Rafael Nadal - The Maestro of Patience and Work Ethic

“Patience is not passive waiting. Patience is active acceptance of the process required to attain your goals and dreams.”

If somebody has to go through 7 months of layoff – normally there will always be people who will doubt your comeback and also doubts might creep in your mind about your own abilities. But not Rafael Nadal – the player who undoubtedly possess nerves of steel and has abundance of determination to offset any layoff effects.

Rafael Nadal went on to win his 22^nd ATP  Masters 1000 title after defeating Juan Martin Del Potro in three sets. Since his comeback, he has won 3 out of 4 titles that he has played and defeated 4 players in top 10.

Obviously when one looks at his comeback performance, it will be hard for people to realize that this same player was out for 7 months. It is the same Rafael Nadal who dominated tennis in 2010 with three grand slam titles and not surprisingly, at that time also he was coming off after an injury layoff.

In the past 7 months, if someone has followed Nadal on Facebook, they will know how much hard work has been put by the Spaniard for his comeback. Almost every day, a new picture was posted by Nadal and his team showing the rehab work that he was going through. Finally all those 7 months of hard work and effort paid off when he won his first hard court title at Indian Wells today since Tokyo' 2010.

One obviously wonders, what is about the great champions that separates them from the rest? Nadal is a great example because he showed to us today exactly what is that separates him from the rest. It’s the will and attitude to keep on fighting till the end. Every moment he steps on the court, he steps out with a new found hunger and gives his 100 percent in every point, no matter even if he is playing the match against a qualifier or the best. Layoffs, breaks, injuries  in the case of  champions like Nadal make them even more hungry and determined to focus on their games and return with a vengeance to make up for the time lost. 

Rafael Nadal is an example for all of us to see how a great work ethic and attitude can make you a great champion and probably the toughest competitor in your arena. Normal tendencies of human being is to retreat back in a depressive zone in the face of adversity and give up the hope of trying again. Champions like him on the other hand revel in these opportunities and make sure that they make full use of the setbacks to bounce back stronger and better than before.

One might not be an ardent fan of Nadal but his performance today showed to me how great a champion he is and how inspiring he can be. That’s what life is all about, forget about whom you like or not ,  look at the person and study his amazing qualities, the qualities that are very rare to find and truly speaking it won’t hurt to learn from a great champion.

Hats off to Rafael Nadal who showed to the world that it doesn't matter if you have been on or off the field for 7 months, what matters is whether you have the heart, attitude and work ethic to comeback stronger, healthier and better than your past.

I will end with this quote:

“He who has patience and work ethic can always end up with what he will”

For any questions, you can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Never Lose Hope

Heathnsports4u.blogspot.com guest writer spot:

                                                  Never Lose Hope:

Recently, I approached Apeksha about writing a guest post for this site, because I believe that I have a story to tell that fits right in with the main theme of the site. I know that many of you are used to visiting for a daily quote to keep you motivated at work or while training, and too read about athleticism, sport, motivation, and the success that can be achieved when those three factors are brought together in rare perfect harmony.

My name's John and I started to write recently, after I broke my neck wrestling. During one of the final tournaments of my career and after competing for almost 4 years without a single major injury, I shattered my spine in a single split second.

It was the quote in the article: "Thank You Roger Federer - A Letter to the Champion." resonated especially deeply with me.

Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.

Orison Swett Marden said this, and I believe that this is very deeply and profoundly correct. Right now, I'm more proud of what I can achieve than I ever have been in my entire life, despite the fact that I'm the weakest that I have been since I was 8 years old. I'm proud because I am successfully by Orison Marden's definition, because I have progressed so much since my accident. 6 weeks ago, I was unable to move my toes, raise my arms, or feel my legs because of the trauma to my nervous system.

Now, I can ride a bicycle, lift weights, and even go to school as a full time student. I write about my progress on my blog, but I decided that simply talking about what I was doing wasn't enough. Now, I've made it my goal to be as supportive and informative to people with similar traumas to mine, and those who have suffered much more greatly than I have.

Just like Apeksha learned lessons from Roger Federer, I have learned from my injury. These lessons are:

When you are depressed, friends will help you,
When you are weak, you will find the drive to push on,
When you have lost hope, hope will find you,
Never doubt the strength of the human spirit.

It’s been an honor writing for the site. I'm a big fan and this has been really exciting for me.Please read and share this story with everyone who has lost hope and tell them about my journey and hopefully if they can learn one thing from my experience - Never lose hope.

You can Check John  and his recovery process at GoandDoit.wordpress.com  and in a few months to read all about his adventures:  running, biking, and at the same time hopefully motivating others to do the same!

For any comments, please mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: From Michael Jordan to Roger Federer:The inevitable truth of failure and struggle to become the best.
Five Sports Personalities who Failed at First.

From Michael Jordan to Roger Federer:The inevitable truth of failure and struggle to become the best.

Failure will happen if you will live your life. But how many times can a person fail?  It doesn’t matter how many times one fails, what MATTERS is how many times someone had the chance to quit and he didn’t, because winners make the most errors as they NEVER quit. Bearing that in mind, here are some prime examples of the above statement:

1. 4 Years of struggle, 4 Years of agonizing defeats against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal before Novak Djokovic finally became World No. 1 in tennis. Conversely, 5 years of constant anguish, pain of living under the curse of not living up to his potential hung around his name and one life changing tragedy is what made Roger Federer the player he is today.

Djokovic and Federer at Wimbledon, 2012

2. Rejection from the high school basketball team, working hard daily to prove everyone wrong, becoming famous and then struggling and failing in the baseball minor League before appreciating what he had in reality is the story of the greatest basketball player ever- Michael Jordan.

One of the greatest basketball players of all time-Michael Jordan

3. From a ticket collector in Indian Railways to cycling around the town of Kharagpur to playing with tennis balls on cricket grounds, no one who had played with Mahendra Singh Dhoni even had the slightest idea that the lad from a small town of India will go on to become the best Indian Captain ever.

One of the finest captains of the India cricket team-M S Dhoni

4. Nobody gets up 6 am in the morning to play ball, But Ernie DiGregorio did and at twelve years of age,he started practicing 9-10 hours a day by himself. They could have cut his right hand off and he would have played one handed.That is why in-spite of his physical limitations: small height, chunky, slow with short arms, chubby fingers and no jumping ability – he still became NBA rookie of the year.

Ernie DiGregorio became rookie of the year despite physical limitations

There are many examples like this all around not only in the field of sports but everywhere with people who have struggled early in on their career before going on to become the best in their field. Contrary to the popular belief that the great people have had an easy life and how each and every one of us wished to be lucky enough like them and become great like our favorite sports person, the above examples are just to show the opposite. Nobody has an easy life, not even the greats themselves. They have struggles just like a normal human being, each and every day of their lives. Struggle is an inevitable part of life and it will be foolish to escape from its clutches because it is these struggles which can make you great or break you in pieces.

So what is it that separates these great ones from normal human beings? It is the ability to get back up again when they have failed. Life will knock us down but we can always choose whether or not to get up again and strive towards the goals with double intensity. Failure and Struggle will always be there in every journey. In the words of JK Rowling: “You might never fail on the scale I did. But it is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.”

IF you have any questions, you can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

This article was published at http://sports365blog.com/2013/02/25/from-m-s-dhoni-to-roger-federer/

Also: The greatness of the living legend called Roger Federer

The Iron Lady of India – Saina Nehwal

The Iron Lady of India – Saina Nehwal

“I am working hard and performances are coming. Now that I am number 2, I will definitely reach number 1.”

What is it about Saina Nehwal that makes you believe that sooner than later, this feat, which was once thought impossible will be achieved by the young inspiring female athlete from Hyderabad, India.

She is not only the first Indian to win a medal in Badminton for India but she is also the top ranked player (women) in Indian Badminton history.She is also the highest paid non-cricketing sportsperson in India. There are many more records under her belt and she is just 22 right now.

So what is it that stands out in the case of Saina Nehwal? The biggest quality is the self -belief she has in her game, work ethic and coaching staff. It is this self-belief which has led her to penetrate the once considered invincible Chinese army in women’s badminton. She is one of the mentally strong females out there and this lack of fear of anyone has led her to achieve the rising heights in her field.

Saina won the bronze in the London Olympics, 2012

She recently said in her autobiography that she never thinks that she is up against a formidable Korean or Chinese. Whenever she plays them, she keeps reminding herself of the fact that she has defeated seniors who were 23-24 when she was just 13.

This lack of fear is what has enabled her to penetrate the Chinese territory and make herself a reckoning force in badminton today. If we look deep in the history of sports all over the world, it is this self- belief and lack of fear towards the best that has made them the champions in the world.

Be it Novak Djokovic who famously said in 2007 that he can beat Fedal or Saurav Ganguly who challenged the traditional politeness prevalent in the Indian Cricket team by his aggressive captaincy – one can find innumerable examples of champions who have believed in themselves and have reiterated that they can defeat the best of best in the game.

But the big question is how does this self-belief come? Is it just born in a single day or is it inherent? I believe that it is neither of those. It comes after one toils hard, day in and out overcoming daily obstacles to achieve their goal and to see those small improvements day by day. It comes when one has a strong work ethic and passion to get themselves up even after the many failures encountered.

One can listen to Saina Nehwal’s interviews or what her coach Pullela Gopichand has to say off his obedient student, you will be amazed to find that she has never missed a practice session or tried to take a short cut in her trainings. Her day starts off at 6 AM and she know that following the work ethic holds the key for achieving her goals. Even after her heart crushing loss in quarterfinals in 2008 Beijing Olympics, when she was asked to report for practice the following day by Gopichand at 6 AM, all she requested was “Can we start at seven instead of six”? (Taken from the book – Saina Nehwal: An Inspirational Biography by Sudhir T S).

Saina Nehwal is currently ranked World No.2

When I first read this, I wondered how such a thing was possible. She just came back from a devastating loss and it would have been ok to take a break for some time. Not many can sum up the courage to work the following day after a loss, determined to make sure the next time, they are successful. And in Saina’s case, it was exactly 4 years after: she achieved her dream of winning her medal in Olympics.

If this one example can give you a glimpse of Saina — her strong character, her willingness to work hard daily to make sure she is the best, her constant self-belief in her abilities — then I am sure you can now understand why I back her up when I say that “Yes, Indeed one day Saina Nehwal will be No.1 in the world.”

And what does Saina Nehwal herself have to say on this issue:

“The world No.1 is Chinese, with almost 12,000 points more than me. It is not easy to become world No.1. But I will try my best. Nothing is impossible. I have made many things possible, so I hope I can make this one too. The amount of hard work which I put in my game is really important. Motivation comes from winning and that is what keeps me going,”

So now I know why they say that “ALL THE GOOD STUFF IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TIRED”.

If you have any questions, You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

This article was first published by Apeksha HA at http://sports365blog.com/2013/02/15/the-iron-lady-of-india-saina-nehwal/

The greatness of the living legend called Roger Federer

                 “Greatness is not born, it grows”

It was 10^th September,2011 which made me look back and see Roger Federer in a new light. Before that, he was indeed the player who no doubt had this innate talent, who could do just about everything he wished to do on court. He was like the Harry Potter of the tennis court who could create magic with his tennis wand and leave everyone spellbound with the results achieved.

Until Wimbledon arrived where he lost in the quarterfinals and then  followed it with the heartbreaking and humiliating loss to Novak Djokovic after being up two match points. Everyone knew something was wrong. Most of the critics predicted the end of his career, citing the rise of new champions like Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. How can one forget Rafael Nadal who of course has been his arch nemesis on the court?

Federer’s arch nemesis- Rafael Nadal

At times I look at myself and think about the path I would have taken if in the same shoes?  One, I would have been to fall back on my laurels and continue to live on my past glories ignoring the signs of a breakdown somewhere and  just keep on trying to ignore the defeats as just another bad day in office. Another would have been to hang my racquet and move on to a new career. Last but not the least was another option which would have been to go back and reflect on what went wrong, work upon the weaknesses that had crept up in the game and come back rejuvenated.

What did Roger Federer do? Roger Federer took the famous six week break to do just what his wife Mirka had suggested and the rest is history. Since that break, he has won 8 titles, One Grand Slam and Olympic Silver Medal and claimed World No. 1 ranking in a span of 15 months.

To be exact: This is what Mirka told him: “It’s O.K. to lose one or two matches very closely, but you can’t start losing more and more and more. Then maybe something’s wrong in your corner. So you just have to question yourself and check with the entire team, see what everybody thinks.’

That is why I say greatness is not born, it grows. Mind you, we are talking about a player here who is 31.5 years old now and still there is no sign of wear and tear on his body.  Take a moment to pause and look at these facts:

1) Former World No. 1s like Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and John McEnroe were unable to win a Grand Slam past 30.

2) Rod Laver who won all four Slams at age 31, never made it to another major semi-final.

3) Federer played back to back 5 set matches in Australian Open 2013 and still didn’t complain of fatigue as the reason for loss in the semi-final. Andy Murray , 6 years younger than Federer, on the other hand after losing the finals complained about fatigue being one of the reason for the  loss since he had played Federer in a 5 set match in the semifinals.

I can go on and on about the records of Roger Federer and pages will not be enough.  Unlike Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, he was a late bloomer who won his first GS at the age of 22. Since then he has won 16 more grand Slams. What stands out to me is the commitment this great champion has shown even at the age of 30+ when the so called experts call it an age of retirement. Has this been an easy ride for him? Certainly not, what many fail to see is the effort that has gone into keeping Roger Federer as the player that he is today. Fit as a 20 year old and sharp as a razor, he still does two to four hours of intense training every day in the scorching heat of Dubai during off season and then add to it few more hours of fitness training with his team. Not to mention, he has to keep up his media commitments, commercials (according to Forbes Magazine, Federer is the second-most trusted athletic brand in the world) and at the same time is also a devoted family person who is happy to help his wife around the house, play with his twins and put them to sleep every night.

As the great Rod Laver once said, “There’s really no substitute for hard work, for putting in all that practice and time.” Roger Federer is no exception, his flawless tennis which continues to dazzle each and every one of us is a result of the hours and hours of practice that has gone in improving his game and fitness. Sure there are going to be times when he will suffer losses that will be frustrating, shocking, unexpected but the only way I see him reacting to such situations will be to grow even more and comeback even more determined to achieve his goals, to come up with results as extraordinary as he did in 2012 because Napoleon Hill once said: “Most great people have achieved their success just one step beyond the doors of failures.”

And in my mind: Roger Federer definitely falls in that category of people.

This article was first published at http://sports365blog.com/2013/02/07/the-greatness-of-the-living-legend-called-roger-federer/ by Apeksha HA

If you have any questions, you can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: From Michael Jordan to Roger Federer:The inevitable truth of failure and struggle to become the best.

Australian Open Final: Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray- What does the stats indicate?

We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.

Novak Djokovic in recent years has been an epitome of the above quote and the way he has stamped his authority in the Fedal era has not only been mind-blowing but in certain ways very inspiring for tennis players as well.

Andy Murray, who was known for his defensive game and attitude has turned the tables around and shown to the world that he is on the path of achieving his full potential. The way he played against Roger Federer today might just be a precursor to what’s in store for this Brit.

So what does the Australian Open stats say for the mouthwatering final on Sunday:

Stats	Novak Djokovic	Andy Murray
Aces	46	71
First Serve	66%	65%
1st Serve Points Won	80%	75%
2nd Serve Points Won	66%	53%
Net Points Won	74%	72%
Break Points Won	49%	54%
Receiving Points Won	43%	47%
Winners	233	203
Unforced Errors	157	162

*includes the SF data as well.

Believe it or not, but Murray’s return game has been better in this Australian Open. He has also served 71 aces as to a mere 46 of Djokovic. But there is one area where Murray seems to be outscored by Djokovic is in the winners hit (30 more winners) and the second serve points won.

To me everything will come down to who is strong mentally throughout the match. We know Djokovic is coming after losing 2 finals and 1 SF in the last 3 Grand Slams that he has played, which can play a little bit on his mind. Murray on the other hand showed to us that in spite of the improved game and mentality, he still is a bit fragile when it comes to taking full advantage.

Both players have the arsenal to become the Australian Open champion but the question is who it will be?

I would say – The person who will play big on the points, keep his composure and wither the ferocity of his rival because even rivers someday wash dams away.

Who knows history might repeat itself and just like Nadal in 2009,  Djokovic in 2011, 2013 might be the year where Andy Murray surprises us all?

Also : Thank You Roger Federer - A Letter to the Champion.

If you have any questions, you can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Thank You Roger Federer - A Letter to the Champion.

Success is not measured by whether you win, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.

You might have lost the Semi Final match today against Andy Murray but won the hearts of millions of viewers around the world. Yes, Andy Murray played well but to me what was heartening was to see your desire and the will power to take this match to 5 sets.

Clearly in the match, Andy was playing better but not once did I see your head dropping down or in other words giving up at any point in the match. You are just six months away from turning 32. Rewind it to 2 years back, and many people had predicted your doom. I can only imagine the intensity you were playing with.  I told myself, “Step back a moment and think about it. Close to 32 and still playing his heart out to win one more point.”

Today I was inspired by the way you played when everything looked gloomy. Your opponent had come out in firing form but still you never lost hope. So many times in our own lives, we lose hope and as soon as we face a setback, we give up on our goals thinking we will not be able to reach our destination. But not you today. You might have not reached your goal but the drive and the intensity is still there. You can see it in the eyes, movement and the spirit with which you played the match.

5-6 down in the fourth set and you could have easily given up considering the way Murray was playing. But then champions don’t do that and in my mind, there is no better a champion than you at present.

Lessons that I learnt from today's match are:

1) Age is just a number.

2) The drive and the intensity is what matters in life.

3) You might not win at first but you learn from your failure and come back stronger.

4) Never lose hope even though the situation might look hopeless.

5) A true champion does not give up in face of adversity.

6) An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men.

You might have lost but I feel privileged today to be able to watch your match.  What you taught us today will always be one of the precious gifts for a Federer fan. Keep your head up as I know that the champion that you are, you will come back stronger and better in the next GS. Failure can never overtake you because your determination to succeed is stronger and it will be foolish to underestimate the heart of a champion.

Thank You Roger Federer for the wonderful match today.

If you have any questions, you can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray - What does Australian Open Stats indicate?

“Be the Best in whatever you do”

Known to everyone, Roger Federer has nothing to prove in this regards as he is arguably the best in tennis ever. Andy Murray on the other hand showed us glimpses last year that he is on the verge of becoming the best in the tennis at present.

With the backing of Ivan Lendl, Andy Murray has transformed his defensive style to an offensive one. Not only this, he has also improved significantly in the area of mental fortitude. Roger Federer on the other hand does not require any introduction in this field. He is undoubtedly one of the most aggressive players in the history of tennis.

So then what will decide the fate of the most awaited clash in Australian Open?

In my opinion, it will be the numbers below which can show us a glimpse of what we might have in store. Here is a summary of how both these players have played so far in Australian Open 2013:

Stats	Roger Federer	Andy Murray
Aces	43	50
First Serve	65%	66%
1st Serve Points Won	82%	76%
2nd Serve Points Won	59%	48%
Net Points Won	79%	73%
Break Points Won	29%	58%
Receiving Points Won	40%	50%
Winners	189	141
Unforced Errors	139	115

  

Roger Federer:  Clearly we can see that he is way ahead of Andy Murray in terms of his service points, net points won and winners in the tournament so far (highlighted as yellow).

Andy Murray: He has a strong advantage in the form of being one of the best returners of the game and the numbers (highlighted as blue) also shows the same. In terms of unforced errors also, he is way behind Roger Federer.

Then one might ask what has these numbers told us?

The result is very clear to me:  The player who will attack his opponent where he is unprepared will be the one who will win.  IF Roger Federer is better in his return game than Andy Murray, he is the winner.

If Murray can come out and beat Roger in the area of service points won, he will be the winner.

As Sunzi had once said, Attack your opponent where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected”.  

Federer will come out thinking Murray’s service as a weak point in his arsenal and if he can attack that, he will win. Murray will think of Federer’s return game as a weak link. If Murray can attack and win more net points and service points than Federer, he will win.

If you don’t believe me, check out the stats for Wimbledon finals and Olympics finals. You will see what I am saying because in Wimbledon Federer outplayed Murray in return points and break points won. In Olympics, Murray outscored Federer in the service points and net points won.

Just a precaution: Don’t go by the age or three and a half hours QF match of Roger Federer because age is just a number and at this level, everyone is extremely fit to recover from a five hour match as well. By the way, Did anyone see Maria Sharapova's match yesterday - It can be the same for Andy Murray. Just saying:)

Who is your pick?

For the overall hard court stats, you can go on this link: 

The Big Three (Djokovic, Federer, Murray) & Del Potro- Statistical Precursor to Australian Open 2013 – Part 1

If you have any questions, you can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: Roger Federer & His Secret of Success.

Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30?