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Lessons from The Australian Open 2016

QUOTE 2 FEBRUARY 2016

The Australian Open has now come to an end here in Melbourne. So many great matches and amazing lessons that we can all learn from some of the champions.

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1    Learn from your losses and set backs 
Milos Raonic – Lost to Murray in the semi-finals
It hurts light hell now at this moment. The heartbreak and the disappoint. Regardless, I will not let this keep me down. That is not how I was raised and that is not the kind of person that I am. I thrive of challenges and of difficult moments that on the other side make me better and make me stronger…..  But it’s not the end. Not by any means. I am better than that and I will overcome the challenges my body presents to me, I work far too damn hard and commit every waking moment to tennis, my ambitions and my goals, to not do that. I will grow from this and I will learn…. It may not be today or tomorrow but I am gonna do everything to make sure it’s someday!” 
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2    Find your enjoyment in what you do
Johanna Konta – Had her best ever performance and reached the Semi Finals.  Just last year, she lost first round in Qualifying.

When asked how has she improved so much? “That’s a deep question. I think it really comes down to a number of things,” she said. “Really understanding why I was playing the sport and really finding my enjoyment within the sport, really separating that enjoyment from results was a huge factor. “Because if you live and die with your wins and losses, it’s an incredibly tough lifestyle to live. So really separating myself from that gave me a lot of enjoyment and perspective. And actually, the fact that I hit a yellow ball across the net in some lines gave me some peace also, to realize that I am also working on myself for post tennis.”

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3    Be mentally prepared too
Novak Djokovic, Winner of Australian Open 2016 and now winner of 11 Grand Slams

“Tennis is a mental game. Everyone is fit, everyone hits great forehands and backhands.”   

“At the end of the day, you battle yourself the most.”

I know what I am doing every half an hour of the day of matches, I know how many grams in every bit of food I eat…. 
 

4    Family comes first always
Andy Murray, Runner-Up, Australian Open 2016, Dual Grand Slam Champion and Olympic Gold Medallist

-Murray was ready to concede his Open title dream to be at heavily pregnant wife Kim Sears’ side if she went into labour a few weeks early. 

-Following the shock collapse on the tournament’s first weekend, Sears’ father Nigel, who was at Rod Laver Arena watching the player he coaches, Ana Ivanovic, it was reported that Murray after defeating Joao Sousa in round three, then spent the night at his father-in-law’s bedside.

-It was Murray’s family-first attitude coming to the fore again, which later saw him stay beyond 1am on Open final eve to watch his brother Jamie claim his first grand slam doubles title.

 

5    You are never too old!
Roger Federer, Semi-Finalist, Australian Open, 2016 and winner of 17 Grand Slam 
Singles Titles

“Best-of-three, best-of-five, I can run for four or five hours. It’s not a problem. I prove it in practice again in the off-season no sweat. So from that standpoint I’m not worried going into long rallies. I know you guys make it a different case. I get that, because you think I’m old and all that. But it’s no problem for me.”
 

6    When you lose, be a model of grace
Serena Williams, Runner-Up, Australian Open, 2016 and winner of 21 Grand Slam Singles Titles

Williams said of her opponent, Angelique Kerber. “She’s been around a long time, we’ve had a number of matches and I’ve beaten her a lot. She played so well today, she had an attitude that a lot of people can learn from: just to always stay positive and never give up. I was really inspired by that, so if I couldn’t win, I’m happy she did.”

 

7    Dreams do come true!
Angelique Kerber, who produced a stunning upset to defeat Serena WIlliams to win her first ever Grand Slam

“I try to realise that I really am one of the players that won the grand slam,” Kerber said on Sunday. “It sounds still a little bit crazy but, at the end, it sounds great. That was always my goal to win a grand slam, and last night my dream came true, so it’s really nice.”

  
 Lots of wonderful lessons for us all.
Wishing you every success on and off the court

Love Ann

 

 

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