Wow, did you see who won gold in the women’s singles tennis final? She hadn’t even been past the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament before, but she went on to defeat Angelique Kerber of Germany, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, to become the first woman from Puerto Rico to win a medal, let alone a gold one. Her name is Monica Puig, and to be accurate, she isn’t the first Puerto Rican women’s tennis player to win a gold medal at the Olympics. Rather, she’s the first to win one a medal for Puerto Rico.
Does anyone remember Gigi Fernandez? She was another Puerto Rican who won Olympic gold in doubles in 1992 and 1996, but did so while representing the USA. Fernandez was a rare #3 FEAL in professional tennis who, though Left brain dominant, was able to harmonize her ‘dove’ EA gross motor skills to hit the ball for power and overcome her opponents. Also, #3s do not excel at singles, whereas doubles are much more accommodating for them where responsibility is shared and they’re not the center of attention. Monica, too, is an EA ‘dove,’ but she is Right brain dominant. Yes, Monica Puig is a #1 FEAR. And as BT students know full well, no inborn design craves the limelight more than the #1. Their Right brain revels in the process, not the results as do Left-brained #3s.
While raised in the States, Puig was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moved to Miami as an infant. Watch this interview.
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Of course, the most famous #1 on the womens tennis circuit is Serena Williams. Others include Caroline Wozniacki and Anna Kournikova, as well as former players Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport. While physically gifted, FEARs need to develop more logical awareness on the court. Their power games alone can be insufficient to be consistent winners match after match (unless they possess Serena’s body prowess and have had a #6 coach till adulthood). They’re most comfortable when they feel good in both their brains and bodies, which is true for any player, but especially them. The #1 particularly thrives when the crowd is behind them. Says Puig in the interview, “Even at 2 in the morning, when I was in my room, quiet and all alone, I could still hear them screaming in my head … it definitely helped boost me in the third set. when I needed it the most.”
Written by: Staff
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