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Roger Federer He is an inspiring figure. The Swiss rose, for more than two decades, as one of the most elegant and extraordinary tennis players in history. He officially retired in September 2022, probably the greatest racket sport ambassador of all time. Today, at 42 years old, he enjoys what he has harvested for so long. With four children, he enjoys his day-to-day life in his various business activities. But a few hours ago he was the protagonist of a moving graduation speech (25 minutes) at Dartmouth College, a university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. “The best are not because they win all the points, but because they learned to lose,” was one of the messages expressed by the Swiss.
Members of Dartmouth’s Class of 2024 first arrived on campus during the Covid-19 pandemic, “they lived and learned in politically turbulent times, showing extraordinary resilience over the past four years,” the university noted. But on the day of their graduation, “they managed to celebrate their achievements in front of an audience of 11,000 people who withstood a rainy morning to share the moment with them and also listen to the great tennis player Roger Federer. Another 7,700 watched the live broadcast.”
Dartmouth College awarded more than 1,150 degrees to undergraduates from 49 states, Puerto Rico, Washington, and 42 other countries, and 902 graduate or professional degrees. Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon champion and philanthropist, offered what he called three “tennis lessons, broadly applying his time-tested sporting philosophy to life’s most daunting challenges.”
First, Federer asserted that the “effortless” belief is a myth. “People would say my game was easy,” noted Roger, known for his academic technical style on the court. But he stated that he “worked hard to perfect” his technique and to be patient and disciplined, and that he is very proud of the victories he achieved when the competition became fierce. “Because they show that you can win not only when you are at your best, but especially when you are not. Most of the time it’s not about having a gift. It’s about having courage,” said Federer, winner of 103 titles, twenty of them Grand Slam titles.
Federer’s second lesson was that “perfection is impossible.” And he expanded: “In the 1,526 individual matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches (1,251), but only 54% of the points I played. When you play a point it is the most important thing in the world. But the truth is, whatever game you play in life, sometimes you’re going to lose. A point, a game, a season, a job: it is a roller coaster, with many ups and downs.”
Third, Federer reminded the audience that the world is much bigger than one thinks. “Even when I was in the top five, for me it was important to have a rewarding life, full of travel, culture, friendships and, especially, family,” commented the Swiss, former number 1 in the ranking. Motivated by his mother, Lynette, Federer, who has dual citizenship in Switzerland and South Africa, formed a foundation when he was just 22 to support children with disabilities through education and enabled nearly 3 million children in Switzerland and six southern African countries obtain “quality education” and helped train more than 55,000 teachers.
“I never went to university, because I left school at 16 to play professionally. But I recently graduated from tennis, I know what the word means. Just like you, I finished a big project and am moving on to the next. Just like you, I’m still trying to figure out which one it is. “I know what it feels like when people ask, what is your plan for the rest of your life,” said Federer, who received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his philanthropic work.
“I’m very excited to be here, you have no idea. Keep in mind that this is the second time in my life that I have set foot on a university campus. But for some reason you guys are going to give me a bachelor’s degree. I came to give a speech but I will go home as Doctor Roger,” he smiled. “This has to be my most unexpected victory. Thank you for this enormous pride, I am incredibly grateful,” he concluded and an ovation, one more, poured out before him, now at an American university.
THE NATION
