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A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn't have. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things they never thought possible.
It's a lot for young players to be expected to deal with all the media, and... there is a lot of pressure to be perfect, but at 19, 20, 21, 22, you're still young and learning.
I was given advice early in the quarantine: Don't focus on what you don't have. Focus on what you do have and will have again, and I've said that to myself over and over again.
Now that I have retired, and even though I wanted to play more, I can always look back and say that at least I won Wimbledon; also, winning the tournament in Rotterdam in 1995.
I don't think I'm old enough or experienced enough to give anyone any guidance. All I would like say is that as long as you're having fun, I think you're doing the right thing.
My parents weren't very sporty, and football wasn't part of my everyday life. I was never a massive football fan either, but, like everyone else, I used to watch matches on TV.
Everyone is always working on their body and trying to make it the best that they possibly can. That's what I do every single day, mostly for performance, but also just for me.
I think I've always been very good at taking advantage of the opportunities that have been given to me, because I didn't have many. Once I got one, I grabbed it with two hands.
Someone once told me that God figured that I was a pretty good juggler. I could keep a lot of balls in the air at one time. So He said, "Let's see if he can juggle another one."
I believe the best in people. I believe if you need a bathroom break you go to the bathroom. If you need treatment, you get treatment. I don't think any rules should be changed.
I have a sweet tooth. Milk chocolate with the caramel fillings - that's my guilty pleasure right there. But I think that's all right; we have to let ourselves indulge sometimes.
Definitely the life and the camaraderie with the other players is something I appreciate a lot more now. I was very shy when I was younger and didn't always enjoy the lifestyle.
It was very hard for me to practice and enjoy my tennis, and I didn't know the why, so I worked with psychologists to try and see what was happening. They pushed me really hard.
You know, you just go out there, do your best. Sometimes it's good enough and sometimes it is, and sometimes it stays your only one and sometimes you win bunch others behind it.
Sometimes I think the easiest way to introduce what goes into managing the expenses of a tennis career is to take a look at another pro sport and notice some of the differences.
I would not have an event before the majors. I would build them up. It very rarely happens that a player plays the week before, wins the event, and then goes on to win the slam.
The strongest and most dangerous enemy you will ever face is a negative attitude. Learn to recognize when it is trying to invade your body and mind, then simply refuse it entry.
When I come into a tournament, I'm expecting to win. That's my philosophy. I can't go to a tournament thinking, 'I'm going to get my ass kicked today, so I might as well leave.'
I think if you do not enjoy your time, your life, if you do not live intensely and do not spend time with your family, in one way or another it will be reflected in your career.
For me, it's important that a fan can buy something that is related to me. Like in soccer, you buy a shirt and it's got somebody's name on the back. That's kind of a cool thing.
I don't want to give anyone an edge in my mind. Every time I walk out on the court, I have to feel I'm the best so I can compete well. A lot of times, my chief rival is just me.
Athletes, like everyone else, at times take supplements but just have to consult your doctors and work on that. It's a process, but it's achievable... It's my job to be healthy.
In sports, you simply aren't considered a real champion until you have defended your title successfully. Winning it once can be a fluke; winning it twice proves you are the best.
Every now and then I will play; I try to focus on charitable work. I might do it because it's an offer I can't refuse, so I rally and try to stay in shape and keep myself active.
Maria Sharapova winning Wimbledon at 17, I don't think that's ever going to happen again. It's a different game now. I need to stay focused and work on my game, and it will come.
Every time I hit the ball I would pretend I was on that magical court at Wimbledon. And then every time I went to sleep at night I would dream about playing at Wimbledon one day.
I'm a very creative person in general. I like to create stuff in my downtime off the court. If I were to tell you everything I do, you would be like, "Do you really play tennis?"
When I travel, I love speaking to women around the world about the things that inspire them, the fashions they like, what makes something good and what would make it even better.
I have to use other things to help my tennis, like my brain. But I believe that, even when your muscles are not so fast, with the brain and with concentration you can compensate.
No, because I think I have a reason to believe in myself and I think I'm also pretty confident about who I am and what I'm doing and it might be because I'm still at the top too.
The longer I stay in the States, the more I understand how important it is to smile and seem like a nice guy. Like Ronald Reagan. Your image seems to count more than what you do.
I think the French Open, in many ways, brought out a certain characteristic in me and in my game that was already there. Just the circumstances allowed for it to be able to show.
I started to travel like this at the age of 15 so for me, it's normal. Some days you get tired and you feel, 'I want to stay at home a little bit more,' but it's only the moment.
But in 2000, the injuries really started to kick in and my elbow gave a lot of problems. At the end of the year I had to take 20 months off before I could come back into the game
Each match is a huge effort from a physical point of view. You can only hit so many balls before your elbow or some part of your body is going to say, 'Hey, don't do that to me.'
I love the region around Lake Geneva. The landscape is beautiful, very peaceful, and such a nice place to relax and spend time outdoors. It's always a pleasure to come back home.
If I have to work hard or think hard or just copy somebody else that's doing it better - whatever it takes, I'm going to find that solution. That's the drive that keeps me going.
I love playing the game. I always have. Of course, winning matches makes it much sweeter. The wins and the losses always lead to these big moments, unless you're Serena Williams.
I was nervous and confident at the same, nervous about going out there in front of all those people, with so much at stake, and confident that I was going to go out there and win.
Tennis has given me so many opportunities, and I feel very lucky to have achieved whatever I have, especially coming from a country that does not have a great history in the game.
Let it be your business every day, in the secrecy of the inner chamber, to meet the holy God. You will be repaid for the trouble it may cost you. The reward will be sure and rich.
I got to see the best players in the world every year the week after the U.S. Nationals, which is now known as the US Open, in Los Angeles. That made a huge difference in my life.
I know beating a woman isn't like winning seven gold medals. But how many old guys are there in the world? You think they can relate to Mark Spitz? They relate to me, Bobby Riggs.
Women's tennis? I think it stinks. They hit the ball back and forth, have a lot of nice volleys, and you can see some pretty legs. But it's night and day compared to men's tennis.
Well, I think, you know, the university and the high schools are also important, but depends how I'm going to do in tennis - well, I hope. I mean, it depends, so I don't know yet.
There is no higher honour in sport than being selected to represent your country and I have certainly taken great pride in always giving my best in my position as Fed Cup captain.
Regarding the Hall of Fame, when they decided I was going to be one of the possible candidates, when I heard that, I was so thrilled. You're always hoping for something like that.
I'm just saying sometimes great to play smaller court, with the crowd very close. We can feel their energy, the passion, yeah, the love in it. I love it, to be honest. It's great.
I've sort of always pulled for the heels, like the bad guys. So I think if I were a pro wrestler, first I'd need to bulk up, and second I'll need to get sort of a bad-boy persona.
Equipment's the biggest change. And the guys have been getting bigger, stronger, more athletic - so the game has become more of a track meet instead of a tennis match, in a sense.