No one do I respect and admire more in the men’s tennis game(except maybe my idol Rafa) than David Ferrer. At 5 feet 9 inches (probably more like 7 or 8 inches), about 160 pounds soaking wet, 30 years old, the guy is an absolute animal. He truly epitomizes what it means to get the most out of your given talents. Ferrer is the quintessential example of a great competitor who never complains, never doesn’t give his absolute all on every single point. He exemplifies what hard work, perseverance, and tenacity can get you in life.
Ferrer is not as strong as Tsonga, not as tall as Delpo or
Sod or Isner, not as fast in a sprint as Murray, doesn’t serve like Fed or
Roddick, yet day in and day out, week in and week out all over the world there
he is in the quarters or semi’s or winning the whole tournament. He almost never gets upset by someone
below him, and he seems not to get discouraged by the fact that he simply does
not have the fire power to win a major or beat the big three. He also rarely gets hurt or tired
because of the amazing amount of hard work her puts in off the court.
It has to be frustrating to be the fifth best player in the
world having never been to a slam final or never having won a Masters 1000
tourni. Yet Ferrer seems to know
he is getting the most out of his gifts and he never mopes or whines. He simply goes about his business like
a true professional. He gets after
it without any ego or hang-ups, and he has earned the genuine respect of
everyone in the game. Part of me
feels bad for him, always losing in some grueling clay court final to Rafa, or
being pounded in the semi’s of some hard court tournament versus Djoko, or
served off the court at Wimby versus Fed, but then part of me says….hey, he is
a millionaire, he is dong what he loves every day, and he is getting every
ounce out of his potential.
It is all how you choose to look at it. Like so much of life. Ferrer seems to make the choice to look
at his glass so that he feels blessed, grateful, and lucky. He does not choose to look at his
situation in a manner that would frustrate or discourage him. He actively makes that choice, just
like he chooses to work his butt off every point (and I am sure every minute of
every practice session). I can
only imagine what is practice workout routine is.
I look at Ferrer and think to myself, what could Tsonga do
with that work ethic and toughness?
Where would Monfils be if he had the head and heart of Ferrer? Berdych surely would have won multiple
slams. Soderling would be a
multiple slam champ. You take
those guys’ tools and weapons and give them to Ferrer and he may have 10 or
more slam titles. He shows me that
it is much more important and significant to make the most of your talents than
to be born with talent.
Ferrer shows me
that sports and life are more about work ethic, attitude, and a willingness to
grow and persevere than about God-given gifts. Ferrer shows me that I will take consistent goodness over
occasional greatness any day.
Ferrer shows me that you can defy what people tell you (I am sure he has
been told he could never get to 5 in the world at a time with three of the best
ever and be there at age 30) if you are willing to work and believe in
yourself. Ferrer shows me that if
you give everything you have, not only will you earn the respect and admiration
of everyone who knows you, but you will also feel pretty darn good about
yourself at the end of the day.
We could all use a little Ferrer in us.
AD OUT.
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