Persistence pays off

If you are a tennis fan, you may have been watching the amazing turn of events at Indian Wells this week as Roger Federer, the veteran of the game, claimed a record-tying fifth title at the tournament, lifting the trophy to the astonishment of players and commentators alike. This latest win continued his career resurgence following a six months break for knee surgery last year. Hereturned from that surgery to win his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. With this latest triumph, Federer became only the second man to win five Indian Wells titles, and at 35 years old, Federer is the oldest ATP player to win one of the elite Masters titles. So what’s the secret? Persistence - he has the ability keep going because he loves the game, to keep going no matter what the challenges, physical or mental, until he achieves that important end goal. A lack of persistence or “giving up too soon” is one of the most common reasons for failure in any endeavor - in sport or in business. Things will inevitably get tough, it’s part of the journey, but keeping going, persisting in the face of adversity, is what gets you to the finish line - just ask another tennis legend, Bjorn Borg. He said: “My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories.”