You might have watched the French Open final, maybe earlier matches. The final went five sets ultimately to the wunderkind, Carlos Alcaraz.

This is Alcaraz’ best surface, and he is a phenomenal talent. He has a huge fan base everywhere, including in Paris. He was a big betting favorite (bet $300 to win $100) and events during the match seemed to always break his way.

A word on Alexander Zverev. He also is young, and had not done well on clay, though he is top five in the world. Being a stoic German, he doesn't have the crowd on his side, especially against the flamboyant Spaniard. All the questionable calls seemed to go against him. In the weeds of this match, he looked to have broken in the 5^th to make it 2-2 and it was ruled 2mm against him by the umpire.

What is great about sport is the character shown by all those who compete. The French is the most grueling of the tennis majors, as the points are much longer on clay. I think all four semifinalists dealt with cramps at some point. Zverev will be considered the "loser," but to exceed so much his previous best and all expectations to make this a five-setter against the most talented clay court player and to persevere when it seems everything is aligned against you, reminds me of the poem by Rudyard Kipling, "If". Here are the firsta and final verses:

If you can keep your head when all about you

 Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

 But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

 Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

 And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

…

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

 Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

 If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

 With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

 And -- which is more -- you’ll be a Man, my son!

Sport is a great teacher of character, especially being involved in both an individual sport like tennis, for self-reliance and accountability to one’s self, and team sports (other than baseball) to teach so many things about dealing from an equal platform (not authority or oppressor and oppressed) with others and learning to trust and have a commitment to your team, and for some, to establish leadership qualities. More than that, but the point is made.

So, the transition. Competition should not just be for the athletes. Given history, almost beyond argument, there has never been a country more built on competition than the United States. Of all the native character traits of Americans, the competitive spirit, translated loosely as merit, is as core as any. Self-reliance would seem to be a parallel quality to those willing to compete.

Look at our country now and see if you see a hard 180 against American values like self-reliance and competitive spirit. Are we seeing any hint of entrepreneurship, i.e., American Spirit from our "oppressed" groups, or is it just a giving up? I don't think we should cater to that. America got to where we were in 2019 on our values. 

Keeping this on the high road and ending it there for your thoughts, rather than rail.

Rick McDowell is a writer of political philosophy, American history and essays on the mind and is the creator of The American Perspective 

Image: sk4t via Wikipedia