Roger Federer did not win a single tournament between 2013 and 2016.

Yet, in 2017, at the age of 37, he won 54 matches and lost only 5, achieving the best winning percentage of his career. How did he do it?

In the first year of his slump, Federer tried to recapture his old form by doing what had always worked for him. He kept pushing himself, but it only led to repeated injuries and underperformance.

After a year and a half of struggles, he came to a pivotal realization: he wasn’t the same player he once was—age had changed him.

Though Federer had aged physically, his mental strength remained intact. He doubled down on his core values: competition, mastery, and his love for the game of tennis.

Federer then made bold changes to his habits—like sticking to a Wilson racket he had used since he was 15, playing from the baseline, relying on a two-handed backhand, and training seven days a week—were no longer serving him.

To align with his values and adapt to his current reality, he started playing at the net more to shorten points and reduce wear and tear on his body.

Roger overhauled his training regimen, prioritizing rest and recovery. He even switched to a new racket, embracing change to extend his career.

It worked, and he continued to perform at the highest level well into his 40s.

1. Reflect and cultivate a fluid sense of self.

2. View your identity as neither entirely fixed nor completely amorphous.

3. Stay true to your core values while evolving your habits to remain in the game.

These insights are from the book Master of Change by renowned performance coach Brad Stulberg.

I also enjoyed listening to Roger Federer’s commencement speech at Dartmouth. Here are three key takeaways.

1. People who succeed know they’ll lose again and again, and have learned how to deal with it.

2. When you’re playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world. But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you. This mindset is really crucial, because it frees you to fully commit to the next point, and the next point after that, with intensity, clarity and focus.

3. In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80%,” he said. “What percentage of points do you think I won in those matches? Only 54% ... When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot.

Focus on being fully present in the moment. It's impossible to be right all the time, but aim to be just a little more right than wrong.

That is it for today, take it easy until next time.

Note: Views are personal. My blogs are “Notes to Self”—a way to bookmark inspirations, learning, and random ponderings.

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