This is not the first time Dimitrov has exchanged views with Gawain, nor is it the first time Gawain has said that the pursuit of perfection can easily turn into a shackle. From Indian Wells to Monte Carlo, they have been talking and communicating.
We have been promoting each other and motivating each other to make progress together.
Dimitrov thought he had understood it. After all, the truth was not complicated and everyone understood it.
However, what about reality?
Gao Wen's clay court season went through some ups and downs, and all the experiences and lessons evolved into the soil, finally blooming in Roland Garros.
Dimitrov's clay court season also experienced ups and downs, but it was only after he was eliminated in the first round of Roland Garros that he realized that he was still treading water.
After stumbling and stumbling, Dimitrov finally realized that understanding is one thing, but mastering it is a completely different thing——
Some truths are simple and easy to understand, without twists and turns, and are clear at a glance; but precisely because they are simple, they fail to leave a mark after repeated hearings. They often subconsciously think that their own changes are also a piece of cake because of their simplicity and superficiality.
But he keeps making the same mistakes.
Among all living beings, some people suddenly realize it after hitting the southern wall, and only after experiencing unforgettable lessons can they understand the true meaning; but more people spend their entire lives trapped in their own prisons, and they are still unable to reach the end of their lives.
Peek into the real wisdom behind simple truths.
"A country is easy to change, but a person's nature is hard to change."
Perhaps, this sentence is not accurate when used here, but it does explain many, many things.
Dimitrov thought he understood, but in fact he still knew nothing——
As a coach, Rashid is good at adjusting tactics and improving technical levels, but he is a mess in terms of psychological adjustment.
In the past half year, Rashid has been looking for loopholes in Dimitrov's technology and tactics, constantly pursuing perfection within perfection, trying to break the sluggish cycle that restrains Dimitrov, but they are completely unaware of it.
It turns out that the more you pursue perfection, the more you fall into a rut.
Going round and round, over the past few months, they are still treading water.
So, what now?
Subconsciously, Dimitrov wanted to say, "I understand."
This is always the case when facing Rashid, because Dimitrov can feel the irritability and anxiety coming from Rashid, forming an invisible oppression, so that he just wants to end the conversation quickly, for
This exchange comes to an end, and then I look back and slowly think deeply.
The question is, does he really understand?
Looking at Gawain in front of him, words were already flowing to his mouth, but Dimitrov hesitated a little.
"……I see."
Reflexively, the words finally blurted out, and then Dimitrov saw the sincerity in Gawain's eyes, so calm and so bright.
"No, actually I don't quite understand."
Staring at Gawain, Dimitrov noticed that Gawain was listening carefully and patiently waiting for his next words. The words flowed out naturally. He thought this required courage, but in fact, it didn't seem that difficult.
.
"I understand what you mean."
"When we are in a good state, we just need to get used to playing according to our own style. Anyone can do it. The outcome of winning or losing depends on the strength of the game."
"However, when the state is only six points and you still play according to the ten-point state, the hitting effect may be messed up due to the reaction."
"I understand, I understand, but my problem is..."
Dimitrov paused for a moment and thought seriously.
"If my state is only six points, I know it is impossible to win the game. Facing Rafa, facing Roger, facing the top ten or twenty players in the world, this is obviously not enough, so what should I do?"
"Should I just play in a six-point state? Yes, in that case, I can play a passing game without getting into a mess, but is this definitely not surrendering?"
The words were slightly confusing.
As he spoke, Dimitrov himself was confused, and for a moment he didn't know how to express his meaning clearly. This made him a little annoyed, and he subconsciously looked at Gawain's eyes.
Then, Dimitrov saw Gawain's encouraging eyes. There was no anxiety and eagerness as imagined, nor the anger and depression in worry. He was always patient and focused, which made Dimitrov's nervousness calm down a little.
A little.
"……Do you know what I mean?"
Gawain waited patiently, making sure that Dimitrov had finished all his words, and then gently nodded, "I'm not sure, but I understand it in my own way."
The words with a bit of a tongue-in-cheek tone made Dimitrov a little embarrassed, but he couldn't hold it back and chuckled directly.
The corners of Gawain's mouth also rose.
"Standing on the court, I never thought about surrendering, but I never thought that in your eyes, I would actually surrender."
Dimitrov opened his mouth slightly, looked at Gawain with a sad face, dumbfounded, and waved his hands repeatedly to try to deny, "Misunderstanding, this is all a misunderstanding."
As a result, he saw the smile in Gawain's eyes, which was obviously a prank.
Dimitrov: ..."Can I use foul language?"
Gawain shook his head seriously, "No. I think this may affect my public image."
Dimitrov: Pfft. It was almost a failure.
Gawain still sat firmly on the Diaoyutai and continued talking.
"No, I don't think this is surrender."
"In my opinion, this is an adjustment based on your own status. When you only have six points, you should build the entire tactical system based on the six-point status, and then look forward to trying it based on tactical adjustments and on-the-spot performance.
Let’s try it out and see if it can reach a seven-point level, or even an eight-point level.”
"But on the other hand, if you only have six points, but according to the ten-point layout, the result may be only four points, or even two points."
"Adjusting according to the state is not a passive game, but a down-to-earth analysis of the game and the situation, and then formulates the most appropriate strategy, 100% or even 120% of the six-point state, burning the small universe to see if the potential can be exploded
, to awaken the sleeping state.”
In fact, just like the "glass half full theory", for the same thing, if you switch the perspective, you can see two completely different worlds.
"Gregor, don't forget that tennis is a game of confrontation."
"Your state fluctuates, and so does your opponent's state. We must maintain a continuous change and development perspective to analyze the game. Maybe at the beginning of the game, your state is six points and the opponent's state is eight points, but
At the end of the game, the positions may be reversed."
"In pursuit of perfection, you should not compete with yourself at the state level, but should maintain fighting spirit at the tactical level, adjust your state, and fight against your opponents."
Federer and Dimitrov are not the only perfectionists on the tour; similarly, other players are not obsessed with perfectionism, but it does not mean that they do not pursue perfection.