by-paul","tag-marcus-willis","tag-roger-federer","tag-tennis","tag-wimbledon"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n