RF Tennis News 2017

We're 30 days from @AAKidsDay, w/ @rogerfederer joining @SofiaCarson, @alexaiono & more! Sat, 8/26 https://t.co/Brua18VeJe  #AAKD 2015) pic.twitter.com/FKhIIttolC

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) July 27, 2017

Great story @andyroddick tells about his first 'sighting' of @rogerfederer at his HOF speech. Superb Andy! #Laughter #Tears #History #Family pic.twitter.com/ytMiDoRltb

— Rob Koenig (@RobKoenigTennis) July 26, 2017

ph∞be wrote:Thanks Cromar. Do you know if any N American Magazine had him on their cover?

From the Australian Tennis Magazine...  

"From #FrenchOpen and #Wimbledon history to the latest ATM.
Please welcome Rafael #Nadal and Roger #Federer to our new GS special"

From #FrenchOpen and #Wimbledon history to the latest ATM. Please welcome Rafael #Nadal and Roger #Federer to our new Grand Slam special. pic.twitter.com/PYjyt30LEO

— AusTennisMag (@AusTennisMag) July 28, 2017

10 Signs Of Highly Successful Leaders With Grit

Brian Dodd on July 26, 2017


The title of this post, 10 Signs Of Highly Successful Leaders With Grit, is misleading.  Because you cannot have success without grit.  It is inherent in successful leaders.

Angela Duckworth in her excellent book Grit: The Power Of Passion And Perseverance says, “Talent x Effort = Skill.  Skill x Effort = Achievement.”  L. Jon Wertheim in the July 24th of Sports Illustrated noted, “For all the gushing – not wrongly – about grace, it’s often another one-syllable gr word that is just as responsible for success: grit.  We fix our gave on the bells and whistles of talent, not the effort to extract it.  We’re so seduced by the outcome that it distracts us from admiring the process.  Grit is the real engine of greatness. Grit balances elegance and lavishness. Grit is what enables the winner to alchemize their native gifts into results.”

As I continued reading Wertheim’s article on Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, I gleaned the following 10 Signs Of Highly Successful Leaders With Grit:

1. Gritty leaders refuse to give up.
   
2. Gritty leaders are patient.  They are steady and methodical.
   
3. Duckworth adds, “[Grit] is a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal.”
   
4. Gritty leaders are continual learners. Federer constantly retreats to his basement where he experiments with new techniques and equipment.
   
5. Gritty leaders are often absent of drama.  Federer’s coach Paul Annacone said, “He doesn’t let the emotion of the moment, pro or con, sway him.  He has this incredibly short memory.  What just happened doesn’t matter. Roger hits an incredible shot – or he makes a mistake.  Doesn’t matter.  He just moves on without a huge, amount of emotion and just plays the next point.”
   
6. Gritty leaders make the necessary sacrifices needed for success.  For example, Federer has chosen to forego activities such as skiing because of the potential of injuries.
   
7. Gritty leaders has a relentless work ethic.  Similar to most top flight athletes, Federer maintains an exhaustive practice and workout schedule.
   
8. Gritty leaders have more sustained success than others.  This was the 36-year-old Federer’s eighth Wimbledon championship and 19th major title.  In fact, there was a 14-year span between his first and eighth championships.  Federer said, “Honestly, I’m incredibly surprised how well this year is going, how well I’m feeling, how I’m managing tougher situations, where my level of play is on a daily basis.”
   
9. Gritty leaders are fueled by a love of what they do.  37-year-old Venus Williams said, “I love what I do.  I still like the challenge of being better today than I was yesterday.”
   
10. Gritty leaders do not solely rely on their talent.  Federer concluded by saying, “Yes, I was blessed with a lot of talent.  But I also had to work for it.  Talent only gets you that far.”
    

What is one thing you can implement from this list which will make you a more gritty leader?

Given the backlash that Johnny Mac received for his Serena comments and the PC environment we now inhabit, where is the appreciation and recognition for the power and sway of Mirka Federer? Or is her story "ignored" because as a "stay at home (while traveling the world)" mother of four who cares for the family while her husband reaches historic heights not the narrative the PC and/or women's movement wants to promote?

I realize that is a sensitive question/topic which may invite vitriol but I think it is totally fair. Roger himself came out and said one of the main reasons he would consider retirement is if Mirka came to him and indicated she was tired of the traveling and life on the road. When I heard that it made me immediately realize that even though we focus on him and his great accomplishments, let's not forget that SHE makes much of this possible by being supportive, loving, caring, inspiring all while managing the household of six. To me, and yes, my wife stays at home to care for our four kids, that makes her just as powerful of a woman as any female CEO in the world.
—Matt Waters, Florida


• I don't think it’s particularly controversial nor do I think the story is ignored. No question that some of Federer’s success—as he is quick to admit—owes to the support and “buy-in” of his spouse.

Here’s what I wrote for SI in 2009 when Federer won Wimbledon: “She dislikes being photographed and has gone years without giving an interview, even to her hometown newspaper in Switzerland. Mirka Federer (née Vavrinec) is, however, a vital—the vital—figure behind the relentless success of her husband, Roger. The de facto chief of staff of Federer, LLC, she's rarely seen without her Blackberry in hand….. A former pro player who cracked the top 100 before her career was ruined by a chronic foot injury in 2002, she sometimes practices with Roger before his matches and is always able to talk shop. ‘I developed faster, grew faster with her,’ says Roger, who has been with Mirka since meeting her at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and married her in a small ceremony in his hometown, Basel, on April 11. "She has been with me day in and day out, throughout the world, and has helped me considerably as a person."

I often feel like this gets left out of the story: Mirka was a top 100 player who was getting into the main draws of Slams. Imagine how much she knows. The frustration of rain delays. The pain of double-faulting on break point. The uncoolness of an opponent’s dubious bathroom break. The transition from clay to grass. It must be immensely helpful to have a spouse so intimately familiar with your line of work.

While trying to find Mirka Federer’s career high ranking (76) I came across this bit of video gold. “Hewitt/Molik vs. Federer/Vavrinec.” The courtside interview is worth the price of admission:

Roger Federer is practicing today in Switzerland with Márton Fucsovics, Ivan and Pierre Paganini are also present #federer pic.twitter.com/lzL997jvTa

— Brian (@camerlengo73) August 1, 2017

I asked Roger if he decided on playing Montreal and Cincy already..said will do so within next days! #federer

— Brian (@camerlengo73) August 1, 2017

I congratulated Roger on winning Wimbledon and said I'm confident he'll secure #20, he said "If that would only be that easy"  #federer

— Brian (@camerlengo73) August 1, 2017

Steerpike60 wrote:^^^ Yeah, I read those tweets earlier.  I find it so bizarre that Roger would still not know whether he was going to play Montreal.  Seems to me that he knows and is just not saying.  Surely if the whole family were heading to Montreal in the next few days, plans would already have to be settled.  And if Roger is not going... why wait to say so?

This just all seems strange to me.

@theljubicic and @rogerfederer in action this afternoon in pic.twitter.com/NnT60d3id8

— Brian (@camerlengo73) August 1, 2017