Every morning, as I drive to the tennis club I’ve been directing for years, I enjoy listening to the deep reflections of Don Antonio Mazzi on the radio. His words always fill me with positive energy, helping me face the daily challenges ahead.
A few days ago, Don Antonio shared a thought from Don Primo Mazzolari (1890-1959), encouraging all listeners to reflect on it for the week:
“A man is evaluated by what he lacks.” 💡
Back when I was still playing competitively—between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras, as I jokingly like to say—I had a personal “nemesis” on the court. This opponent seemed to have my number every time we played. He systematically attacked my weak points, exhausting me with drop shots and lobs, and suddenly rushing the net with deep backhand slices that barely rose off the ground, much like Giuliano Ferrara trying to get out of a chair! 😅
To top it all off, he had an uncanny ability to steal crucial points with incredible cheekiness, testing the limits of my mental control. At the time, I absolutely hated him. But today, from a more mature perspective, I consider him one of the greatest teachers I could have asked for.
The Greatest Teacher is the One Who Exposes Your Flaws
This opponent, with his cynical tactics, exposed every gap in my game that I needed to improve to become a better player. You can’t imagine how many thousands of kilometers I ran to improve my fitness or how many hours I spent hitting backhands against a wall, with his irritating face burned into my mind.
Eventually, after years of effort, I finally beat him in a tournament. I ran for two hours like a hare, passing him consistently with my backhand every time he rushed the net. And mentally, I didn’t flinch at his childish and dishonest attempts to manipulate the score. 🏃♂️
The look of disbelief on his face at the end of the match, his stunned expression, and his gaze lost in the void are among my most cherished memories from my competitive days. Without him, I might not have had the same burning motivation to work so relentlessly on my psychological, physical, and technical weaknesses.
What We Lack Defines Us
We can conclude that a tennis player, like any person, is truly evaluated by what they lack. And only those who are mentally strong and mature can recognize their shortcomings and work hard to improve them.
In tennis, as in life, it’s not about never making mistakes. The winner isn’t the one who plays perfectly, but the one who makes fewer errors. Success belongs to the less imperfect.
Final Thoughts
So, the next time you face an opponent who seems to expose all your flaws, remember that they are doing you a favor. They are showing you the path to improvement, revealing the areas of your game (or life) that need work. Embrace these lessons, and instead of feeling defeated, use them as fuel to become the best version of yourself. 🌟