Tennis was never work for me, tennis was fun. And the tougher the battle and the longer the match, the more fun I had.
Interpretation
Tennis is a source of enjoyment rather than a job for Connors, and he finds pleasure in challenges.
In this quote, Jimmy Connors expresses his perspective on tennis, highlighting that for him, the sport is not merely a job or a chore, but a source of joy. He suggests that the harder the competition and the longer the matches, the more he relishes the experience, emphasizing the importance of passion and enjoyment over obligation in pursuing one's interests.
In practice
During a sports motivational seminar to inspire young athletes.
I had true rivalries. Not only did I want to beat my opponent, but I didn't want to let him up, either. I had a rivalry with Mac, Lendl, Borg. Everybody knew there was tension between us, on court and off. That's what's really ingrained in my mind: 'This is real. This isn't a soft rivalry.' There were no hugs and kisses.
I think my greatest victory was every time I walked out there, I gave it everything I had. I left everything out there. That's what I'm most proud of. I can't go win Wimbledon anymore, so if what I've done in the past is not good enough, let it go. Because I'm certainly not sitting around thinking about it.
Defense to me is the key to playing baseball.
Sports are a great place to show that equality can happen.
I didn't know there was such a thing as professional soccer, but I knew that Brazil had a women's team that competed against other countries, and I wanted to be on that team.
Gowdy had a love affair with the microphone and the fans had a love affair with him. American sports fans truly lost an icon, a legend who never felt he was bigger than anyone else. He had that humility that made him special, and he made everyone feel like they were so important.
Tennis is mostly mental. You win or lose the match before you even go out there.
I played when I played, and played, I think, against the greatest players in the greatest time in the history of basketball.
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