Martina Navratilova, who proved on Monday at Wimbledon that she could still play with passion, said she was ready to pass on the secrets of her fierce competitiveness to another generation.
After trouncing her Colombian first round opponent Catalina Castano 6-0, 6-1 in her first singles match at Wimbledon since she lost the 1994 final to Spain's Conchita Martinez, Navratilova brushed aside talk of her 47 years.
"It is not about age, it never was," the nine-times Wimbledon singles champion said. "When people ask 'Why are you doing it?' I guess the answer is because I still can."
Although the competitive fires clearly burn as brightly as ever, Navratilova said she believed that tennis should above all be fun.
"It's a game. People forget that. People take it too seriously. I never have and I never will," she said.
"I think the message that I would always like to send, old or young, is just enjoy what you are doing. if you don't enjoy playing tennis, then do something else.
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Navratilova has plans to set up a tennis academy in Florida next year and pass on some of the motivational and tactical skills that have won her an astounding 167 career titles.
"Nobody teaches strategy, how to play the points," she complained. "It's all about technique and hitting the ball but not how to set up the point. And there's so much to that."
At her packed post-match press conference, Navratilova was in nostalgic mood, fondly remembering her Wimbledon debut in 1973 against Briton Christine Janes, whose daughter Amanda was in action on Monday against Japan's Ai Sugiyama.
Asked what her debut match was like, Navratilova recalled: "Tight. I had a tight dress. Fred Perry gave us some gear. Coming from Czechoslovakia, that was amazing.
"I made the mistake of wearing the dress for the first time for the match. I was a bit chubby as you know. And the dress was not the right size. I didn't fall out of it but it was itchy. So I was just glad to get off court. Never wore that dress again."
