Playing tennis, I didn't tie in my self-worth into winning or losing matches.
Martina NavratilovaRead
What matters isn't how well you play when you're playing well. What matters is how well you play when you're playing badly.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True character is revealed in tough times, not just during success.
This quote by Martina Navratilova emphasizes that true excellence and capability are measured not by our performance during favorable conditions but rather by how we handle challenges and adversity. It highlights the importance of resilience and perseverance, suggesting that maintaining composure and effort when facing difficulties is what truly defines our skill and determination.
Themes
ResilienceAdversityCharacterPerformanceDetermination
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a motivational speech to inspire athletes facing tough competition.
More from Martina Navratilova
All quotes βI just wanted to play tennis. It wasn't a job. It was an ambition. I knew I could make money at it. I was 18 - old enough to think I could do it, young enough not to consider the consequences.
Martina NavratilovaRead
To those people doubting Serena Williams, writing her off - do not do that to a champion.
Martina NavratilovaRead
I can teach many sports, but obviously, tennis is the one. When you do other sports, you see things from different perspectives: different footwork drills, body positions, angles and geometry. All that stuff is helpful, and so when I do other sports, I can see things, because once you know one sport, then the other sport becomes more clear.
Martina NavratilovaRead
So many athletes are afraid to use their platform to do the right thing and speak what they feel, and that's very depressing. Sure, they are afraid of insulting people and losing money because of it, and everyone wants to make the maximum amount of money in their lifetime. But at the expense of who you are? I don't know. That just wasn't in my DNA.
Martina NavratilovaRead
I am just sorry my own mother had to live under that regime for most of her life. I was lucky. I got out and, 14 years later, Czechoslovakia became a free country. So I feel anger, even fury, at this bloody system that ruined so many people's lives for no reason whatsoever.
Martina NavratilovaRead
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When you stand and overcome a significant setback, you'll find an increasing inner confidence and self-assurance that has been created by conquering defeat. Absorbing and overcoming this kind of punishment engenders a sober, steely toughness that results in a hardened sense of independence and a personal belief that you can take on anything, survive and win.
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