Rafael Nadal Was a Different Kind of Superstar, and Changed Tennis Forever

Rory's Stoic Turn After Defeat

• Rory McIlroy turned to Stoic philosophy after a crushing defeat to reset his mindset and improve his game.


• He embraced difficulty and failure as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.

I go to Montreal and scratch and claw my way to the final against a Spanish kid everyone is talking about. Rafael Nadal. I can’t beat him. I can’t fathom him. I’ve never seen anyone move like that on a tennis court.

He pulls out a tough fifth set, and I tell anyone who’ll listen that he’s on his way to becoming the best ever.