Winning Ugly - Kendal Chang

Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert is a tennis strategy book that teaches tennis players how to win matches not by hitting incredible shots, but by thinking smarter and being mentally tough. Players improve the most by learning from mistakes, adapting to challenges, and pushing through frustration. Gilbert emphasized that the process of becoming a great tennis player is a long journey. Progress is not going to be fun all the time, but it builds persistence and self-improvement. These struggles are where real growth happens. Gilbert stresses the idea that meaning comes from how you handle adversity, not from playing perfectly. Reading this showed me that it is ok if I do not play perfectly. No one is going to have a perfect match every single time, and that is part of the journey. While playing a match, I learned to find meaning in the bad matches, emotional challenges, and tough opponents. Meaning is not found in the perfect moments, but rather in the “ugly” ones. The process of having consistent habits, discipline, and a strong mindset is what shapes us into becoming good players. I am a big perfectionist, so I want to hit these amazing shots all the time, but they are risky and could cause me to lose the match. I have learned how important it is to play smarter rather than perfectly. This makes me wonder how “winning ugly” can also pertain outside of sports. Success is not always going to be glamorous, but when we have discipline in our everyday lives, that makes the process of success meaningful.


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