The cruel inevitability of failure in sport is something that exists universally for all athletes. Worse than mere failure is humiliation – you know, the types of things that make you question whether you really want to keep playing the sport. Whether an awful own goal, a botched putt from inches away, or any game-defining mistake, these cringeworthy moments happen everywhere, all the time.

And yes, they happen to the very best, too. Even the best in the world can have moments that not only make them seem human, but make them look like amateurs.

Earlier this summer, in the biggest match of her career so far, rising star Amanda Anisimova suffered from one of these dreaded moments. After reaching the Wimbledon final, it took just 57 minutes for her to lose 6-0 6-0 to a ruthlessly dominant Iga Swiatek.

“The ability to embrace failure – particularly those embarrassing ones – is often the key to recovery and further success.”

It was only the second time in the open era that a grand slam final ended with this brutal scoreline. As someone who has been on the wrong end of it before, it truly makes you feel as though you’ve left the court with just a fraction of the dignity that you entered it with. But in your first ever grand slam final – with all the expectation, anticipation, and the millions of eyes glued to the court, this defeat in particular is the type that sticks.

Before Anisimova even had the time to properly reset after such a big set-back, the US Open rolled around. Her dominant display throughout the tournament earned her a place at the quarter-finals, where it was Swiatek once again who would meet her at the other side of the net.

This time, it was an entirely different story. Anisimova claimed a confident straight sets victory, eventually going on to reach her second grand slam final. Two matches, less than two months apart, and Anisimova managed to turn a matchup that would’ve scarred most people for years on its head.

“Have the courage to fail, to embarrass yourself, and to do it all over again.”

Curiously, the night before what she described as the most meaningful victory she’s had in her life, Anisimova rewatched the embarrassing Wimbledon final. It was this and an array of positive affirmations that she later revealed helped her mentally in getting over the line the second time round against Swiatek.

I find this to be something that every athlete, at any level, can learn from. Truly, it’s a lesson we can apply to any life endeavour. The ability to embrace failure – particularly those embarrassing ones – is often the key to recovery and further success.

What’s more is the mere courage to put yourself out there enough to the point where such embarrassing moments can happen, and continuing to do so even after they do. Despite not quite managing to win her first major title last weekend, Anisimova’s bravery to lay it all back on the line is good enough evidence to ensure that she’ll have plenty of silverware to take home in the coming years.

It’s my new personal mission for the coming year, therefore, to be a little more like Amanda Anisimova. To put myself out there, both in the fields that I’m confident in and those that make me uncomfortable; to embrace the embarrassing failures as a way of planting the seeds for greater successes.

Whether you’re a full blue preparing for BUCS and varsity or a beginner giving new sports a go this year, I therefore encourage you to do the same. Have the courage to fail, to embarrass yourself, and to do it all over again. If there is one thing I’ve learned recently from the world of sport, it’s that you’ll be better for it if you do.