I drew my strength from fear. Fear of losing. I don't remember the games I won, only the games I lost.
Boris BeckerRead
Tennis is a psychological sport, you have to keep a clear head. That is why I stopped playing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Tennis requires mental clarity and focus, which can be difficult to maintain, leading some to step away from the game.
In this quote, Boris Becker emphasizes the mental aspect of tennis, suggesting that the sport demands a high level of psychological resilience and concentration. He implies that the pressure and mental challenges became overwhelming for him, prompting his decision to stop playing. This highlights the importance of mental fortitude in competitive sports and how a lack of it can affect performance and enjoyment.
Themes
TennisPsychologyMental ClaritySportsPressure
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about sports psychology.
More from Boris Becker
All quotes βSimilar quotes
Football is now all about money. There are problems with the values within the game. This is sad because football is the most beautiful game. We can play it in the street. We can play it everywhere.
Johan CruyffRead
We should play free football, defend lively with a passion, and have the best understanding in offence.
Jurgen KloppRead
Basketball is an endurance sport, and you have to learn to control your breath; that's the essence of yoga, too. So, I consciously began using yoga techniques in my practice and playing. I think yoga helped reduce the number and severity of injuries I suffered. As preventative medicine, it's unequaled.
Kareem Abdul-JabbarRead
Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he's losing; nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead.
Jackie RobinsonRead
One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.
Knute RockneRead
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.
MartaRead