The coach, the Polynesian Island and the Spaniard: The art of being a loser

Steve Darcis of Belgium shakes hands at the net with Rafael Nadal of Spain after their Gentlemen’s Singles first round match on day one of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

Losing in straight sets to Belgian Steve Darcis, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal crashed out of the first round of Wimbledon in shocking fashion after struggling with the transition from clay to grass. It was obvious to all watching that Nadal was clearly hindered by his bandaged right knee. The Spaniard’s Achilles heel, so to speak, was clearly causing him a lot of discomfort and no doubt played a significant part in Nadal’s surprising defeat. Ever the professional, however, Nadal refused to use the knee problems, which also led to last year’s Wimbledon exit, as an excuse for the defeat.

Addressing his defeat after the game, he said: “There were not a lot of good things for me. I tried my best all the time I had my chances but I did not make it. It is difficult to adapt your game on grass. Now is not the right time to talk about my knee. The only thing I can do is congratulate my opponent. It is not a tragedy, I lost, it is sport.”

This was Nadal’s first ever first round exit from a major tournament, and he would probably have been excused for nursing his pride and blaming his woes on the injured knee. But Rafa wouldn’t stoop to that level. His body is letting him down, which must be unbelievably frustrating to a man who is still such a fierce competitor. To his credit, though, he did not let that frustration surface at any stage of the proceedings. He didn’t sulk during the match, he paused for autographs at the end and he maintained his composure and dignity in the post-match press conference. The 2 time Wimbledon champion went out with a lot of pride and a lot of class.

Our three examples are not the only sportsmen that can take a defeat well, but they serve a a prime example to everyone in all sports and in life in how to approach a defeat. Anyone can be a good winner, but it takes something altogether more difficult, and much more commendable, to be a good loser.