With his recent success against Federer at the last Wimbledon final, Rafael Nadal shattered notions of his adversary’s invincibility. Although it took a long and rain-interrupted battle, Nadal won in the end. Fellow player Marat Safin believes that “To beat Federer you need to be Nadal and run around like a rabbit and hit winners from all over the place.” Surely there’s a lot of hard work behind all those remarkable aces and even his enviable fitness. So what makes the 22-year-old Spaniard a match for the indestructible Roger Federer? Some argue it’s his fitness and agility. Others believe it to be his powerful shots, but I believe it’s his passion and perseverance.

Nadal is an example of how will power, hard work and skill, along with a desire for perfection and precision, can make a difference. He turned pro in 2001 and has been nearly unbeatable since, giving his opponents a reason to fret. The six foot tall, left-handed player with a double-handed backhand has also proved his mettle at the French Open — he remains unbeaten there. Some say he is the best player of all time on clay.

Michael Jordan, one of basketball’s greatest, concedes that he “can accept failure... but [he] can’t accept not trying”. His career is testimony to this: he persisted till he got his shots perfect. His mind-boggling dunks and three-pointers were his reward for the hours he spent training. In his own words, “Success isn’t something you chase. It’s something you have to put forth the effort for constantly. Then maybe it’ll come when you least expect it.”

“Invincible” sportsmen like Roger Federer, Michael Schumacher or Tiger Woods are not superhuman; they are mortals with a strong desire for excellence.