When I go to play tennis, I go to play tennis. I don’t go to work at it. I want my play to be fun, not a chore or another task to be accomplished. That’s not to say I don’t want to win. However, when I finish, I’d rather have lost an enjoyable match in which I played my best than to win a match in which I didn’t play well or have fun.
There are too many times when I see the desire to win cause players to make poor calls to win the point. Or make very safe shots just to stay in the game.
I want to be challenged by the opponents I’m playing with because I want to steadily improve my game. In fact, I often look at my opponent as my partner in raising my game. I also want to be a good opponent/partner in that regards. One of the best compliments I can receive when I finish a match is to have my opponents say that I made them work for every point they won, that playing with me raises their game to a higher level.
I find the attitude that I choose to play with on the court has an impact on how I play off the court and vice versa. I don’t want my wins to come at the expense of my honesty, my willingness to take risks, or my desire to enjoy the game I’m in.
Charles