I like Rafael Nadal.  Not just because he is the U.S. Open champion and the best player in the world, but because he is a good and likeable person. Both Nadal’s excellence in sport and his quality of character are quite intentional. And who reinforces these qualities in him? Answer: his coach, of course. Mr. Nadal has the unlikely and wonderful benefit of having his uncle, Toni Nadal as his coach. He is the only coach that Nadal has ever had. What kind of advice does Toni Nadal give his nephew? Just take a look an excerpt from a recent N.Y. Times article:

“Toni Nadal is constantly reminding his nephew that his worst day on the tennis court is better than most people’s best day. He drove home that point after Nadal sported a long face throughout his first-round match against the 93rd seed, Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia, who extended him to two tie-break sets. After the match, his uncle talked to him about his demeanor. ‘I tell him you must be always grateful of this life,’ Toni Nadal said. ‘I think one of the most important things I say always to Rafael is to have a good face. Because in this life, the ball going out is not a very big problem.’”

 In a nutshell, Toni Nadal is telling his newphew: Don’t sweat the small stuff. For more on this conceptually as it pertains to business, read Control, Influence, and Cannot Control.