The Grind Pays Off: Why Spaun’s U.S. Open Win Matters

There are sporting moments that stretch beyond the trophy, and J.J. Spaun’s U.S. Open win is one of them.

On a drenched Oakmont Sunday, the grind told its story. Not the flash of a superstar, but the relentless rhythm of a journeyman. Spaun—stocky, unassuming, once nearly jobless on the PGA Tour—took on the game’s cruelest major and walked away a champion. Not by dominance, but by determination.

He Wasn’t Supposed to Win. That’s Why It’s So Powerful.

• Spaun started golf hitting balls into a garage net.

• He walked onto his college team.

• He spent four years grinding on mini tours.

• In 2024, he was missing cuts and nearly lost his card.

And then came the shift—not in swing, but in spirit.

No longer trying to “protect” his career, he just played. He embraced the “let the golf be golf” mantra, stopped chasing validation, and started swinging freely. What followed? Three top-10s, a secure tour card, and on June 16, a 64-foot putt that sealed a two-shot victory in the U.S. Open!

Why This Win Resonates

This wasn’t about being the best. It was about being brave enough to stay in the game. About weathering 10 missed cuts, soul-sucking self-doubt, and the pressure of feeding a family. Spaun’s win reminded us:

• You don’t need to be the chosen one. You need to keep showing up.

• The difference isn’t in talent. It’s in the refusal to quit.

• Growth is non-linear—but grit is exponential.

The Agassi Grind: A Legend Forged in Pain

Andre Agassi once described his early years as “hell in paradise.” Trained relentlessly from childhood, Agassi burned out by his early twenties, only to fall to No. 141 in the world in 1997. But instead of walking away, he went to the minor leagues—the tennis equivalent of the mini tours—playing in remote Challenger events with no fanfare. And from that lonely grind came a second career. He climbed back to world No. 1, winning five more Grand Slams and proving that greatness isn’t just talent—it’s the ability to rebuild when no one’s watching.

The Tennis Echo Chamber: More Champions of the Grind

• Stan Wawrinka was 28 before winning his first Grand Slam. Once a perennial quarterfinalist, he broke through by outlasting legends—claiming three majors by beating Djokovic and Nadal in finals.

• Simona Halep lost her first three Slam finals, often criticized for being too fragile. But she doubled down on fitness, tactics, and mental strength. Her reward? Wimbledon and French Open titles built on persistence, not privilege.

• Francesca Schiavone wasn’t on anyone’s list of Slam favorites. But at 29, she stunned the world by winning the 2010 French Open with grit, creativity, and fearless self-belief.

These stories show us something real: grinders may not win often, but when they do, it hits deeper.

Lessons for Any Competitor

Spaun’s story is a blueprint for anyone chasing long odds:

• Embrace setbacks as lessons, not defeat.

• Detach from outcomes and recommit to process.

• Find joy in effort—even when results aren’t immediate.

As James Clear would say, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Spaun’s system became about freedom, family, and letting go of fear.

Once You’ve Ground Long Enough—Magic Can Happen

That 64-footer wasn’t luck. It was every rep, every missed cut, every lonely hour on the range. It was a symbol that the journey doesn’t forget those who honor it.

So, keep swinging. Keep grinding. Because Spaun just proved—if you stay in the game long enough, your moment might just come.

How Do Deal With Losing

Losing Isn’t Optional — It’s Part of the Game

At the highest levels of tennis, everyone loses. Often. Even legends. Roger Federer, across his storied career, won only 54% of total points. That means he was “failing” on nearly half the balls he hit — and he’s one of the greatest to ever do it.

So the question for competitive players isn’t how to avoid losing — it’s: How do you respond when you do?

What Pros Know That Many Players Don’t

1. Losing Doesn’t Mean You’re Broken

Michael Kosta — once ranked 864 in the world before becoming a comedian — put it best in his book Lucky Loser:

“I wasn’t some mediocre player learning to cope. I was a winner, and then suddenly I wasn’t. That transition? Brutal.”

The pros understand that losing doesn’t mean your game is worthless. It means you’re competing at a level where every point is a battle — and sometimes, the other guy just plays better.

2. Process Beats Postmortem

What separates the better players isn’t how deeply they analyze every loss — it’s how effectively they move on.

• Novak Djokovic? He journals his thoughts post-match, then resets by the next practice session.

• Rafael Nadal? He spoke bluntly about his performance, but never wallows.

• Serena Williams? Known for saying: “I’m not going to beat myself up. I’ll be better tomorrow.”

They all follow the same principle: Short memory. Clear process. Keep moving.

Tactical Tools the Pros Use to Reset

• Post-loss practice: Many pros schedule a light session within hours of a loss — not punishment, but emotional recalibration.

• Lessons journals: Some players note one or two takeaways from a match — and then close the book. Literally.

• Physical movement: Even a short run or hitting session can disrupt negative self-talk and re-engage the body with rhythm and flow.

• Self-belief recall: The best actively remind themselves of past wins and tough matches survived. This fuels confidence for the next challenge.

And most importantly — they don’t obsess over how others are doing.

“Comparison is the thief of joy” — a truth every UTR stressing player must internalize.
Constantly measuring yourself against peers or rankings only distracts you from the real task: your own progress.

Performance Psychology: Reframing the Loss

At the heart of how pros handle defeat is performance psychology — the science of staying mentally agile under pressure. Elite players train their minds like their bodies: building routines, regulating emotions, and mastering recovery. Whether it’s breathing techniques, self-talk, or visualization, the goal is the same — to shift focus from outcome to process, from panic to poise. The best don’t avoid nerves or frustration — they manage them. And that’s a skill every competitive player can learn.

Wrap

Pros can’t avoid losing — they master the art of recovery.  They don’t see defeat as a dead-end. They see it as a brief detour that sharpens their edge.

So next time you lose? Don’t spiral. Reboot. Reflect. Get back on the court!

The Power of Belief: Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz didn’t blow Lorenzo Musetti off the court in their French Open semifinal.  And he didn’t out-hit Jannik Sinner in the final either.

Sinner owned the short points, especially early. Through the first set and into the second, he led 32–14 in rallies of four shots or fewer—stretching that edge to 38–14. Even as Alcaraz mounted his comeback, Sinner controlled the quick exchanges, ultimately finishing with a 108–95 advantage in short points.

But Alcaraz didn’t need to dominate the stats.  What he showed instead was the most undervalued skill in high-performance tennis: belief.  Belief when you’re down two sets.  Belief when your rival holds match points.  Belief that your preparation and patterns will carry you—because they’ve been battle-tested when no one was watching.

1. Belief Replaces Panic

Let’s talk more data. Against Musetti, Alcaraz landed just 41% of first serves in the opening set—a red flag for any aggressive baseliner. But instead of forcing, he recalibrated. Upped his percentage to 65% in set two. Took control.

Against Sinner? He faced the abyss—down 3–5, love-40 in the fourth set, with Sinner serving for the title.  Three match points. Gone.  Alcaraz didn’t flinch. He played ball by ball, not scoreboard by scoreboard. A flicked backhand winner. A passing shot on the run. A 13-of-14 point surge.

Champions don’t panic—they adapt.  And belief is what buys you time to adapt under fire.

2. Strategic Belief Beats Emotional Tennis

There’s a rule I teach often:  If you lose the first set, get to 4–4 in the second.  Not 6–4. Not a miracle tiebreak. Just 4–4. That’s the inflection point. That’s where pressure flips.

Alcaraz lives this. In both the semifinal and final, he transformed pressure into performance—not through emotion, but through execution.  He didn’t play heroic tennis. He played pressure-conditioned tennis—ritual-driven, pattern-disciplined, anchored by belief.

3. Why We Train Tiebreakers

There’s a reason why our training sessions lean heavily on tiebreak scenarios—because tiebreaks are turning points.  In the second-set breaker against Musetti, Alcaraz played with surgical calm.
In the fourth-set breaker against Sinner, he trailed 0–2 and won seven of the next eight points.

From 0–40 down to a 7–3 breaker win—those moments weren’t just about strokes. They were surges, fueled by belief.  And once he seized that momentum, the match shifted from battle to procession.

4. Train Your Belief Like You Train Your Backhand

Belief doesn’t just show up. You build it. Like footwork. Like VO2 max. Like your first step.  Try this:

• Start practice sets down a break

• Play tiebreaks only after tough intervals or with heavy legs

• Use your rituals—breath, bounce, cue word. Lock it in.

If you can’t hold belief in practice,  You won’t hold it at 4–5, 30–40, second serve. And definitely not at 4-6 down in a tie breaker.   Simple as that.

Belief Is the Edge

Belief is not a feel-good accessory.  It’s your edge.  Your answer when your serve deserts you.  Your fuel when fatigue tightens your chest. Your weapon when the opponent thinks it’s over.

You earn it in the shadows—When no one’s watching, When you’re losing in practice sets, When no one believes but you.

When Belief Ages With You

But what about you—the aging player who’s no longer 22, who feels the whisper of doubt more than the roar of confidence?  That’s where belief shifts. It’s not loud anymore. It’s quieter. More deliberate.

You don’t just doubt the score—you start to doubt your body.  Will it move when you ask? Will the legs hold up? At that point, belief becomes memory.

You remind yourself: I’ve been here before. You trust the odds—not because they promise victory, but because they’ve favored you more often than not.  And yes, probability teaches that sometimes you’ll come up short. But that’s not failure. That’s just reality.

You swing anyway—because belief, even in its mature form, still gives you your best chance to win.

Wrap: Belief Is Bigger Than Tennis

Alcaraz didn’t win because he was perfect. He won because when perfection failed, belief didn’t.

Next time you’re down—on court or off—don’t flinch.  Reset. Breathe. Play one more point.

Because belief, trained and tested, Beats talent that doubts itself every time.

Inside the Mind of Musetti and the Mental Game

It’s always fascinating to get into the mind of today’s top tennis players—what they’re thinking, how they evolve, and what inner shifts power their success.  Unlike generations past, modern athletes are increasingly open about the psychological side of the sport, offering us rare insights into their growth. One such moment came recently from Lorenzo Musetti, a rising force on the ATP tour.

 “I think I’m more clear what I have to do, and that’s really a step forward that I made. I know myself better on court; not just in terms of strategy and technique, but also on the mental side, on how I have to behave in certain situations. I know that I can play with the top (players) and I will try to beat them.” — Lorenzo Musetti

Mental Clarity: Catalyst for Growth

Musetti’s reflection marks a key turning point in any competitor’s journey—the moment you stop reacting and start responding. When clarity replaces chaos, every shot has purpose. It’s no longer about merely executing strokes; it’s about how you manage yourself under pressure, how you recognize patterns mid-match, and how you reset after setbacks.

This level of self-awareness transforms your game from the inside out. It’s the difference between surviving rallies and crafting them with intent.

The Confidence Loop

What Musetti describes is a classic feedback loop in high-performance psychology:

• Self-awareness leads to smarter decisions.

• Smarter decisions reduce fear of failure.

• Reduced fear builds trust in your game.

• That trust fuels confidence.

When you believe in your decision-making, you trust your game in critical moments—against top players, on big points, under lights. That’s how belief is born, not just from winning, but from knowing why you’re playing a certain way, and feeling aligned with that plan.

How You Can Develop This Mindset

You don’t need to be on the ATP Tour to train like Musetti. Here are concrete ways to sharpen your mental game:

• Reflect after each match: What did you do well mentally? What rattled you? Write it down.

• Practice under pressure: Replicate stress in practice with high-stakes scoring or fitness consequences.

• Use visualization: Imagine yourself facing tough situations and calmly executing your plan.

• Build routines: Pre-point rituals, breathing techniques, and reset behaviors are your anchors.

Wrap

Musetti’s evolution is a masterclass in what happens when you align strategy, technique, and mindset. It’s not just about believing you can beat the best—it’s about doing the right thing point after point.

Growth doesn’t just happen between points; it happens between seasons, in the quiet work of getting to know yourself.