Chapter 737 Precious Failure
The third game at the O2 Stadium was the second men's doubles semi-final, and the Bryan brothers were about to take the stage.
The Bryan brothers have been active in the professional tour for many years and have friends all over the world. It seems that Wawrinka should have some private friendship with them.
"Where are Bob and Mike?"
Just before entering the locker room, Gao Wen waved to Bob from a distance and said hello, "They are doing their final muscle stretching. The game should be about to start."
The duration of this men's singles semi-final was much longer than expected. Looking at the previous group matches, we can see that the schedule of the O2 Stadium is always more than enough, but today it seemed a bit tight. The men's singles semi-final had just ended, and the venue had to be cleared and the audience arranged to enter.
The players will then take the stage.
“…”Wawrinka did not respond.
The conversation just started, and then fell into silence.
Apparently, Wawrinka is not good at such social small talk, and a good topic can be killed directly -
I have to say, this is also a kind of ability.
Gao Wen thought about it and took the initiative to say, "Good luck in today's game!"
"Thank you." Wawrinka replied sullenly, and didn't say anything else, cutting off Gawain's next words in his stomach.
Then Gao Wen stood up and prepared to pack his things, but Wawrinka's voice came from the corner again.
“Actually, losing is a good thing.”
Wawrinka still had his back to Gawain, and seemed to be talking to himself. His words were a little flustered and a little dull, but the volume was loud enough to echo clearly in the locker room, so much so that Gawain was not sure whether he should respond.
"I don't mean to like losing, I just mean..."
"Well...only when you have truly experienced failure can you remember the pain. Even if someone tells you a thousand or ten thousand times, it is not as painful as experiencing it once."
“Only those who have failed know how to succeed.”
These simple words seemed fragmented, and it was difficult to accurately capture the meaning of Wawrinka's words. His harsh tone was not very friendly either.
If someone doesn’t know Wawrinka, they might think that Wawrinka is gloating and being sarcastic. Who would comfort someone who just lost the game like this?
But Gawain knew that Wawrinka didn't.
What Wawrinka meant was,
Only those who have truly experienced failure know how to fight back when faced with absolute difficulties; only those who have truly experienced tragic failure know that there are always people better than you and that there is always room for improvement; only those who have truly experienced failure can have a brave heart.
This, Gawain realized, should be a lesson from Djokovic.
Nadal, Simon, Murray, Djokovic.
These are the four losses that Gawain has had this season, and although the reasons and circumstances are different, each defeat taught Gawain something different.
Just like today, from the end of the second set to the beginning of the third set, this is a situation that is impossible to consider on the training ground. Only by experiencing it can you understand it.
In this season of success and triumph, these failures have kept Gao Wen sober and made him realize that he still needs humility, motivation and fighting spirit. Compared with his long professional career, half a season is indeed just a starting point, and his starting point is so high.
Naturally, there will be more and more difficult challenges in the future.
Sampras once said that after winning a Grand Slam, it's a whole new world and everything starts from scratch.
When he was in the slump during the Asian season, Gao Wen thought he understood the meaning of this sentence, but now thinking back on it, he has a whole new feeling.
Failure is still bitter, but he should remember this unwillingness and discomfort even more.
Wawrinka was a little nervous, turned around and scratched his face.
"Gawain, I...I have no ill intentions."
"I don't know much, I'm just saying, I grew up like this, you know, I lost a lot of games against those four guys, so..."
Wawrinka was a bit clumsy and didn't know how to express himself. His eyes were always wandering and his words came to a halt.
It can be seen that this is really not something he is good at.
Gawain also turned to look at Wawrinka and smiled, "Stan, I know."
"Thanks."
Gawain solemnly met Wawrinka's gaze and expressed his friendliness. Once the topic was opened, the subsequent conversation became much simpler.
"This defeat is not pleasant for me. It's like a punch in the chest. I don't like it. I don't know how to express it."
"So, thank you for saying that to me."
Gao Wen also knew how difficult it was for Wawrinka.
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In the short half year on tour, Gao Wen made a lot of friends, but except for the Bryan brothers, almost all of them were young people.
It’s not because Gao Wen only likes people of the same age, but because he joined the tour at different times and stages, and the players around him were also different.
Not to mention the Big Four, players like Wawrinka, Berdych and Ferrer who have been active in professional tennis for many years have already formed a relatively fixed circle of friends. It is not easy for them to accept newcomers or for newcomers to break into their circle. There is an invisible barrier between them.
Age, country, ranking, personality, etc. are all factors in making friends.
Obviously, there is not much overlap between Gao Wen's circle and Wawrinka's circle.
It is precisely because of this that Wawrinka's opening is even more precious.
Wawrinka paused slightly. He did not expect Gawain's response. He raised his eyes and saw Gawain's sincere and frank eyes. Compared with words, a look and a smile are more convincing, which made Wawrinka relieved.
But I don’t know how to respond.
After all, when people want to seek advice, Federer is obviously a more suitable choice, not him.
If I answer "You're welcome" at this time, would it be too arrogant? What experience should he pass on?
After thinking about it, Wawrinka didn't say much after all, but just expressed his thoughts in a conventional way.
"I watched the second and third sets and you played really well. I mean, really, really well. Just look at the crowd reaction."
“It’s just that Novaka’s performance was even better today.”
Even comfort and encouragement are still clumsy; but what is certain is that they are 100% sincere, and every word is sincere, and it is definitely not politeness or politeness.
Gao Wen didn't mind and smiled brightly, "Djokovic is just being Djokovic, performing well as always and then making his opponents desperate."
It was just a little joke and Wawrinka started laughing too.
Gao Wen nodded heavily, "Thank you. It seems that there is still a lot of work to be done in this offseason if I still want to make a difference in the new season."
Then, Gao Wen clenched his fist towards Wawrinka and gave his blessing, "Next, it's up to you. We are all looking forward to a wonderful match."
(End of this chapter)