--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been playing against older and…" description: "\"I've been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of lev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/maria-sharapova-2423_able_i-ve-been-playing-against-older-and-stro_1036700.png" --- # I've been playing against older and stronger competition… ![“I've been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of level despite their strength and experience.” quote by Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/maria-sharapova-2423_able_i-ve-been-playing-against-older-and-stro_1036700.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/maria-sharapova-2423_able_i-ve-been-playing-against-older-and-stro_1036700.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/maria-sharapova-2423_able_i-ve-been-playing-against-older-and-stro_1036700.png) > “I've been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of level despite their strength and experience.” [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competing against stronger, more experienced opponents has fostered resilience and skill, showing that challenges can elevate performance. **In simple terms:** Facing tougher opponents builds skill and resilience. Key Takeaway Seek challenging competition for growth. Themes sports competition resilience growth Mood determined inspirational Type sports personal development When to use this quote - training sessions - tournament play - coaching - mental preparation Key Concepts psychology skill development performance Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated against stronger rivals? - What strategies help you learn from experienced opponents? A Different Perspective Risk of burnout if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis/) [Tennis player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis-player/) ## Related quotes > [If they had rankings in baseball, maybe I would have been able to do the math and figure out my chances of being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-courier/if-they-had-rankings-in-baseball-maybe-i-would-have-been-able-to-do/) [Jim Courier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-courier/) > [If you want to become a better tennis player, sometimes you have to miss. Sometimes you have to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jannik-sinner/if-you-want-to-become-a-better-tennis-player-sometimes-you-have-to/) [Jannik Sinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jannik-sinner/) > [For me, the Bundesliga is a stronger competition than the English and Spanish leagues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-muller/for-me-the-bundesliga-is-a-stronger-competition-than-the-english-and/) [Thomas Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-muller/) > [The older you get the stronger you have to get. Getting old is not for sissies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/the-older-you-get-the-stronger-you-have-to-get-getting-old-is-not-for/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [“If he were older and stronger, would he have given water to those men? Or would he, like most of the group, have kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sue-park/if-he-were-older-and-stronger-would-he-have-given-water-to-those-men/) [Linda Sue Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sue-park/) > [The older you get the stronger the wind gets and it's always in your face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/the-older-you-get-the-stronger-the-wind-gets-and-it-s-always-in-your/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“On the best nights, he’d appear outside the bookstore window and wait for me to unlock the door. He usually hadn’t had time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-anderson-kurk/on-the-best-nights-he-d-appear-outside-the-bookstore-window-and-wait/) [Laura Anderson Kurk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-anderson-kurk/) > [When I get older, I will be stronger They’ll call me freedom, just like a Wavin’ Flag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-naan/when-i-get-older-i-will-be-stronger-they-ll-call-me-freedom-just-like/) [K'naan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-naan/) > [When I get older, I will be stronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-naan/when-i-get-older-i-will-be-stronger/) [K'naan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-naan/) > [“My wife had learned to give in to what someone older, stronger, and meaner wanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/my-wife-had-learned-to-give-in-to-what-someone-older-stronger-and/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [No matter what the game was or how much older and stronger the other kids were, we were taught to give it everything we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-payton/no-matter-what-the-game-was-or-how-much-older-and-stronger-the-other/) [Walter Payton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-payton/) > [ Competition \[in a scene\] is healthy. Competition is life. Yet most actors refuse to acknowledge this. They don't want to compete. They want to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shurtleff/competition-in-a-scene-is-healthy-competition-is-life-yet-most-actors/) [Michael Shurtleff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shurtleff/) > [I have been up against tough competition all my life. 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Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn't have. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/a-great-tennis-career-is-something-that-a-15-year-old-normally-doesn/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [No matter what you study, the thing that you know best is what you grew up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/no-matter-what-you-study-the-thing-that-you-know-best-is-what-you/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [The more matches I play, the more confident I get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/the-more-matches-i-play-the-more-confident-i-get/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [There are days when I go out on the court and I feel like I can't miss a ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/there-are-days-when-i-go-out-on-the-court-and-i-feel-like-i-can-t/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [“At the beginning, it’s all you have: a simple forehand, a simple backhand. It’s all you have at the end, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/at-the-beginning-it-s-all-you-have-a-simple-forehand-a-simple/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [I can't say I don't like acting, but I can't imagine a career when I have to spend 70 percent of my time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-can-t-say-i-don-t-like-acting-but-i-can-t-imagine-a-career-when-i/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [I try not to hit a swing volley and run back. So my swing volley is kind of that transition to the net. 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With the name Sugarpova I don't think I will be doing anything sugar free very soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/sugar-free-with-the-name-sugarpova-i-don-t-think-i-will-be-doing/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [I'm always that annoying person that pulls out the camera in the middle of dinner and starts taking candids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-m-always-that-annoying-person-that-pulls-out-the-camera-in-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [I definitely feel Russian inside, even when I'm in America I feel Russian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-definitely-feel-russian-inside-even-when-i-m-in-america-i-feel/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [I love getting consumer reports. I think it's one of my favourite things, studying what people have to say about the product and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-getting-consumer-reports-i-think-it-s-one-of-my-favourite/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) [Explore all 167 Maria Sharapova quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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