Seth reminded me of an old post of his about Sprezzatura. In his words –
This is an archaic Italian word for being able to do your craft without a lot of visible effort. It’s a combination of elan and grace and class, sort of the opposite of loud grunts while you play tennis or a lot of whining and fuss when you help out a customer.
Many people are unable to put their finger on it, but this is a magnetic trait for many of us.
I’ve been watching bits of Roger Federer’s parting video memoir documenting his final 12 days as a tennis player culminating in an emotional doubles game with Rafa Nadal as his partner.
It was a lovely documentary that sparked many emotions and, as expected, tears. It was particularly lovely to see his fiercest rivals burst into tears as he said goodbye.
There’s a lot to be said about Roger Federer’s impact on tennis. His title count has since been surpassed by Rafa Nadal and now Novak Djokovic.
But greatness goes beyond titles.
And Roger’s greatness arguably is best explained by… sprezzatura.
