In these days, it’s difficult to fully understand the true meaning of success. For some, it’s about winning tournaments, having a lot of money in the bank, being recognized on the street, closing big deals, or being the president of a major company. For others, success is about becoming the best version of yourself, achieving the goals you’ve set, or simply being happy and living your dreams.
For me, success is about happiness, evolution, dignity, and gratitude.
When I was 9 years old, I began competing in city tournaments. Almost every time, I ended up losing with a clear 6/0, 6/0 score against Enrico Palomba. It happened so often that I started to believe it would always be the same. In one particular tournament, playing against Palomba at the Castello Club, I managed to win my first game. I still lost 6/0, 6/1.
On the way home, my father, who usually didn’t say much after a loss, stopped the car in front of a pizzeria. I, not understanding, asked, “What are we celebrating?”
He replied, “We’re celebrating the game you played. Let me explain inside.”
When the pizza arrived, he helped me understand the real meaning of success and how I could achieve it.
“Fer, in every match I’ve seen you play, you’ve only competed against your opponent. In all those matches, you’ve looked little inside yourself; you’ve only thought about the result and winning. Success doesn’t appear out of nowhere; it comes from the process. Today, for some reason, you’ve competed against yourself. Today, you’ve built a way of playing. It’s still little, but it’s already an achievement. If you understand that the real competition is with yourself, the results will come more often and will be greater.”
These wise words helped me realize that the true competition is with ourselves, and the opponent is just a reference point, never the final goal.
This lesson has stuck with me throughout my life and tennis career. True success is not simply about external validation or winning a match. It’s about evolving, learning from each moment, and continuously striving to become a better version of yourself. When you compete against yourself, the victories—both big and small—come naturally. And the most important part? They are all part of a larger process of personal growth and self-discovery.
by Meligeni