Tennis: The Long Haul

Today, two great tennis players faced off in the longest singles match of all time, maybe even the greatest. Rafael Nadal (NAH-doll) beat Roger Federer (FEH-dur-ur) after Federer made a comeback from being two sets down in the Wimbledon championships. The whole thing—including two rain delays—took four hours, 48 minutes. Serious tennis fans are saying it’s a legendary battle that will be remembered forever.

Some people might say that a tennis match—or any sporting event—taking almost five hours is a waste of time and even quite boring. I disagree. I think that it is the longest games that show the best in great athletes because they have to prove that they can still be the best through any conditions. Many athletes may have moments of greatness that show up in the highlights later, but the true test is to see if they can keep cranking out those moments one after another even as their mind is telling them to stop and they realize that they’re in a place no one has been before by going so long.

Rafael (in the picture at left) and Roger are recognized as the two of the most talented stars in men’s tennis today. I think the only way to tell who was the better man was to really have a sort of athletic war between them, with enough time for each man to come up with a new strategy and then the other man to come up with something against it. They weren’t just players then, making up moves for the moment; they were in that moment true athletes, showing off how much they have worked to know this game to play with such perfection.

So the next time there’s a long-running tennis match (or any kind of game), I think its important for everyone watching it to remember the work it takes and admire the players for sticking with it and staying their best.