Shingo Kunieda, the Wheelchair Tennis Legend Who Conquered the World with the Belief of Being the "Strongest"
The depth of sports that opens the door to growth
With victories at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open, and the Paralympic Games, he has been ranked world number one ten times.
Not only that, but he has also achieved the career Golden Slam, a feat no one else in the wheelchair tennis world has accomplished.
The words he used to inspire himself and continued to believe in are, "I am the strongest!"
He kept those words as a sticker on his racket so that they would always remain in his consciousness.
What kind of meaning was imbued in those words? And through his own words, we unravel how that phrase became a reality.
The birth of the word "strongest": Shingo Kunieda, who won a gold medal at age 20
When Kunieda was 20 years old, he won a gold medal in men's doubles at the 2004 Athens Paralympics.
Then, in 2006, on his way to the top of the world, he met mental trainer Anne Quinn.
This meeting was the moment the phrase "I am the strongest!" was born.
When he asked Anne Quinn, "Can I become number one?", she replied, "What do you think?"
When he answered, "I want to become number one," she responded, "Let's change it from 'want to become' to 'will become.'"
From there, the word "strongest" was born, and Kunieda made it his own.
By sticking the words "I am the strongest!" on his racket and constantly being aware of them, he aimed to embody the aura of the strongest.
The tangible effects produced by the word "strongest"
As human beings, there are days when we lack motivation or focus.
At such times, the power of the words helped him flip a switch, saying, "Alright, let's do this."
When his eyes fell on the word "strongest," he was able to improve the quality of his practice that day.
With the help of those words, he reached the world number one ranking for the first time in October of that year.
The battle with oneself occupies an important part of the match
Actually, in a two-hour match, you are only hitting the ball for about 30 minutes. The remaining hour and a half is downtime.
The pitch clock in baseball is a hot topic, but tennis has also introduced a shot clock, requiring players to start their serve within 25 seconds after the previous point is decided.
Whether you can bring yourself to a state of being 'invincible' during these 25 seconds determines the outcome of the match.
Perhaps I was better than other players at controlling my inner self.
Pre-serve routines are to calm myself down
I have many routines. Some I have discarded, and some have remained unchanged.
Bouncing the ball twice for a first serve and four times for a second serve is one example.
I also make it a habit to wipe my face with a towel if I lose consecutive points.
These are a kind of ritual to reset myself and focus on the next play.
The difficulty of reaching the top and the growth found there
After becoming world number one (in 2006), I fell into a slump.
That was when I started asking myself, 'Why am I playing tennis?'
Through this experience, I began to fight against myself rather than against my opponent.
By doing so, I became able to play consistently.
Finding the path of evolution through setbacks
In 2016, I underwent surgery for pain in my right elbow and only reached the quarterfinals at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics.
I experienced setbacks from there and tasted many defeats.
However, because the cause of each defeat became clear, I could see how to improve.
After a match I lost, when I analyzed my play, new ideas would come to me one after another.
Because of that, I would want to get back on the court as soon as possible. There were truly many lessons learned from losing.
The spirit of a fearless challenger
It wasn't just my backhand that I improved; it also included my racket and chair.
Furthermore, I started receiving advice from a new coach.
The fear of change disappeared, and instead, I began to find joy in innovation.
Even after regaining the world number one ranking in 2018, I continued to refine my backhand right up until the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Perhaps it was this attitude of approaching things with a challenger's mindset, even while holding the number one spot, that led to winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Due to the tension of the big stage in Tokyo, my body felt stiff in the first and second matches.
By repeatedly telling myself the words I received from Ann, my performance improved.
I would tell myself that I could do it while hitting my forehand, among other things.
I was able to enter the final match with a clear understanding of what I needed to do, and I was able to play my best.
Changing after achieving success is never an easy thing to do.
Success experiences can get in the way, so that is certainly difficult. Changing elements that are already successful carries risks.
However, because I experienced a setback at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics and was able to enjoy change and realize its effects, I was able to keep changing.
On the court, I am confident, thinking 'I am the strongest!', but once I leave the court, I engage in self-reflection.
I sometimes wonder if this is a weakness. However, I think it has been a good thing.
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