Tennis is similar to politics in that, even if you are winning, you cannot relax if you do not want to end up losing. And in that the level of demand is high, so that no one can get lost and even less lose tension. In his memoirs, André Agassi went so far as to write that he detested tennis, that he hated it and, despite this, he continued to hit the ball morning and evening: “This gulf between what I want to do and what I actually do seems to me the ‘essence of life’. Politicians could subscribe to this sentence talking about their job, because it is one thing what the body asks of them and another thing is what their obligations demand of them.
I really enjoyed watching the match between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. And I imagined these 23-J elections as a Grand Slam final. No one was giving a penny for Alcaraz after he got past the Serb in the first set. But the matches don’t end until the last point and the tennis player from Murcia, far from throwing in the towel, continued to take risks.
What seemed like a drama after the first forty minutes, ended up being a feat four hours later. I’m not saying that Sánchez is Alcaraz, or Feijóo, Djokovic, but that matches must be played to the end.
Alex Corretja, who is the TV commentator who reports tennis matches best, analyzed the virtues of the new Wimbledon champion on El món a RAC-1. From his words I have dared to write a decalogue of Alcaraz’s virtues, which could also be of political leadership:
1. Alcaraz believes he will win and is capable of achieving it.
2. He knows how to enjoy the most tense moments.
3. Get over it when things don’t go well.
4. He never loses confidence in himself.
5. Has the mental fortitude to rearm when the going gets tough. 6. Manage the different phases of the matches.
7. He does not despair in the face of the unforeseen.
8. Keep a smile on your face.
9. Do not underestimate the rival.
10. Never give up.
Anyway, let’s be aware that Spain is not exactly the All England Tennis Club in London. And that neither Sánchez nor Feijóo will say on Sunday night, like Djokovic, that “I lost against a better player”.
