Imagine if we could look at our lives through the formidable lens of age, with all the knowledge, experience, and hard-earned wisdom we’ve accumulated through our middle years (okay, maybe our later middle years), and somehow apply it to our past.

What would we change? Would we have made different choices? Would we have lived differently?

This year’s French Open men’s singles final felt like more than just a game. There was something noble and exemplary—not just in their style of play, but also in their respect for each other, for tennis, and for the power of the human spirit.

Photo Credit: Christophe Petit Tesson / EPA