--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes I wish I could have been a bit…" description: "\"Sometimes I wish I could have been a bit more relaxed, but then I wouldn't have been the same player.\" — Steffi Graf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/steffi-graf-18587_motivational-tennis_sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit_1985051.png" --- # Sometimes I wish I could have been a bit more relaxed, but… ![“Sometimes I wish I could have been a bit more relaxed, but then I wouldn't have been the same player.” quote by Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/steffi-graf-18587_motivational-tennis_sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit_1985051.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/steffi-graf-18587_motivational-tennis_sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit_1985051.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/steffi-graf-18587_motivational-tennis_sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit_1985051.png) > “Sometimes I wish I could have been a bit more relaxed, but then I wouldn't have been the same player.” [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relaxation could change performance, but the drive to compete defines the athlete’s identity and success. **In simple terms:** Relaxation would alter competitive edge. Key Takeaway Balance focus with recovery for sustained success. Themes sports psychology identity performance Mood determined reflective Type sports motivational When to use this quote - training regimens - mental coaching - career planning - rehab programs Key Concepts mindfulness stress management goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain intensity without burnout? - What role does relaxation play in peak performance? A Different Perspective Too much relaxation may reduce competitiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bit Relaxed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bit-relaxed-660101/) [Motivational tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-tennis/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relax/) [Relaxed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relaxed/) [Relaxed Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relaxed-wouldn-3410551/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Wouldn Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wouldn-player-2140838/) ## Related quotes > [Over the years I attempted to make my style a bit more relaxed 'cause the initial style you couldn't watch for more than ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/over-the-years-i-attempted-to-make-my-style-a-bit-more-relaxed-cause/) [Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/) > [Sometimes when you have been so long at the top of your game like me, sometimes you can get a little bit too relaxed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-van-gerwen/sometimes-when-you-have-been-so-long-at-the-top-of-your-game-like-me/) [Michael van Gerwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-van-gerwen/) > [I'm a little bit more of a relaxed, lazy mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-m-a-little-bit-more-of-a-relaxed-lazy-mother/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [I wouldn't have become the player I have without my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/son-heung-min/i-wouldn-t-have-become-the-player-i-have-without-my-father/) [Son Heung-min](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/son-heung-min/) > [I think as I have got older, I have got a bit more relaxed, although you might not think that if you heard me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-beckham/i-think-as-i-have-got-older-i-have-got-a-bit-more-relaxed-although/) [Victoria Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-beckham/) > [I like my denim to fit a bit relaxed and feel a bit worn in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-maxwell/i-like-my-denim-to-fit-a-bit-relaxed-and-feel-a-bit-worn-in/) [Stella Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-maxwell/) > [Typically, throughout my career. I've played my best tennis when I'm a little bit more relaxed when I'm a bit talkative. I'm kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eubanks/typically-throughout-my-career-i-ve-played-my-best-tennis-when-i-m-a/) [Christopher Eubanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eubanks/) > [Learn to relax. Your body is precious, as it houses your mind and spirit. Inner peace begins with a relaxed body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/learn-to-relax-your-body-is-precious-as-it-houses-your-mind-and/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I still take it seriously, but once I go out there I think I've got more relaxed and I think it shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-still-take-it-seriously-but-once-i-go-out-there-i-think-i-ve-got/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I'm not intense at all. I'm always relaxed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-al-fayed/i-m-not-intense-at-all-i-m-always-relaxed/) [Mohamed Al-Fayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-al-fayed/) > [I just try to be relax, because I'm always been a relaxed person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-monfils/i-just-try-to-be-relax-because-i-m-always-been-a-relaxed-person/) [Gael Monfils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-monfils/) > [I'm very relaxed. I'm very happy with my personal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-m-very-relaxed-i-m-very-happy-with-my-personal-life/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/the-more-relaxed-you-are-the-better-you-are-at-everything/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [I decided I got to say whether I was Christian or not, and so I've relaxed enormously since then. I'm the one who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-decided-i-got-to-say-whether-i-was-christian-or-not-and-so-i-ve/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [It is very important not to think about losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/it-is-very-important-not-to-think-about-losing/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) ## More by Steffi Graf > [If you go to a big city anywhere in the world and you need a doctor, just ask me. I can tell you who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/if-you-go-to-a-big-city-anywhere-in-the-world-and-you-need-a-doctor/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I am a person who sticks to her word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-am-a-person-who-sticks-to-her-word/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I still take it seriously, but once I go out there I think I've got more relaxed and I think it shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-still-take-it-seriously-but-once-i-go-out-there-i-think-i-ve-got/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I've thrown away lots of my old diaries - you never know who might get their hands on them. But I have kept a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-ve-thrown-away-lots-of-my-old-diaries-you-never-know-who-might-get/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I don't wake up every day and think about which tournaments I won and which titles I hold. It's something I don't care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-don-t-wake-up-every-day-and-think-about-which-tournaments-i-won-and/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I think it takes people to get to know you and the recognition comes over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-think-it-takes-people-to-get-to-know-you-and-the-recognition-comes/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [It shifted attention away from that and Ive never been someone who liked the attention from the media anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/it-shifted-attention-away-from-that-and-ive-never-been-someone-who/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [The tennis wasn't really very much on my mind, so it wasn't like I was thinking about it all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/the-tennis-wasn-t-really-very-much-on-my-mind-so-it-wasn-t-like-i-was/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I appreciate very much being injury-free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-appreciate-very-much-being-injury-free/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I have always been guided by striving to show the best that I could. That is what kept me going in tennis and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-have-always-been-guided-by-striving-to-show-the-best-that-i-could/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [You can have a certain arrogance, and I think that's fine, but what you should never lose is the respect for the others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/you-can-have-a-certain-arrogance-and-i-think-that-s-fine-but-what-you/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [Ive been taught very early on that if you want to win a tournament youve got to beat anybody, and hopefully I play well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/ive-been-taught-very-early-on-that-if-you-want-to-win-a-tournament/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [Age, what is it? It's not a figure that has ever meant anything to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/age-what-is-it-it-s-not-a-figure-that-has-ever-meant-anything-to-me/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I don't ever look back. I look forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-don-t-ever-look-back-i-look-forward/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) > [I don't like the word 'businesswoman.' Perhaps 'committed mother' would be the best description.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-don-t-like-the-word-businesswoman-perhaps-committed-mother-would-be/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) [Explore all 34 Steffi Graf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) ## More Motivational tennis quotes > [It is very important not to think about losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/it-is-very-important-not-to-think-about-losing/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) > [If you can react the same way to winning and losing, that's a big accomplishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-evert/if-you-can-react-the-same-way-to-winning-and-losing-that-s-a-big/) [Chris Evert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-evert/) > [I have always considered tennis as a combat in an arena between two gladiators who have their racquets and their courage as their weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yannick-noah/i-have-always-considered-tennis-as-a-combat-in-an-arena-between-two/) [Yannick Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yannick-noah/) > [Everything is possible in this life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everything-is-possible-in-this-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't say that I was my happiest on court, but I felt completely free. Free from family obligations, free from my own torment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-connors/i-can-t-say-that-i-was-my-happiest-on-court-but-i-felt-completely/) [Jimmy Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-connors/) > [You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/you-have-to-believe-in-yourself-when-no-one-else-does/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [The ball is round, the game is long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjorn-borg/the-ball-is-round-the-game-is-long/) [Bjorn Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjorn-borg/) > [I never knew I was grunting, it was just part of my strokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-seles/i-never-knew-i-was-grunting-it-was-just-part-of-my-strokes/) [Monica Seles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-seles/) > [Both Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King used these phrases ("playing out of one's mind," or "over one's head") to describe their performances while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-gallwey/both-arthur-ashe-and-billie-jean-king-used-these-phrases-playing-out/) [Timothy Gallwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-gallwey/) > [It's like love. When you look too hard, you don't find it. When you let it happen naturally, it comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marat-safin/it-s-like-love-when-you-look-too-hard-you-don-t-find-it-when-you-let/) [Marat Safin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marat-safin/) > [There were many occasions in my career where I could have given up, where I asked myself whether I would ever make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelie-mauresmo/there-were-many-occasions-in-my-career-where-i-could-have-given-up/) [Amelie Mauresmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelie-mauresmo/) > [So there was a fire inside me. And that fire inside you, it can be turned into a negative form or a positive form.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newcombe/so-there-was-a-fire-inside-me-and-that-fire-inside-you-it-can-be/) [John Newcombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newcombe/) > [I don't care now if I ever win a match in my life again. Whatever I do in my life, wherever I go, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goran-ivanisevic/i-don-t-care-now-if-i-ever-win-a-match-in-my-life-again-whatever-i-do/) [Goran Ivanisevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goran-ivanisevic/) > [Losing is not my enemy..fear of losing is my enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/losing-is-not-my-enemy-fear-of-losing-is-my-enemy/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) > [I remember as a kid, I was improvising and making little trophies out of different materials and going in front of the mirror, lifting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novak-djokovic/i-remember-as-a-kid-i-was-improvising-and-making-little-trophies-out/) [Novak Djokovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novak-djokovic/) [Browse all 41 Motivational tennis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-tennis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes I wish I could have been a bit more relaxed, but then I wouldn't have been the same player.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steffi Graf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit-more-relaxed-but-then-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Motivational tennis" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit-more-relaxed-but-then-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/steffi-graf-18587_motivational-tennis_sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit_1985051.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/steffi-graf-18587_motivational-tennis_sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit_1985051.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/steffi-graf-18587_motivational-tennis_sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit_1985051.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes I wish I could have been a bit more relaxed, but then I wouldn't have been the same player.” — Steffi Graf", "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": "Steffi Graf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes I wish I could have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit-more-relaxed-but-then-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/sometimes-i-wish-i-could-have-been-a-bit-more-relaxed-but-then-i/#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 } } ] } ```