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This year, Darmouth University graduates got a speech from none other than Roger Federer. The Swiss tennis legend was the guest speaker at this year’s Dartmouth University graduation. Federer gave graduates a speech full of wisdom and humility, one that quickly went viral due to some of the great advice that he provided.
Federer compared the moment that graduates are going through with the moment he’s experiencing in his real life. “So I never went to college... but I did graduate recently. I graduated tennis,” he said. “I know the word is ‘retire.’ ‘Roger Federer retired from tennis.’ Retired... The word is awful. You wouldn’t say you retired from college, right? Sounds terrible.”
“Like you, I’ve finished one big thing and I’m moving on to the next. Like you, I’m figuring out what that is. Graduates, I feel your pain. I know what it’s like when people keep asking what your plan is for the rest of your life. They ask me: ‘Now that you are not a professional tennis player, what do you do?’ I don’t know… and it’s O.K. not to know.”
The importance of perspective
Federer also spoke about the importance of perspective, putting his career as an example. While he’s one of the most decorated tennis players in the world, having won 80% of his matches, he’s only won 54% of the points he played. “When you’re playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world. But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you,” he said. “This mindset is really crucial, because it frees you to fully commit to the next point… and the next one after that…”
He concluded his speech by revealing what the true sign of a champion is, something that can be applied in every aspect of a person’s life. “Negative energy is wasted energy. You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That to me is the sign of a champion.”