I started teaching and coach in 1985 and one of my early mentors was a tennis fan and loved to talk to me about Ivan Lendl. No matter what happened in a tennis match, nothing flustered Lendl. My mentor loved this quality and used to always say, "that's why Lendl wins...nothing bothers him. Most kids today didn't get to watch Lendl, but he was the most dominant male tennis player of the 1980's ranked #1 from 1983 through 1990. He still is the most unflappable athlete I have ever watched in any sport.
I was cheering all year for the Golden State Warriors. I have loved watching Steph Curry play, and he is the model for me of so many good things in sports. But when Steph Curry threw that mouth piece at the end of Game #6 I thought, it's over for Golden State. They broke Ivan Lendl's rules of championship composure. This team was showing all the signs of melting down and sure enough they completed the melt down Sunday night.
None of us are perfect. We are all human. But if you want to be a champion, watch some Lendl. I have posted a good example below from the 1992 US Open. This is late in Lendl career and going into the tournament he is the 9th seed. He works his way into the quarterfinals against Stefan Edberg the #2 seed and they go to 5 sets. Edberg wins the 5th set but the way they get to that 5th set is classic Lendl. Playing every point. Never giving up. Staying even keeled throughout. Click on the link and watch the end of one of the great games in Lendl's career where he fights off 4 match points to go to a fifth set.
How to Save 4 Match Points -- 1992 US Open
I hope Steph Curry will be Ivan Lendl in the future.
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