Attending the Australian Open for the first time as a fan in his 20s, American Eric Butorac never dreamed he’d get the chance to play at the prestigious event. A talented college player at the time, he never even expected to make it as a professional player.
Yet at 25 he made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open in 2007, the first of 10 consecutive appearances that netted 23 wins and included a finals appearance in 2014.
Butorac enjoyed a decade-long professional career, winning 18 ATP World Tour doubles titles, competing in 39 Grand Slam events and reaching a career-high ranking of No.17.
The 35-year-old, who retired after last year’s US Open, shares his story in a compelling and inspiring TED Talk. He recaps sleeping on wooden benches when he couldn’t afford accommodation and eating plain pasta with ketchup as he battled to make a living early in his career. He coped by setting small, achievable goals.
“Small goals, achievable dreams are the key to a successful day, and enough of those days translate into one great life,” he shared.
“Dream small, and you might just win big.”
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