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Roger Federer is one of the greatest male tennis players of all time. He won 103 ATP singles titles including 20 majors, 28 ATP Master, and 6 ATP Finals. He dominated for years. During a commencement speach at Dartmouth College he shared this: "Perfection is impossible. In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches. But what percentage of points did I win? 54% In other words, even top ranked tennis players win barely more than half the points they play. When you lose ever second point on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot. You teach yourself to think: 'Okay, I double faulted...it's only a point.' 'Okay, I came to the net and I got passed again...it's only a point.' Even a great shot, an overhead backhand smash that ends up on ESPN's top 10 playlist – that too is just a point. Here's why I'm telling you this. When you're playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world. And it is. But when it's behind you, it's behind you. This mindset is crucial – because it frees you to fully commit to the next point with intensity, clarity, and focus." Focus on the here and now and do your best in this moment. Yesterday, last week, last month and last year are all in the past and there is nothing you can do to control that. Tomorrow, next week, next month and next year are all in the future. You can do things today to set yourself up for a bright future. Today is now and you can control today so focus and make it a great day.

Roger Federer's commencement speech at Dartmouth, where he shares his tennis experiences and the wisdom he gained. "In tennis, perfection is impossible. In the 1526 singles matches I played in my career. I won almost 80% of those matches." He asks the audience What percentage of points do you think I won in those matches?..." only 54%. In other words, even top-ranked tennis players win barely half of the points they play." Federer continues that when you lose almost every other point on average, you learn not to get stuck after a shot. Instead, you teach yourself not to dwell on the double fault, remembering it's only a point. Even when winning with a great backhand smash that winds up on ESPN's highlight reels, remembering it's only a point. He highlights that "when you are playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world," but when that moment has passed having a mindset that allows you to put the outcome behind so you can play the next point with just as much focus and clarity is an important skill to develop. Federer reinforces the normal feeling of self-doubt and distinguishes world champions as those who know they will lose again and again and have learned to deal with it. 🙏🏼💗 Thanks to @tennistv for the image #lifelessons #resilience #mindsetcoach

I love commencement addresses (or at least a lot of them). Roger Federer gave one at Dartmouth a few days ago -- if you have time, I recommend it (https://lnkd.in/eUw9VvNj). But here's what resonated the most to me -- "In tennis, perfection is impossible. In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches (it was actually 82%; Roger is self-deprecating). Now, I have a question for all of you... what percentage of the POINTS do you think I won in those matches? Only 54%. In other words, even top-ranked tennis players win barely more than half of the points they play. When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot." He goes on to say that as important as each shot is, once it's done, it's over. This allows you the freedom to concentrate on the next, and focus, and give it your best -- whether that's the next shot, the next day, the next presentation, the next product. Combine that with Ted Lasso's 10 second memory goldfish -- and you just might conquer the world. #federer #perfectionisimpossible #goldfish #tedlasso

Roger lost 46% of all points he played... In the sport of Tennis, whilst there is no such thing as perfection, Roger Federer over his career has soared near perfection as humanly possible. Watching Roger play is like watching a Picasso in full flight. His playing style is described as “effortless” as he crushes his opponents. When we think of Roger, we naturally think of him as the dominating winner, but the reality is that he lost ~46% of the 236,038 points that he played over this 24 years career! The fundamental similarity of Tennis to Life, is that small differences compounds over our lifetime to make a huge difference. Over Roger’s career, he had a win ratio of only 54% on 236,038 points but this win ratio compounded into 76% on 4,040 sets and then compounded again, into a win ratio of 82% for 1,520 matches, which resulted in 20 Grand Slam[1] tournament wins and US$131 mn of prize money. Tennis is a brutal sport; of the 128 gladiators that enter a Grand Slam tournament, after 7 rounds played over 2 weeks, there is only 1 winner. I think the following quote section beautifully captures how Roger plays his Tennis, and more importantly, how Roger lives his life. This is why Roger is an inspiration to me both on the off the Tennis court.

Failing is part of life and an integral part of success. Failing at some point in life does not make you a failure. Learn from it and get smarter. Move on and look forward to the next challenge. It is all about the kind of mindset you have.

🎬 This video went viral: Roger Federer giving a graduation ceremony speech at a US university.   🔔 Two key takeaways:   1️⃣ “Of the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won nearly 80% of them. What % of points do you think I won in those matches? Only 54%. Even the top-ranked players barely win more than half the points they play.” Federer explains how after losing a point, you must learn to move on quickly. It highlights that the line between winning & losing everything is often thin. Victory isn’t just about the best forehands or winning serves.   2️⃣ Soft Skills !  The rest of his speech subtly highlights how an incredible combination of soft skills propelled him forward: #resilience, #adaptability, discipline and hard work, #selfconfidence, frustration management, learning, and especially handling constructive feedback, which helped him both personally and professionally. If it’s true for him, it must be true for us.   #Tennis is an amazing sport because it’s a battle between two opponents, involving physical prowess, technique, tactics, and emotional management. It’s also one of the most frustrating sports, where players aren’t allowed to show their frustration. But that’s another discussion we can revisit.   Get inspired and Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/dW9RXaSt #SoftSkill #fairceptionApp

A must watch! 👀 🎾 👨🏼🎓 tennis is a huge passion of mine - and Roger Federer's commencement speech at Dartmouth encapsulates why I think it's one of the best sports for a founder to play. 🏆 Roger won 82% of his matches: (1251 - 275) ❌ BUT.. he only won 54% of the points. Yes(!) - one of the greatest tennis players in history barely won half the points he played, and most players do not have that W/L ratio! Here are some examples: Serena Williams: 86%(!) Novak Djokovic: 83% Rafael Nadal: 82% Andy Murray: 77% Pete Sampras: 77% Andre Agassi: 76% Alexander Zverev: 69% Stan Wawrinka: 61% And what about a top 20 tennis player like Taylor Fritz? 56%. 🤯 🔑 The key was that he won the points that mattered. How? His MINDSET. Here are three key points from the speech: 🧮 A point is only a point: In that specific moment, the point you're playing is the most important thing in the world, but win or lose, once it's done that point is behind you. No time to dwell on it. Negative energy is WASTED energy. 🏃🏼♂️➡️ Effortless is a Myth: A lot of hard work goes into making hard things look easy. There is no such thing as perfection, but the easier you make things look, the more you'll hear the word 'effortless'. 🌏 Life is bigger than the court: Tennis was Roger Federer's life until he realised there was a whole world beyond it. It's important to expand your horizons. Founders, like tennis players, have to be resilient. They're obsessive and tenacious. They work unbelievably hard in a field that is unforgiving and at times can feel very unrewarding. But we come back day after day because we know we can always be better and strive for greatness. It's important to keep your mindset positive and focussed on the things that matter. There will always be another point to play and win - losing one point doesn't mean you've lost the match. An amazing speech in full, this 2 minute snippet gives you a quick teaser to see why:

On June 9, 2024 Roger Federer gave the final commencement speech at Darmouth College with interesting statistics. He shows that he is still champion because he knows that nothing is effortless. He is reinventig himself out of the court because life goes on beyond tennis, beyond what we did yesterday and beyond what we are doing today. Roger says that tennis is not a sport based primarily on having a gift or talent and being fit. What is it about? Watch the 90 seconds of the first lesson of his speech and listen to the final word in the video. Please share your comments with us or share this video if you like. #leadershipcoaching #tennislessons #culturematters

There are certain things number can't convey. Roger Federer's elegance, class & brilliance. But Roger has so much more than that: - 20 grand slam titles - Only Swiss male to win all 4 majors - Only player to win 8 Wimbledon titles - First male to win more than 14 grand slams - Only male player to appear in 7 consecutive Wimbledon finals And many more. This documentary is a reflection of a champion on & off the court 🎾 It made me cry. It made me laugh. I had goosebumps. It was a journey. In the words of Roger: To the game of tennis, I love you & will never leave you. Have you watched this yet? 👇 #linkedinsports #prime #sportsbusiness #sportsmarketing

Last weekend, tennis legend Roger Federer delivered a powerful and moving commencement address to the graduating class of Dartmouth College. Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, shared three invaluable lessons from his tennis career that are applicable to all aspects of life: 1. "Effortless" is a Myth Federer emphasised that what often appears effortless is the result of immense hard work and discipline. He shared, "I had to work very hard to make it look easy." This lesson reminds us that success is not just about talent but also about grit, perseverance, and continuous effort. 2. It’s Only a Point In his career, Federer won 80% of his matches but only 54% of the points he played. He highlighted the importance of resilience and moving forward: "When you're playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world. But when it's behind you, it's behind you." This mindset encourages us to focus on the present and not dwell on past failures. 3. Life is Bigger Than the Court Federer spoke about the broader perspective of life beyond tennis. He shared his philanthropic efforts and the importance of giving back: "Tennis showed me the world, but tennis could never be the world." This lesson is a powerful reminder to look beyond our immediate goals and contribute to the greater good. Federer’s speech was not just about tennis; it was about life, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence. His words inspire us to embrace challenges, learn from our experiences, and strive to make a positive impact in the world. #Inspiration #LifeLessons #Resilience #Leadership #Motivation