Stan’s the Man

TENNIS remains as one of the sports where Asians can make a mark on the world stage, and Kei Nishikori of Japan proved this by reaching the semifinals of the recent US Open.

The man of the hour, though, is Stan Wawrinka, who incidentally attended the Rudolf Steiner School, a proud Waldorf-education institution, in Crissier, Switzerland.

Wawrinka, a late bloomer, has shown that reinventing oneself, even at the age of 31, in a sport that requires so much in terms of physical and mental excellence, can still be done indeed.

He triumphed over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in decisive fashion, 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3, to win this year’s championship—the Swiss’ third crown in tennis’ majors.

Wawrinka seems to have found the perfect team in his coach, Magnus Norman, and trainers.

During the awarding ceremony, he candidly revealed much about himself and his winning mental attitude.

When asked what goes through his mind when he plays the big points, which he has recently been known to convert into winners, he paused and, with all honesty, replied: “I don’t really know.”

He went on to say that when the US Open began two weeks ago, it did not cross mind that he could win it. More important to him, he said, was to play each match as best he could.

In my 60-plus years of playing and coaching in competitive sports, I can say that this is an attitude that runs quite contrary to how we have been trained to think and feel when we prepare ourselves for competitions.

The goal, as we have been taught to keep in mind, has always been to win the championship, to bring home the medal or trophy. It has been that way and continues to be so in most competitive sports today.

However, Wawrinka’s success in the 2016 US Open and the attitude that he so candidly shared with us when he was interviewed after the championship match is something that athletes and coaches can draw on and perhaps use as a guide on how their can recalibrate their compasses toward a new direction for better performance.

Such a healthy kind of attitude can actually take so much pressure off the mind of the athlete.

This not only instills a sense of gratitude in the athlete but also puts him in a relaxed frame of mind. This enables him to create a good stroke or move his body with greater ease.

Another interesting thing we may want to take note of was Djokovic’s highly questionable timeouts. And yes, Wawrinka was well aware of this as he was seen “complaining” to the umpire about this.

However, Wawrinka appeared to have found a way to use the tactics of his opponent to his advantage and exercise further the mental toughness he now possesses. This has been instrumental to his success as a tennis player.

At the awarding ceremonies, Wawrinka went out of his way to honor Djokivic a second time. He especially thanked the colorful Serb for being one of the reasons why he, “Stan the Man,” is where he is in his game today.