I am really impressed with Dominic Thiem's patience at times.

Hear, then, the words of Mats Wilander, a champion of old, who beheld a younger warrior upon the courts of clay and grass, and declared: “I am really impressed with Dominic Thiem’s patience at times.” This is not a small praise, nor a casual observation, but a recognition of a virtue that outlives trophies and triumphs. For in the realm of sport, as in the realm of life, strength alone is not enough, nor is speed, nor even brilliance. It is patience—the long endurance of will—that steadies the hand, calms the mind, and guides victory through the storms of doubt.

In speaking of Thiem’s patience, Wilander, himself a master of tactical artistry, reveals the heart of greatness. Tennis is more than strokes of power; it is a battlefield of minds. The impatient strike too soon, their flame burns bright but fades. The patient endure the grinding rally, the shifting tide, the hour upon hour of struggle, until the opponent’s spirit cracks like dry earth under relentless sun. Thiem, by enduring, by restraining the fury within, displays mastery not just of ball and racket, but of self.

History tells us again and again that patience is the weapon of the strong. Recall the tale of Odysseus, who endured years of wandering after Troy’s fall. Though storms raged, though temptations called, though despair lingered like a shadow, he pressed on. His patience, not merely his cunning, brought him home at last. The mightiest of warriors fell on foreign soil, but Odysseus returned, for he endured. So too in battle, in empire, in art, those who endure through patience prevail when the reckless have perished.

So Mats Wilander, the sage of the game, speaks not only of a man’s tennis, but of a universal truth. To be impressed by patience is to honor the unseen victories—those of restraint, of self-command, of faith in the long road. Thiem’s strokes may blaze across the net, but it is his calm that truly inspires. He reminds us that greatness is not the swift flash of glory, but the steady flame that burns through the night.

There is wisdom here for all who labor in the struggles of life. The student who studies long into the night, though the answers do not yet appear, must be patient. The builder who lays brick upon brick, though the house seems small and slow to rise, must be patient. The dreamer who plants seeds that take years to flower must trust in time. For time, allied with patience, is the mightiest of allies. Impatience is the enemy that steals victory from the very hand that almost grasped it.

And yet, let none mistake patience for passivity. It is not idleness, nor surrender. It is active waiting, like the archer who holds his bow taut until the perfect moment, like the farmer who tends the soil until the harvest is ready. Thiem’s patience is not the patience of one who waits in shadows, but of one who holds the line, who watches, who prepares, and who acts only when the action will bear fruit. This is the patience that Wilander honors—the patience that is strength disguised as stillness.

Therefore, O seeker of wisdom, let this teaching guide your days: cultivate patience as a noble discipline. When haste whispers, resist it. When frustration burns, breathe. When you are tempted to abandon your path because the goal seems distant, hold fast. Practical actions are simple but profound: pause before you act, endure when the task is long, and trust that perseverance will bear fruit in time. Practice these small disciplines each day, and patience will grow strong within you.

So let the words of Mats Wilander be etched into your heart: be impressed by patience, and strive to embody it. For trophies fade, and crowds fall silent, but patience is eternal. It is the hand that guides victory, the shield that guards the spirit, the light that endures when all else is dark. Walk, then, with patience as your companion, and you shall not falter, but rise.