Jennifer Capriati: The Stuff that Champions are Made

In 1990, at the tender age of fourteen, Jennifer Capriati was adored as the emerging super star in the American women (lawn) tennis. And sure enough, her admirers, fans and bookmakers were right. At sixteen, she won an Olympic championship medal.

However, her success was short-lived as she fell off the tennis radar to bottom level. And for years, her impact was not felt. But this Olympic medalist was determined to top the world tennis ranking.

From a very lowly No. 267, Jennifer fought her way through, like a wounded lion to become number one in the world tennis ranking in 2002.

Three months prior to the Melbourne Australian Open finals in January 2002, which she won to earn the number one world ranking, she told reporters that it was never too late to realize your talent or your dream.

In that memorable tournament, Capriati was losing 4-6, 4-0 to Martina Hingis. It appeared there was no hope for her, but she was determined to fight on. She kept fighting until she turned the table against Hingis, winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Thus, at age 25, in what was described as one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history, Capriati rose from No. 267 to No.1 in world tennis ranking!

Jennifer Capriati is no doubt the stuff that champions are made of! She has demonstrated that there is nothing one wants to achieve that one cannot achieve. She has demonstrated that there is hope when there seems to be no hope. She has demonstrated that it is not over yet until it is over.

Dear reader, what is your goal? What is your ambition? What is it you want to achieve that look impossible? I am here to assure you that you can realize your dream. You can achieve whatever you want to achieve. You can break records that are yet to be broken.

Here is the blueprint you can use to win in the game of life:

1.   Understand What is at Stake

Capriati understood what was at stake. Earlier in her teens, she was already on her way to stardom. In fact, at age 16, she became an Olympic champion. However, somewhere along the line, she lost focus and performed woefully, pushing her down to the bottom of the world tennis ranking.

This is a common phenomenon with most super stars! But it is their ability to come back stronger and greater that really makes them champions. What was at stake for Capriati was the championship. And in a championship fight, where thousands of contestants are doing the best they can to emerge victorious, it is only those who have the stuff which champions are made of that will be victorious.

After falling off the tennis radar, Capriati found herself at the crowded bottom. In fact, from the lowly No. 267 in the world ranking, she knew that getting to the top was not going to be easy. She knew that she was going to face strong contestants who would stretch her to the core. Understanding what was at stake enabled her to thoroughly prepare to fight her way through to the top.   

Dear reader, have you sat down to consider what is at stake to get to the pinnacle of your career? Are you willing to put in all the efforts that will get you to the top?

UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AT STAKE TO GET TO THE TOP, YOU ARE NOT YET READY FOR STARDOM. Understanding what is at stake will help you to plan, prepare and make the necessary sacrifice to get to where you want to go.

To be a champion therefore it is important that you sit down to calculate the cost. Can you pay the cost? Are you willing to pay the cost?

2.   Resolve to Fight On

Capriati knew full well that moving from No. 267 to No. 1 in the world tennis ranking was not going to be a “bread and butter affair.” She knew it was not going to be a tea party either. But she was neither intimidated nor discouraged.

She calculated the price she was going to pay to move from the bottom to the top, and she made up her mind that she would fully pay the price. The price she was going to pay was that she would fight and conquer every opponent that she met on her way until she snatched the No. 1 spot from every contender.

With this determination, she turned herself to a super woman, overpowering other hot contenders before getting to the top. When a person is fully prepared for stardom, and he is set to do all he can to get there, powers which she never dreamed she possessed will leap to her assistance.

Capriati was propelled by a force she never dreamt she possessed. She was therefore able to fight on until she eventually climbed to the top. This is the very stuff that champions are made. Champions may suffer defeat, but they never give up. 

The Ghanaians have a way of putting it. They would say: “Never say die until the bones are rotten.” What this implies is that you must fight to the last drop of your blood. It implies that you do the best you can until you can no longer continue in the fight.

It is this doggedness, this fighting spirit that turned Capriati to a super woman! When you have a fighting spirit, you become unmatchable, unrivalled, and unbeatable! Every opposition will crash and crumble at your feet!

Remember what Capriati told the press three months prior to her crucial match against strong contender, Martina Hingis? She said: “It is never too late to realize your talent or your dream.”

This, again, is the stuff that champions are made! Dear friend, what are you saying concerning your ability to gun for stardom? Are you saying you are finished? Or are you saying it is not over yet until it is over? The ball is in your court. But when you choose to fight on, you will acquire the power to become a superman, knocking out every opposition on your way to stardom.

3.   Be Committed and Focus

 Unpleasant situations, defeat, and failure are negative factors that are capable of weakening the morale of any would-be champion. Things may go from bad to worse. The game may turn against you, but it is your ability to remain focused and committed that will earn you the victory.

Martina Hingis was not in any way an underdog to Capriati. In fact, in their crucial match in January 2002 in the Melbourne Australian Open Finals, Hingis was leading 6-4, 4-0, but the irrepressible Capriati reinforced and turned the table against Hingis, winning the match, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

The Super Eagles (Nigeria’s National soccer team) of yesteryears is a good example of the stuff that champions are made of. In most of its crucial matches, it would start the match leaving the opposing team to have an upper hand.

In most cases, it would concede at least one goal to the opposing team before turning on its super power! Conceding one or more goals never weakened the morale of the Super Eagles team; rather, it strengthened it. If a team scored against the Super Eagles, be sure that it would level the score and probably go on to win in the end.

It was very rare to score the Super Eagles without turning back to level the score and win! Its focus was always on victory and so, no matter the number of goals a team scored against it, the team should not relax, because it would come back into the game stronger and hungrier for victory. This is the stuff that champions are made of!

To the champion, defeat is the tonic he drinks to empower himself for victory. A champion does not give up because the opponent is gaining the upper hand. A champion does not lose his head when he is losing. A champion is always focused and committed.

Dear friend, have you suffered some loss, defeat or failure and you are discouraged and contemplating quitting? Then, take a cue from the Super Eagles. Also take a cue from Capriati. At the brink of losing to Hingis, she did not lose her head. She was focused, she was committed.

She lost the first game to Hingis, she was about losing the second game, but she turned on her “super power” and won the second and third game! This is the stuff that champions are made! IT IS YOUR ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER EVERY DEFEAT THAT MAKES YOU A CHAMPION. IT IS YOUR ABILITY TO KEEP YOUR HEAD WHEN THE SITUATION IS GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE THAT MAKES YOU A CHAMPION.

NO MATTER HOW HOPELESS THE SITUATION MAY LOOK, NEVER LOSE HOPE. THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK STRONGER AND VICTORIOUS IS ALWAYS THERE! You are a champion yet to be unveiled. This is why you must not quit.

Like Capriati, to win in the game of life, you must:

1.   Understand what is at stake;

2.   Resolve to fight on; and

3.   Be committed and focused.

And until I come your way soon, choose to fight on and you will end up victorious in the end! 

Dear friend, 

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