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You really are never playing an opponent. You are playing yourself.

Arthur Ashe

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Arthur Ashe
Age: 49 †
Born: 1943
Born: July 10
Died: 1993
Died: February 6
Military Officer
Tennis Player
Richmond
Virginia
Arthur Robert Ashe
Jr.
Never
Opponent
Opponents
Playing
Really

More quotes by Arthur Ashe

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The best way to judge a life is to ask yourself, Did I make the best use of the time I had?
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This is my career highlight. Getting to the fourth round in the U.S. Open in my first year in the U.S. Open and first year on the tour.
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I know I could never forgive myself if I elected to live without humane purpose, without trying to help the poor and unfortunate, without recognizing that perhaps the purest joy in life comes with trying to help others.
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I guess I started too early because I just thought it was something fun to do.
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I take the good with the bad, and I try to face them both with as much calm and dignity as I can muster.
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There is a syndrome in sports called 'paralysis by analysis.'
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In America you're conditioned to regard everything as a contest. You have to make the Ten Best Dressed List, win this, win that. It drives me nuts sometimes. Who cares, for Christ's sake?
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If you're paid before you walk on the court, what's the point in playing as if your life depended on it?
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I don't want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments.
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A wise person decides slowly but abides by these decisions.
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I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full.
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Always have the situation under control, even if losing. Never betray an inward sense of defeat.
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My potential is more than can be expressed within the bounds of my race or ethnic identity.
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We must reach out our hand in friendship and dignity both to those who would befriend us and those who would be our enemy.
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Later, I discovered there was a lot of work to being good in tennis.
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Martina's like the old Green Bay Packers. You know exactly what she's going to do, but there isn't a thing you can do about it.
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You come to realize that life is short, and you have to step up. Don't feel sorry for me. Much is expected of those who are strong.
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You've got to make a lot of sacrifices and spend a lot of time if you really want to achieve with this sport, or in any sport, or in anything truly worthwhile.
Arthur Ashe
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A couple of times a day I sit quietly and visualize my body fighting the AIDS virus. It's the same as me sitting and seeing myself hit the perfect serve. I did that often when I was an athlete.
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If I were to say, 'God, why me?' about the bad things, then I should have said, 'God, why me?' about the good things that happened in my life.
Arthur Ashe