What I do on court is great, but what really matters is what happens off court, the people who you affect.
Coco GauffRead
Everyone asks me how I stay calm on court and I think it's because I accepted who I am after overcoming low points in my life.
Interpretation
Embracing oneβs true self helps maintain composure during challenges.
Coco Gauff's quote reflects the importance of self-acceptance and resilience. By acknowledging and overcoming personal struggles, one can find a sense of inner peace and calmness, especially in high-pressure situations like sports. This self-awareness fosters confidence and enables individuals to handle adversity with grace.
In practice
During motivational talks for athletes discussing mental health.
What I do on court is great, but what really matters is what happens off court, the people who you affect.
The amount of people - and kids especially - that come up to me saying I inspire them is honestly better than any match I could win, just to know that I inspire another kid maybe to pick up a racquet or go through something they're facing at school.
There's so many people going through so many, like, uncomfortable situations. For me to be - I mean, obviously being nervous is natural - but for me to think that winning a tennis match or losing a tennis match is the end of the world, I think just kind of shows what kind of privilege I have.
Throughout my life, I was always the youngest to do things, which added hype that I didn't want. It added this pressure that I needed to do well fast.
It's important for us to know that our worth isn't defined by how well we do in our sport.
If you are choosing silence, you're choosing the side of the oppressor.
You might not be a big fan of politics, but you can still participate. All you need to do is vote for people you believe will work on these issues, and if they don't work the way they should, then it is your responsibility to call them, organize a town hall, and demand that they show up - hold them accountable.
There's nothing I'm afraid of like scared people.
Right out of high school I never had the fear of getting beat, which is how most people lose.
It is always the adventurers who do great things, not the sovereigns of great empires.
The battle, Sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, Sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable; and let it come! I repeat, Sir, let it come!
Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance.
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