Tennis and Management: Strategy under pressure

Working purposefully does not always mean winning.
Sometimes you win. Other times you lose the final.

More often than we like to admit, you don't even get there.

In December, I wrote about the half-marathon in Egypt and how capacity is built over time, stone by stone, and can be retrieved when needed. I also took that reflection here with me.

During the Australian Open recently, I got to see Novak Djokovic knock out Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals. A new generation at full speed - and the "old" champion who still finds a way to victory. Great as a winner.

Two years ago, I sat close to the court in Paris during the Olympics and watched Djokovic win over arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Gold. The only medal he was missing. The culmination of a life's work.

This year, in Melbourne, I experienced much of the same, but with the opposite outcome. In the final, Djoko lost to "Carlitos" after a brutal, close and physical match.
Two moments. Same performers. Two completely different results.

What made the strongest impression this time was not just the tennis – it is in a league of its own – but what came after the match.

In a sport where "only victories count", at least for Djokovic, he delivered an interview characterized by dignity, gratitude and respect. For his team. For the opponent. For the audience. For the journey. Great - even as a loser.

Djokovic er av mange regnet som the GOAT. Samtidig er han en av de mest kontroversielle skikkelsene i moderne tennis. Emotional. Stubborn. Principled. Kritisk til systemer og rammer, som blandt annet kostet ham dyrt som under covid-perioden og boikotten av Australian Open. Likevel er det slående hvor elsket og respektert han er, også nettopp i Australia. For the game. For mental strength. For viljen til å stå i motvind. Jeg kjenner ingen annen som er mer rå på dette enn han.

As an active tennis player myself – and this is the sport I love most, out of many – this hits particularly well. I recognize the work behind it: the hours on the field, the adjustments, the frustration, the repetitions. Tennis is brutally honest. You stand alone on the field with the responsibility, but you never succeed alone over time.

This is something the tennis world is often good at showing off. Many players on the tour are good at lifting the team around them and showing respect for competitors. In other sports, unfortunately, we often see the opposite, where this disappears when the pressure becomes great.

And Alcaraz. What a performer!
An artist. Creative, brave and playful - at the same time extremely purposeful. He creates enthusiasm and love for the sport. It is also a form of achievement.

For me, this is not just about tennis.
It's about the path to becoming number one - in sport, work and life. About enduring the contrasts between victory and defeat. And about continuing to invest in the process - as I also experienced in the marathon.

The transfer value to working life and management is greater than many people think.