How do you recover from a “double bagel”?
- Phil D'Adamo
- Jul 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 25
I love my sport on the weekend, and I’ve been glued to this year’s Wimbledon tournament. I didn’t stay up for either the Women’s or Men’s Final — but woke on Sunday to the surprising news of Amanda Anisimova’s 6-0, 6-0 loss to world number one Iga Swiatek.
In tennis, that’s called a “double bagel” — the harshest of scorelines.
I thought about how difficult it must be to lose that way, watched by millions. Just days earlier, I’d seen her deliver a powerhouse performance in the semi-final. To go from that high to such a one-sided defeat must have been devastating.
And yet — perspective matters. It always matters.
This time last year, Amanda wasn’t even in the Wimbledon main draw. She lost in the third round of qualifying, ranked 189th in the world. Fast forward 12 months, and she’s a Grand Slam finalist.
That’s real change. That’s real progress. That's success no matter how you look at it.
It got me thinking — as a coach — how do we respond when we experience the equivalent of a double bagel in our work or career? When things go as badly as they can, despite our preparation, effort, or recent momentum?
Amanda, in many ways, is the perfect mentor. She said in the aftermath:
“I just have to look at the positives and realise what I’ve achieved these past two weeks.”
For me, what we do after our toughest “losses” or set backs says more about us than what we do after a win.
So if you’ve just had a “double bagel” or equivalent moment:
Look at the whole book, not just the final chapter.
Remember what got you there — your fight, your focus, your growth.
And know that nobody gets a perfect run, all the time.
Thanks for the reminder, Amanda. There’s so much to learn from losing well.
