One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.

Arthur Ashe (1943–1993), the pioneering American tennis champion and later a prominent public advocate, frequently emphasized disciplined preparation as the foundation of performance under pressure. The quotation is commonly circulated in motivational and sports contexts and aligns with Ashe’s public persona: a competitor known for meticulous training, strategic thinking, and composure in high-stakes matches. It is typically invoked to connect athletic success with broader life achievement—suggesting that confidence is not merely an inborn trait but something earned through deliberate practice and readiness. While widely attributed to Ashe, the precise occasion and first publication are not reliably pinned down in popular circulation.

The statement proposes a causal chain: success depends in part on self-confidence, and self-confidence, in turn, is built through preparation. Rather than treating confidence as bravado or wishful thinking, the quote frames it as an evidence-based feeling—what you can reasonably believe about yourself after doing the work. Preparation reduces uncertainty, increases competence, and supplies a record of effort to draw on when doubt arises. The deeper implication is ethical as well as practical: confidence is most durable when it rests on earned capability, not on external validation. In this way, Ashe links inner assurance to disciplined habits and responsibility.