High-level, competitive sport is a game of inches. Endowed talent is useless unless proactively molded. Hard work is the price of admission. Athleticism and intellect are all too common. When these stars align, the margin between the best and second is still negligible. What separates the best from the rest is in their ability to fail.
Watch a professional tennis match, and this phenomenon is glaring. Over the past two decades, three stars have solidified themselves as “The Big Three”: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djoković.
Federer won his first Grand Slam tournament at the 2003 Wimbledon, and Djokovic took the 2023 U.S. Open, marking the last major won by a Big Three member. During this period, there were 81 Major tournaments, and a stunning 66 of them were won by Federer (20), Nadal (22), or Djokovic (24) – near domination.
The remaining 15 tournaments were shared amongst 10 other “Stars.” Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka both took three. Young phenom Carlos Alcaraz, who has already claimed one more, won two during the period. Seven other stars – Andy Roddick, Gaston Gaudio, Marat Safin, Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Čilić, Daniil Medvedev, and Dominic Thiem – each achieved one Slam title.
An image of supreme superiority immediately pops into our head. We envision a vast talent gap – three legends amongst mere mortals. But the numbers show otherwise. Total Points Won is a statistic used to track the percentage of points won over a player’s career. Below are the professionals’ percentages. The data represents hundreds of thousands of points.
Barely over half. If the Big Three played 100 points, they would win just 54, only one to three more than the “Stars.” All failed nearly every other point.
Greatness is every time. Every point. Every play. Every practice. It is also a mindset. When I watch Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic, I observe a meditative stoic. An individual free from the tyranny of past mistakes and future expectations. An athletic monk living with presence. A playful child full of wonder and joy.
Failure is the norm. It is the acceptance of failure and the ability to move on that is contrarian. The elite embody this virtue. They welcome failure with open arms and recognize it as a force of progress. To them, adversity, tribulations, randomness, chaos, and error are opportunities. They understand, without these uncomfortable trials, we stagnate, lingering in limbo. But with them, we are presented an opportunity to grow beyond our current state and be the athletes we strive to become.
Talent, athleticism, work ethic, and intellect are everywhere. It is mental fortitude, characterized by acceptance and presence, that separates the greats from the rest. Fail fast and forget faster. Be the point. Be the play. Be the moment. For more, watch these videos on mindset eloquently described by none other than Federer, Nadal, and Djoković.
