Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Living out of a bag, in hotels, packing, unpacking, travelling, the hours of flying, sometimes the credit card doesn't work at the hotel, or the room isn't ready - I'm lucky to have a team around to help me.
Everybody likes to say that Roger Federer is the Greatest Player of all time because its so nice to watch him play...but you have got to throw in Nadal's Mind as well...and That's the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!
In my opinion, it's better to be alone out there, having to decide on your tactics during the matches. I would prefer it if it was just me and my opponent having to solve the problems out there on the court.
Understanding that being nervous, having doubts and lacking confidence are emotions that are human is how you deal with it. It is okay to feel that way... and then understanding that you can work through it.
I'm my own toughest opponent. So I talk to myself. I curse at myself. I pump myself up. Whatever it takes to do. I don't really give a damn how it looks really because when I'm in the moment I need to be me.
Once I became number one, I started working even harder. I changed my technique, but injuries started creeping in - it was a big mistake, as I was doing something right to get to that spot in the first place.
As someone who spends a lot of her time on the road, you have to look stylish but comfortable as I'm always in motion. Either traveling for my job, for pleasure, or managing the hectic pace of the modern day.
People need to know that they can make a living. We are losing a lot of the best athletes to other sports at the age of seven or eight, which is exactly the time when you want to get a racket into their hand.
When I finished the juniors I felt, perhaps for about a year and a half, that everything was going to be the same and that I would be able to go out there and win any match. But it wasnt the case. I struggled.
Do you have to be like a second-grade dropout to be an umpire? Did you go to school until you were 8 years old? I think you quit school before you were 10. Stay in school kids or you'll end up being an umpire.
I love building a team around me, and being able to support a group of people is one of the best feelings I've come to know during my career; I imagine this is what a lot of business owners can relate to this.
It's always easier if you have the support of your family, if you're not alone. I came from a country that has been through a lot of troubles in the last 20 to 30 years, but we have been through them together.
The best thing about Sachin Tendulkar is that he's completely rooted, down to earth, and a thorough gentleman. He's probably the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket and maybe Indian sport as a whole.
I had many attempts to become No. 1, and it was really tough mentally to keep believing that it would happen one day, but then it was really tough to stay there because I felt the pressure at every tournament.
When I finished the juniors I felt, perhaps for about a year and a half, that everything was going to be the same and that I would be able to go out there and win any match. But it wasn't the case. I struggled.
You want a coach who is going to push you and be strong and be in your corner when it's tough, but sometimes you have coaches who think they are more important than the players. That's where the conflicts come.
For a coach to be able to help you, they need to get to know you well. They need to see what's happening - that you are not in the mood to talk, or something like this. It is very hard to find the right person.
It's really easy to find your friends when you're playing away. You have a close-knit group with you and everyone else is cheering hard for their side. There's more satisfaction coming away with a road victory.
The decision to retire was quite an easy one for me because by that stage my knees were so badly gone. If I had been like Martina Navratilova and my body had let me I would have carried on playing a lot longer.
Some times you lose more than you win. It's about handling losses and trying to turn them into positives. You get out into the big leagues and there's a period of adjustment to be made. You've got to handle it.
I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so early. And maybe they can achieve it, too, just to get that in their minds.
Messi is the best player on the planet and he keeps on improving at Barça, now the best team in the world. What Messi does on and off the pitch is an inspiration for children who dream of becoming a footballer.
Certainly I would like to have some of the qualities of other players and obviously from Roger Federer. But believe me, there are plenty of other abilities that are important, particularly mindset and strength.
When I think about how badly I wanted to be a player, and how obsessed I was with the game, I think that, for a long time in British tennis, that's been a big question mark with the kids, how much they want it.
I always wanted to be somebody...If I've made it, it's half because I was game to take a wicked amount of punishment along the way, and half because there were an awful lot of people who cared enough to help me.
I'm very proud to be a professional tennis player. I'm really happy to be doing something that I love. With this comes responsibility, and I am honored when I am told that I have inspired someone to play tennis.
I question myself every day. That's what I still find motivating about this. I don't have the answers, I don't pretend that I do just because I won the match. Just keep fighting and maybe something good happens.
My aggression out there is my weapon. I think it's more letting them know that I'm not going to let them get away with something, and I'm not just going to kind of poke it back and be content to stay in rallies.
I don't care who you are, you're going to choke in certain matches. You get to a point where your legs don't move and you can't take a deep breath. You start to hit the ball about a yard wide, instead of inches.
The strongest feelings I experienced were in Davis Cup. It was the most powerful thing: the victories and the losses. It hits you in a distinct way. It's another level of satisfaction - another level of sadness.
People say, 'You slide too much.' I try to change a bit, just to see the difference, and it's very bad. The faster and easier thing is to slide. To me, it's a gift, it's natural. It may be different, but I'm me.
I think the first step is definitely Top 5. From there, you can sort of see the end, and that's the top. In order to do that, you need to win Slams and big tournaments. That's just proven. There is no other way.
I always give Lindsay so much credit for her tennis game, for her attitude, for her person, and because of how she deals with all the things. I don't think people give her enough credit for how well she's doing.
Growing up I wasn't the richest, but I had a rich family in spirit. Standing here with 19 championships is something I never thought would happen. I went on a court just with a ball and a racket and with a hope.
There's really not much friendship between the girls on tour. There's so much rivalry and jealousy, so everyone just hangs out in their own camp. In the locker room and players' lounge, you can feel the jealousy.
I don’t want a flashy car, just something that would allow me to stop using the Tube. And it would be good not to have to rely on my mum all the time, particularly when I have to listen to her singing in her car.
I don't want a flashy car, just something that would allow me to stop using the Tube. And it would be good not to have to rely on my mum all the time, particularly when I have to listen to her singing in her car.
Yes, yes, I'm very happy that I finally got through this match, beat No. 7 in the world. It's my best win so far. So I'm really happy the way I play today and felt really strong on the court physically, mentally.
When your four biggest tournaments all operate relatively independently, and the ATP and WTA tour operate independently, and you have Davis Cup and Fed Cup that operate independently, it makes it a tough message.
When I need to get into details, I like French. But when I want to do something stronger, English is better. The swear words are stronger in English. And on the court, 'Allez!' is light. 'Come on!' That's strong.
I don't think enough players channel the energy of the crowd. If it's done properly, and you don't let anger overwhelm and distract you, it's like a shot of adrenaline in the arm, and it gets the crowd pumped up.
Well I think that's probably one of a few, where I grew up in the City of New York, it's got a lot of energy, my parents are Irish-American so there was a bit of yelling going on in my house but it seemed normal.
These were the moments when I was disappointed and frustrated, when I got so low because it seemed all my hard work had been wasted. But the moments passed, and the motivation to go back to rehab was there again.
I was so empty. I didn't always feel physically bad. I was able to play, but I wasn't there 100%. I felt I was fighting this strange feeling rather than the opponent; I couldn't really describe what was going on.
I found out how I missed tennis through the period I didn't play. It was a difficult time to watch girls playing on the TV, me sitting on the sofa with the hand in a splint. I find out then how I love this sport.
You live during the match, and you have strong emotions, but you don't want to get too overexcited. My body's totally flat now. I cannot move anymore. I'm totally exhausted, just because of the tension out there.
Tennis players are very fortunate that unlike some disciplines of sport, in mega-sporting events like the Grand Slams, they have a huge platform to showcase their talents on the world stage once every few months.
In the beginning, I thought the Federer comparisons were cool, but after a while, I wasn't happy with it. It's not the best thing you can hear as you're trying to develop, as it puts extra pressure on a young kid.
There are some guys you have problems beating because of their style - I always had difficulties with guys like Michael Chang and Andre Agassi because their returns were so good and they played so well in defence.
Many books have been written about what the X-factor is, what separates people who win big matches versus those who struggle. Some of it's innate, but there's a piece of it that's learned, embracing those moments.