Tennis is a thrilling sport that has evolved greatly since it was played first in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Many people are unaware of the fact that the word for the game actually originates from the French language. Tennis is derived from the French world ‘tenez’ which translates to ‘take,’ ‘receive,’ or ‘hold.’
Although tennis has been played for over a century, the glamour and glitz associated with the game currently is unlike any other sport. Tennis players are some of the wealthiest sportsmen with sponsorships from well-known sports brands and luxury labels. Roger Federer is one of the richest tennis players in the world with a net worth greater than $400 million.
Tennis has become more diverse over the years as new male and female players are competing in the game from different backgrounds. It has become extremely popular worldwide and introduced some fantastic new players to fans. If you are an enthusiastic fan and want to learn some of the most motivating quotes from your favorite star players, be sure to read this article till the end.
Here Are Some of the Most Energizing Tennis Quotes from Your Heroes
1. “Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work. I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind.” – Andre Agassi, ‘Open’, 2009
2. “One of the things it taught me is that every ball that comes to me, I have to make a decision.” – Billie Jean King
3. “Tennis is, more than most sports, a sport of the mind.” – Rafael Nadal
4. “Tennis is a tough sport – there are no draws.” – Roger Federer
5. “I just try to play tennis and don’t find excuses. You know, I just lost because I lost, not because my arm was sore.” – Goran Ivanisevic
6. “I’ll let the racket do the talking.” – John McEnroe
7. “I want my tennis to speak for everything.” – Maria Sharapova
8. “I play each point like my life depends on it.” – Rafael Nadal
9. “You’ll hear a lot of applause in your life, fellas, but none will mean more to you than that applause from your peers. I hope each of you hears that at the end.” – Andre Agassi
10. “I’m really trying to focus myself on playing tennis, and I think that’s really important.” – Stefan Edberg
11. “When I was serving for the match, there was a sense of how big a moment that is in British tennis history. It’s great to have finally done it.” – Andy Murray
12. “I think, for me, I just really want to have fun with every match that I play because tennis is a game.” – Naomi Osaka
13. “Tennis is a fine balance between determination and tiredness.” – Virginia Wade
14. “The fifth set is not about tennis, it’s about nerves.” – Boris Becker
15. “When the last point is done, we are humans. Give your opponent a hug and say, ‘great fight,’ and that’s all.” – Novak Djokovic
16. “The ball is round, the game is long.” – Bjorn Borg
17. “I don’t think, that you can ever get your game to perfection, you know. Only if you’re Federer.” – Novak Djokovic
18. “Tennis is a psychological sport, you have to keep a clear head. That is why I stopped playing.” – Boris Becker
19. “It’s shocking how little there is to do with tennis when you’re just thinking about nothing except winning every point.” – Andre Agassi
20. “Tennis is mostly mental. Of course, you must have a lot of physical skill but you can’t play tennis well and not be a good thinker. You win or lose the match before you even go out there.” – Venus Williams
21. “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” – Arthur Ashe
22. “What is the single most important quality of a tennis champion? I would have to say desire staying in there and winning matches when you are not playing that well.” – John McEnroe
23. “I have no sense of humor about losing” – Rafael Nadal
24. “Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.” – Martina Navratilova
25. “Every time I hit the ball on the wall I used to pretend I was there [Wimbledon]. When I went to sleep I used to pretend I was there.” – Evonne Goolagong Cawley
26. “In sports, you simply aren’t considered a real champion until you have defended your title successfully. Winning it once can be a fluke; winning it twice proves you are the best.” – Althea Gibson
27. “I always believe if you’re stuck in a hole and maybe things aren’t going well you will come out stronger. Everything in life is this way.” – Roger Federer
28. “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” – Arthur Ashe
29. “I hate to lose more than I love to win.” – Jimmy Connors
30. “I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.” – Serena Williams
31. “Spectacular performances are preceded by spectacular preparation.” – Frank Giampaolo
32. “Ever tried, ever failed, no matter, try again, fail again. Fail better.” – Stan Wawrinka
33. “Success is walking out of here with the title, and anything less is not good enough in my book.” – Pete Sampras
34. “I’ve been in a lot of trouble and come out of it. I think it shows a lot of good character.” – Stefan Edberg
35. “If you’re a champion, you have to have it in your heart.” – Chris Evert
36. “Fame and success and titles stay with you, but they wear out eventually. In the end, all that you are left with is your character.” – Ana Ivanovic
37. “I didn’t have the same fitness or ability as the other girls, so I had to beat them with my mind.” – Martina Hingis
38. “I don’t play in any tournaments to come second best.” – Andy Murray
39. “Losing is not my enemy, fear of losing is my enemy.” – Rafael Nadal
40. “If you’re not a competitor, you’ve just got to go home.” – Venus Williams
41. “I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks. If winning is God’s reward, then losing is how He teaches us.” – Serena Williams
42. “When you lose a couple of times, it makes you realize how difficult it is to win.” – Steffi Graf
43. “When you do something best in life, you don’t really want to give that up – and for me it’s tennis.” – Roger Federer
44. “The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how good I get, I’ll never be as good as a wall.” – Mitch Hedberg
45. “I have always considered tennis as a combat in an arena between two gladiators who have their racquets and their courage as their weapons.” – Yannick Noah
Tennis Players Once Said
Tennis players once said…
This is a compilation of some of the best tennis quotes for popular players.
Summary
Players who have dedicated their whole lives to playing tennis professionally understand the likeness of the game to our lives, and have learned valuable lessons throughout their career. Wins and losses are part of life just like tennis, and the aforementioned quotes tell us how the best tennis players in the world deal with loss and disappointment despite working so hard to win. Tennis teaches us that every one of us has their strengths and that only by recognizing our true selves can we begin to unpack our true potential.
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