--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who ever said, ‘It’s not whether you win…" description: "\"“Who ever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.”\" — Martina Navratilova" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/martina-navratilova-3608_football_who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-o_340478.png" --- # Who ever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that… ![“Who ever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.” quote by Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/martina-navratilova-3608_football_who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-o_340478.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/martina-navratilova-3608_football_who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-o_340478.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/martina-navratilova-3608_football_who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-o_340478.png) > ““Who ever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.”” [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She critiques the cliché that winning isn’t everything, implying success matters. **In simple terms:** Winning matters more than the saying suggests. Key Takeaway Value true achievement. Themes competition success mindset Mood determined reflective Type sports philosophical When to use this quote - athletic training - career ambition - personal goals Key Concepts sports psychology goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you define success? - When is losing a learning opportunity? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on winning can cause stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Counts Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counts-probably-1711537/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose/) [Lose Counts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose-counts-1711536/) [Probably Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-lost-672236/) [Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win/) [Win Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-lose/) [Win or lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-or-lose/) ## Related quotes > [Whoever said, 'It's not whether you win or lose that counts,' probably lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/whoever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-or-lose-that-counts-probably/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [In war, you win or lose, live or die - and the difference is just an eyelash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/in-war-you-win-or-lose-live-or-die-and-the-difference-is-just-an/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [We need to be behind Man United always when they win or lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-evra/we-need-to-be-behind-man-united-always-when-they-win-or-lose/) [Patrice Evra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrice-evra/) > [When you win or lose, no-one dies: you win, or you lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-henderson/when-you-win-or-lose-no-one-dies-you-win-or-you-lose/) [Jordan Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-henderson/) > [In life, it is important to not be afraid to put yourself out there, win or lose. It is all about the spirit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-bailey/in-life-it-is-important-to-not-be-afraid-to-put-yourself-out-there/) [Cynthia Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-bailey/) > [If I would go out against some of these players and see them as their ranking, then I probably would have already lost before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/if-i-would-go-out-against-some-of-these-players-and-see-them-as-their/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [If you were approaching the TARP investments from a pure investment standpoint, then there's no doubt in my mind the taxpayer lost, and probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-hensarling/if-you-were-approaching-the-tarp-investments-from-a-pure-investment/) [Jeb Hensarling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-hensarling/) > [I think the notion of getting the North Koreans to denuclearize is probably a lost cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clapper/i-think-the-notion-of-getting-the-north-koreans-to-denuclearize-is/) [James Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clapper/) > [“That's when I realized that part of me would probably always be lost in the past. That just seemed to be my personality: I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-harbison/that-s-when-i-realized-that-part-of-me-would-probably-always-be-lost/) [Beth Harbison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-harbison/) > [I've won a few professional resume awards in my time, probably lost more of them that I've won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/i-ve-won-a-few-professional-resume-awards-in-my-time-probably-lost/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [How you play shows some of your character how you win or lose shows all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-you-play-shows-some-of-your-character-how-you-win-or-lose-shows/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We can't recover the loss of Yesterday but tomorrow is ours to win or lose, make it count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/we-can-t-recover-the-loss-of-yesterday-but-tomorrow-is-ours-to-win-or/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [In football, you can win or lose. We always have to be together, with the same spirit we've always had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rodriguez/in-football-you-can-win-or-lose-we-always-have-to-be-together-with/) [James Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rodriguez/) > [Win or lose, we go shopping after the election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-marcos/win-or-lose-we-go-shopping-after-the-election/) [Imelda Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-marcos/) > [Win or lose or draw, you always go back and critique your performance and say you could have done things better. Even if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/win-or-lose-or-draw-you-always-go-back-and-critique-your-performance/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) ## More by Martina Navratilova > [The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/the-moment-of-victory-is-much-too-short-to-live-for-that-and-nothing/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [Tennis is the purest form of democracy. There was a symbiotic, chicken-and-egg relationship for me between democracy and tennis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/tennis-is-the-purest-form-of-democracy-there-was-a-symbiotic-chicken/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [What I would tell girls coming up is just be yourself and don't let people get in the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/what-i-would-tell-girls-coming-up-is-just-be-yourself-and-don-t-let/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [You can't live in the past, there's nothing you can do about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/you-can-t-live-in-the-past-there-s-nothing-you-can-do-about-it/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [When one man becomes more important than the country he's supposed to be leading, this will always create a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/when-one-man-becomes-more-important-than-the-country-he-s-supposed-to/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [I am not looking for perfection. I look for the best in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/i-am-not-looking-for-perfection-i-look-for-the-best-in-me/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [I think the key is for women not to set any limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/i-think-the-key-is-for-women-not-to-set-any-limits/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [The better I get, the more I realize how much better I can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/the-better-i-get-the-more-i-realize-how-much-better-i-can-get/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [There was a joke in Czechoslovakia: The Communist Party dance, it's one step forward, two steps backward, and everyone is still clapping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/there-was-a-joke-in-czechoslovakia-the-communist-party-dance-it-s-one/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [The longer I stay in the States, the more I understand how important it is to smile and seem like a nice guy. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/the-longer-i-stay-in-the-states-the-more-i-understand-how-important/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path. Once you get on that path,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/just-put-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other-and-don-t-worry-about-the/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [I can teach many sports, but obviously, tennis is the one. When you do other sports, you see things from different perspectives: different footwork…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/i-can-teach-many-sports-but-obviously-tennis-is-the-one-when-you-do/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [Sport doesn't know barriers, really. You are judged on your performance... how far you can jump, how fast you can run, how well you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/sport-doesn-t-know-barriers-really-you-are-judged-on-your-performance/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/the-difference-between-involvement-and-commitment-is-like-ham-and/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [Just go out there and do what you've got to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/just-go-out-there-and-do-what-you-ve-got-to-do/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) [Explore all 126 Martina Navratilova quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) ## More Football quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/) [Brendan Mundorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-mundorf/) > [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/) [Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) [Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Who ever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martina Navratilova" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-or-lose-that-counts-probably/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Football" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-or-lose-that-counts-probably/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/martina-navratilova-3608_football_who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-o_340478.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/martina-navratilova-3608_football_who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-o_340478.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/martina-navratilova-3608_football_who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-o_340478.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Who ever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.” — Martina Navratilova", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Martina Navratilova", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Who ever said, ‘It’s not whether...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-or-lose-that-counts-probably/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/who-ever-said-it-s-not-whether-you-win-or-lose-that-counts-probably/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```