The tennis court advantage

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love tennis.  I play any chance I get and can be found in the stands at professional tournaments around the world each year.  My personal (almost) Grand Slam year was 2008/2009 because I was fortunate enough to attend 3 of 4 Grand Slam tournaments (Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open) in a row. Next week, I will be in Wimbledon once again. 

Similar to business people, tennis legends have their ups and downs.  Much can be learned from their stories.  The sports rivalry between the world top two men tennis players, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, is the greatest in recent history.  The 2008 Wimbledon championship match between them,described by experts as epic, went on for a record breaking 4 hours and 48 minutes.  Federer was fighting to defend his 5 consecutive Wimbledon championship wins and Nadal was gunning to win the one Grand Slam tournament that had so far eluded him.  In the end, as night descended on Wimbledon’s main court, an exhausted Nadal emerged victorious.  Federer’s comment about his own loss was: "Probably my hardest loss, by far," Federer said. "I mean, it's not much harder than this right now."  And, on one of the best days and wins of his career, Nadal said: "I am very happy for me, but sorry for him, because he deserved this title too."

 

At this month’s 2009 French Open, Nadal (known as the king of the clay courts after 4 consecutive championship wins at the French Open) was surprisingly defeated in the semi-finals by the much lower ranked Robin Soderling of Sweden.  When Federer triumphed over Soderling in the finals, Federer won the first French Open title of his career.  His previous lack of a French Open win had cast a shadow over his otherwise stellar tennis career.  Commenting on his long-awaited win, Federer said: "I knew the day Rafa won't be in the finals, I will be there, and I will win.  I always knew that, and I believed in it.  That's exactly what happened," Federer said.  "It's funny.  I didn't hope for it.  But I believed in it.".   

 

What can we in the real estate industry learn from these tennis greats? Be a good sportsman: Treat your competitors and other members of the industry with respect and deal graciously.  You never know when the roles may be reversed. Seize opportunities: Bad times often present unique opportunities.  Our Real Estate Investment Advisory Group - Bridge Group- specializes in identifying often overlooked opportunities and in making things happen.  So give us a call! 

Think long-term: Since real estate is a cyclical industry, strategic planning is key.  A down market is a good time to press the reset button and re-examine business focus, marketing plans, and organizational structuring.  

 

Nadal recently announced that, due to tendinitis in both his knees, he will not be playing this year at Wimbledon which started this week.  Will this open the door to another win by Federer?  Or will a new contender for the Wimbledon crown emerge?  I’ll be watching from the stands.  Let the battle begin. 

For more information on Nadal and Federer see:  Nadal outlasts Federer in epic final to halt streak at five (Associated Press, July 6, 2008)http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/wimbledon08/news/story?id=3475473

Federer reigns in Paris – at long last (Reuters, June 7, 2009) http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090608/india_nm/india401512