It’s been two years since my last match, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss you, tennis. I miss putting on my blue and white uniform. I miss the butterflies that I used to get before every match. I miss the ups and down of every point. I miss being on the court, just me and my opponent. You taught me a lot in four years, not only about the game of tennis, but also about myself.

Thank you for teaching me that love sucks. It was never a good feeling when I had to say, “Love, [insert opponent’s score].” I still find it funny that it’s called love, because honestly, I hate saying it.

Thank you for teaching me perseverance. I learned how to dig deep and finish every match, no matter what the outcome was. You showed me how to fight until the very last point, especially when the scoreboard wasn’t in my favor.

Thank you for teaching me that mental stamina is just as, and often more, important than physical stamina. Sure, I would be panting after my opponent ran me all over the court, but my (lack of) fitness was rescued by my mental game. You showed me how important it is to keep my head in the game and to keep my opponent out of my head.

Thank you for teaching me that my attitude can affect the outcome. It’s easy to get down when you’re down a set and a couple games. It’s easy to give up easy points and want to quit in the middle of the match. You showed me that every point is a new point. Every point is a clear slate.

Thank you for teaching me not to dwell on my mistakes. When it’s just you and your opponent on the court your mistakes are obvious. You can’t hide behind any of your teammates, no matter how much you want to. It wasn’t easy to learn, but I finally figured out that wasting time thinking about past mistakes only hurts the match.

Thank you for teaching me how to play alone on a team. I know it might seem like an oxymoron, but your team isn’t out there with you on the court, it’s just you. You’re responsible for your own successes and failures, but in the end, your match helps determine the team’s outcome.

Thank you for teaching me that the scoreboard doesn’t always reflect your performance. I was on the losing side of a lot of matches. While it wasn’t a great feeling, I realized that the score didn’t always represent the way I played. Sometimes I would play better than I had ever played, but I would still lose. As cliché as it is, you taught me that winning isn’t everything.

Thank you for teaching me patience. I had to be patient during every point, every game, every set, every match. It’s true, patience is a virtue.

Thank you for teaching me how to not take myself so seriously. At the end of day, it’s just a game.

Last, but definitely not least, thank you for teaching me that these lessons go far beyond the court. You helped me grow as a person and a player, and I cannot thank you enough for that.