The Top Ten Tennis Tips of All-Time Part Three: Champions Do Not Fear Success By By Dr. Dr. Tom Tom Ferraro Ferraro
Some players that lose are actually afraid to try harder out of fear they may fail again. We call this a fear of success.
n the Oscar winning film, “Amadeus”, there were two main characters, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Salieri. In the last scene, we see Salieri being wheeled through the insane asylum exclaiming himself to be the “Prince of Mediocrity”. This film demonstrated how champions win and the rest find mediocrity. Champions do not fear success. Champions strive for supremacy, but
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most others unconsciously strive for mediocrity though they are not aware of that. Let me explain. Many have heard about the “fear of success”, but few understand what it means and how common it is. I am sure you have seen athletes who seem to quit at the slightest hint of failure. They become passive, weak, and somber and play as if they are simply going through the motions. And that is exactly what they’re
doing. They have quit and silently wait for failure to arrive. Here is why this occurs. Many athletes, including tennis players, have gone through upsetting losses in the past that have made them feel inferior and weak. And for some ambitious athlete this disappointment is intolerable. So intolerable in fact that they refuse to experience it ever again. Instead, they set up an unconscious attitude of
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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2022 • LITennisMag.com
