Hey chaps. I was at The O2 last week watching live Roger Federer vs Stefanos Tsitsipas semi finals in the context of the ATP Finals 2019 in London. This is the mecca of Tennis. Best 8 players of the year in one tournament. Insane level of tennis. This is the biggest reward at the end of the year. I need to share my experience with you!

It was another grey day in London but full of emotions as the great Roger Federer was competing for a place in the Finals. Kristina and I arrived at the Greenwich Peninsula area around 10.00 am. Oh yes, 2 hours before the doubles and 4 hours before the singles. Tennis fan detected.

the o2 stadium
The O2 Arena in London

I must admit that I was also excited about Doubles because the top team Cabal/Farah from Colombia were playing. They had an amazing season achieving 5 titles. Would it be the 6th one for them?

nitto atp finals
Afternoon Session Schedule

It was not meant to be as the South African-Kiwi team ended up winning 6-7(5), 7-6(10), 10-6. They recovered from a 0-4 in the 2nd set tie-break and even saved 2 match points. I was supporting the Colombian team as I truly wanted to see them lifting the trophy, although I enjoyed watching such a high quality match.

doubles session
Klaasen / Venus reaching the title match

Before starting with the most important match of the day, worth mentioning we saw the Nitto ATP Finals Afternoon Semi-Finals Session from the Marriott Bonvoy™ Luxury Suite at The O2. This was a great gift from Marriott Bonvoy™ Moments. Disclaimer: I’m not getting paid by Marriott and this is purely my honest opinion.

marriott bonvoy moment
Marriott Bonvoy™ Luxury Suite at The O2

Let’s go straight to the point. Stefanos Tsitsipas who won the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2018 defeated Roger Federer 6-3 6-4 and ended up being the last man standing at 2019 ATP Finals on his debut. The Greek tennis player is called to be at the pinnacle of tennis with Alex Zverev for the upcoming years, in fact, the transition is happening right now as 2019 showed great results for the so-called Next Gen. Yet to be seen in 2020 if they can step in during the Grand Slams. But that’s another story. Roger surely had his chances with 12 break points but only converted 1, whereas Stefanos’ conversion rate was at 75% (3/4). On the other hand, Stefanos took the ball very early, had some great returns and showed mental strength during all those break points that he faced. Pretty impressive for a 21-year-old guy facing the pressure of the Big 3.

london atp finals
London has been the home of the Nitto ATP Finals since 2009

I’ve been lucky enough to watch Federer many times live and every match I take it as a learning experience. I’ve learnt:

  • You’re never too old to achieve what you really want if you work hard and smart enough. How many records does he have?
  • You need to understand there is and will always be ups and downs. Remember his injury and comeback winning the Australian Open?
  • You have to trust on your abilities but don’t get lazy and keep adjusting and improving where possible. How did he manage to find the way to start winning against Rafa and competing against Novak?
  • You should try to find your balance. This means spending time not only at the gym/work but also with your family, friends, people that you trust and can give you constructive feedback. Do you think it was easy for him to handle this during his career?