JULY 2023
It was great to be back at Wimbledon again this year and especially for me to celebrate and honour my client of the last 16 years Shingo Kunieda who retired back in January. At the ITF Champions Awards held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Shingo was crowned the ITF World Champion for the 10th time, (the most of any player ever) having won the Australian, French and Wimbledon titles last year and his 50th Grand Slam too, a remarkable achievement. There were also a few more champions born this year at Wimbledon and here are some words of wisdom from them.
WIMBLEDON WISDOM FROM THE FINALISTS
Carlos Alcaraz – Wimbledon Gentelmen’s Singles Champion
He is the the first man not named Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray to win the Gentlemen’s Singles since 2002 and only his fourth event played on grass.
Some great quotes from some of his interviews.
Conversation with self when the pressure was highest
Go for it. Be aggressive. Stay with your style. Give it everything. Go for it always.
What I did on critical points – Give 100% in every point. Focus on every point and not on the future.
Get advice from the best. He went to 9 times champion, Martina Navratilova and she told him to slice more – “It was her advice that was key. I tried to do everything she told me.”
Dreams do come true and sometimes very quickly!
You always have to believe. And I am only 20 years old
As Carlos said himself, everything is happening so fast. Even Djokovic said, he thought he would have trouble playing him on clay and hard court but not so on grass. “It is amazing what you have done.”
Congratulations to Carlos and his Team.
Novak Djokovic – Runner Up this year and forever a legendary champion.
Gracious as always in defeat, even amongst some tears, Djokovic said, although I never like to lose matches like this, I have to be grateful as I have won so many close matches like this before. These are the moments players work for every single day to be in a Wimbledon Singles Final
Dealing with Pressure
It motivates me beyond what I’ve ever dreamed of and inspires me to play my best tennis. Pressure is part of what we do, it’s part of our sport, it’s never going to go away. Regardless of how many Grand Slams you win, or how many matches you won, or how many years that you’re playing professionally on the tour. “I love it.I love it. It’s true. It is a privilege as Billie Jean King said,”
Marketa Vondrousova – 2023 Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Champion
“No rain, no flowers” is tattooed above her right elbow, meaning success does not come easily.
Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded Wimbledon champion in the Open Era, making history with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Ons Jabeur. I loved that Marketa found a cat sitter so her husband could come to watch the final! She had won only one match at the All England Club before this year and 12 months ago she had come to London as a tennis tourist with her arm and elbow in a plaster cast as she recovered from a second bout of wrist surgery.
She and her coach are getting a strawberry tattoo this week after her coach pledged he would only get a tattoo if she won a Grand Slam!
Strawberries and cream have long been a tradition at Wimbledon. In fact more than 1.92 million strawberries are consumed every year at the tournament!
Ons Jabeur – Runner Up – Come back Stronger
Ons Jabeur – She may not have won the trophy but she won the day. In her own words, “This is the most painful loss of my career, but I’m not going to give up and I am going to come back stronger. It’s been a tough journey but I promise I will come back and one day win this tournament.”
New Nike Quote
Don’t belong to an Era. Start your own. Just Do It.
This is an age in which age doesn’t matter and impossible shots are served with a smile.
With love from Wimbledon
Ann
Ann Quinn, PhD
Peak Performance Specialist
