Salted aims to tell stories that emphasize human insight, creativity, presence, and persistence.

We are not a sports company or publication, but we want to highlight meaningful connections to the kind of competition that is taking place now at Roland Garros in Paris, France.

The French Open is a unique comptetition for many reasons, but the clay on which the players test their abilities is a big part of the story. It changes how you think, plan, strategize, and perform; it influences the ball’s movements and creates opportunities for astonishing grace or woeful collapse.

Athletes that excel on the red clay of Roland Garros often talk about the unique blend of creativity and physicality required to succeed on this surface. Changing direction, sprinting, sliding, swinging while off balance, hitting lines—all of these have to happen in a second or two, over and over again.

If you are not creative enough, if you are too predictable, too comfortable, the red clay will create opportunities for a creative opponent to outmaneuver you.

The high quality of play among the world’s best means even an ordinary point can require first-try creative maneuvers. Heat and muscle cramps are constant threats.

If you are watching a match played on red clay, take a moment to think about the dramatic depth of the challenge the surface poses. It helps to reveal the imagination and innovation, the adaptive management of resources, and the tenacity reuqired to prevail in long rallies, against the elements, and with all of your faculties intact to do it again two days later.

After a four hour and 41 minute match this week in Paris, the winner, Jakub Mensik collapsed on the court, cramping intensely and unable to stand. His opponent walked over to him to shake hands and check on him.

The longest-ever match played at the French Open was in 2004, between two french players, Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clément; it went to 6 hours and 33 minutes, and took two days to complete.

Sports is often a reflection of what we face in everyday life—the hard-to-foresee drama, the frustrating pitfalls and unavoidable risks, the hope and disappointment. If you’ve never thought about red clay or tennis, pause for a moment and think about putting your highest energy, sharpest focus, and boldest creativity to work at the same time, in your life, in whatever you are facing.

Salted stories will bring you examples of excellent creative problem-solving, adaptive learning, perseverance, and discovery.

Come back for more.