So Andy Murray breaks one of the toughest stop situations in sport, and becomes the first British player to win the Gentleman’s Singles at The All England Club in seventy-seven years.
In the ensuing day or two since Murray’s triumph, it’s seems that everyone wants a piece of him. His management company will be able to secure him deals that will set him up financially for years to come.
The next twelve months could be a chaotic time for the tennis player. If he is needy for endorsements, TV appearances and other celebrity based opportunities, then they await him. But Murray should tread carefully. For if he is lured down the celebrity route, then his game and perhaps his hunger for more titles will suffer.
If Murray wants to secure his future amongst the game’s greats, then he has to recognise that his first Wimbledon title, is simply evidence that he has got what it takes to win on Finals Sunday at SW19.
That with Federer past his brilliant best, and Nadal’s body feeling the strain after years of heavy toil, this is the perfect opportunity for him to secure multiple Grand Slams.
The celebrity endorsements can wait. This is his time. He must strive for further improvement, fuelled by a desire to take his game to new levels.
In his phenomenal chasing down of Djokovic’s ‘winners’ on Sunday, Murray took that element of his game to new heights. It was as if he tapped into an inner energy, that made him believe he could track down any ball Djokovic hit at him.
So what if the rest of his tennis reached that level of belief? Murray knew he had the game plan and strategy to beat Djokovic. He had done it before. Add that to a total desire and hunger to win, aided by the fiercely partisan Centre Court crowd, and Murray was running on a high octane fuel. The fuel of champions.
Now that he has secured the Wimbledon crown, Murray cannot allow that elusive ‘gold-dust’ to become dispersed by the hugely distracting, yet alluring celebrity world.
The single-mindedness that put Djokovic to the sword on Sunday, must govern his career decisions over the next twelve months. More titles await him if he retains his hunger for improvement. He can be better than he ever imagined was possible. But to do so, he must resist some enticing lures!