Rafa: “Maybe he’ll beat me, but I’m not going to lose.”

At the 2008 Wimbledon final against Federer, Rafa told his uncle and coach Toni:

“Maybe he’ll beat me, but I’m not going to lose. Mentally, I’m going to be at 100% in every point.”

Toni had built this mindset in Rafa from a young age. His message was simple: 

“You can’t fail in concentration and motivation. Those things that depend on you and your mind, you can’t mess them up. They have to be at 100%.”

Some days your serve might not be there. Your backhand might feel off.

Those things happen.

But concentration and motivation are always in your hands.

You can control whether you’re fully focused on the next point. You can control whether you’re still moving your feet and fighting.

They don’t depend on your technique, your opponent, or the conditions.

They only depend on you.

Whatever happens on court, you can always give 100% mentally. 

P.S. “Rafa” is a great watch! There’s a lot to learn from his story. 🙂