I didn’t really care if I had a coach that much, me personally, because I was brought up to think for myself.
BILLIE JEAN KINGBeing Number One isn’t everything to me, but for those few hours on the court it’s way ahead of whatever’s in second place.
More Billie Jean King Quotes
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I was always in the tennis business-from 1968. I was in tournaments and also on World Team Tennis teams as well.
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It’s about learning your craft. That’s a wonderful thing–especially with today’s consumerism and instant gratification.
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People say, “Do you know how much a million dollars is?” I don’t have a clue. How many Big Macs will it buy me?
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There is no life for girls in team sports past Little League. I got into tennis when I realized this, and because I thought golf would be too slow for me, and I was too scared to swim.
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In the complete overall history of tennis, I figure I’ll be worth a sentence or two….
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A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.
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I always listen, I ask children, I even ask adults in tennis, “What are your children playing?” And most of the time it’s not tennis. It’s pathetic.
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I would have them do their skill drills as a team and their fun drills together as a team, then they have to have a match at the end of every week. They can’t just have what they call a lesson today every week.
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Martina and I went through a very bad five years. Everything’s very good between us now, but it was a long haul.
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Don’t be afraid to hit the ball.
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It’s very important to take tennis to the people. For young people, they get to see the best in the world.
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I think if you’re put on a team as a child, like you are in soccer and other sports, I think the children are going to stay in the sport and have more fun if they’re on a team. They want to play with their friends and have fun.
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I always think it’s best to pretend you’re in a tenuous position. Just as a player, you always want to stay in the now and work hard but also have goals for the future.
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When I was outed, it was like, That’s done.
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The main thing is not a matter of wanting to win; the main thing is being scared to lose.
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You just know where to put the ball. You just feel it. It has been computed into your brain so many times it is there.
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I always liked co-ed events best so we have two men and two women on each team.
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I like entrepreneurial people; I like people who take risks.
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I will tell you King’s First Law of Recognition: You never get it when you want it, and then when it comes, you get too much.
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The most important words that have helped me in life, when things have gone right or when things have gone wrong are ‘accept responsibility.’
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In business, everything starts with integrity. Otherwise it falls apart, though it does take time to find out who has integrity.
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You have got to want to be the best before you can even begin to reach for that goal, and you have got to be prepared to sacrifice a lot to get there.
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Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquillity.
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Trust and respect is something you earn, not something that is given.
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Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great.
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We have, or have had women presidents or prime ministers in Liberia, Chile, Germany, Great Britain…and yet the US of A still hasn’t had a women president. It’s just beyond my thinking. Look at Congress.
BILLIE JEAN KING