Federer rejects 'effortless' theory in graduation speech

Roger Federer declared nan main reasons for his occurrence were "grit" and difficult graft arsenic he rejected nan mentation his tennis crippled was "effortless".

Federer, 1 of sport's highest achievers, looked to group nan grounds consecutive arsenic he delivered a graduation speech, external astatine Dartmouth College successful nan United States.

The Swiss swapped nan shorts he had worn "almost each time for nan past 35 years" for a clothes that was "hard to move in" arsenic he said erstwhile receiving a Doctor of Humane Letters grade from nan New Hampshire institution.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner, who hung up his master racquet successful 2022, talked astir really "awful" he finds nan connection 'retired'.

He said he had alternatively "graduated tennis" and, for illustration those he was speaking to, had "finished 1 large thing" and was "moving connected to nan next".

The 42-year-old past went connected to present 3 "tennis lessons" he had "relied connected done this transition", which he identified as:

Federer won Wimbledon 8 times and was renowned for nan stylish and elegant quality of his game.

"People would opportunity my play was effortless. Most of nan time, they meant it arsenic a compliment," he said successful Sunday's ceremony. "But it utilized to frustrate maine erstwhile they would say, 'He hardly collapsed a sweat', or, 'Is he moreover trying?'.

"The truth is, I had to activity very difficult to make it look easy.

"I didn't get wherever I sewage connected axenic talent alone. I sewage location by trying to outwork my opponents.

"Most of nan time, it's not astir having a gift. It's astir having grit."

On his 2nd instruction astir it being "only a point", Federer explained it was imaginable to "work harder than you thought imaginable and still lose", for illustration he had, arsenic "tennis is brutal".

He referenced his celebrated five-set conclusion by Rafael Nadal successful nan 2008 Wimbledon last and commented that "in tennis, perfection is impossible", pinch him having won 80% of 1,526 singles matches.

"When you suffer each 2nd point, connected average, you study not to dwell connected each shot," said Federer.

"When you're playing a point, it is nan astir important point successful nan world.

"But erstwhile it's down you, it's down you. This mindset is really crucial, because it frees you to afloat perpetrate to nan adjacent constituent and nan adjacent 1 aft that pinch intensity, clarity and focus.

"You want to go a maestro astatine overcoming difficult moments. That to maine is nan motion of a champion."

When speaking astir his 3rd instruction that "life is bigger than nan court", Federer said from nan commencement of his profession he saw really "tennis could show maine nan world but tennis could ne'er beryllium nan world".

He added: "I’m present to show you from nan different broadside of graduation that leaving a acquainted world down and uncovering caller ones is incredibly, deeply, wonderfully exciting."