Tennis taught me so many lessons in life. One of the things it taught me is that every ball that comes to me, I have to make a decision. I have to accept responsibility for the consequences every time I hit a ball.

King frames tennis as a practical ethics lesson: each incoming ball demands a choice—how to respond, what risk to take, what tactic to use—and the player cannot outsource the outcome. The point becomes a metaphor for adult agency: life continually presents situations we did not choose, but we do choose our responses, and those responses carry consequences. By emphasizing “accept responsibility,” she also rejects the temptation to blame conditions, opponents, or luck. The quote aligns with King’s broader public persona as a competitor and advocate—someone who treats decision-making, accountability, and follow-through as the core disciplines that translate from sport into leadership and civic life.