Athlete Quotes

It has meant a lot to me to challenge the best players in the world and to beat them. And it means a lot to me to be out here and fighting for the title and, you know, it hurts not to win it.

I've been criticized for not having perspective in the past and I thought that of myself many times but not there.

I'm going to have to pick my shots and play great tennis.

I'm going to go down swinging... I'm sure as heck not going to go home and say I had a bad tournament.

I think one of the greatest joys I have now in my career and in my profession is to be playing at an age where I can appreciate it more than I used to... It's a whole different lens you look through the older you get.

I had my moments for sure but I wasn't confrontational. And sometimes you get on the court and you'd find yourself very confrontational. It was all a discovery.

I had moments of my actions and words not reflecting who it is I am - if that defines a punk, then yes, absolutely.

I got a hundred bucks says my baby beats Pete's baby. I just think genetics are in my favour.

I feel old when I see mousse in my opponent's hair.

But, I would say when I was four years old and I was at the Alan King Tennis Tournament and I was hitting with all the pros that would come to town. They would get me on the court or take notice and that stayed with me.

What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose.

Sometimes it's just harder to remind yourself about what you're doing and why you're doing it... Other times, you have a great desire for it, but physically you're not responding the way you want. That presents other challenges. Then sometimes it all comes together.

Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work. I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind. It meant training and sweating every day. But I was completely committed to working out to prove to myself that I still could do it.

Being number two sucks.

You don't cheat anybody out of their experience, whatever it is.

I've been motivated by overcoming challenge and overcoming the hurdles and obstacles that face me. There still is plenty out there to get motivated by.

First of all, let me say, 1:15 in the morning, for 20,000 people to still be here, I wasn't the winner, tennis was. That's awesome. I don't know if I've ever felt so good here before.

If you don't practice you don't deserve to win.

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.

When you get into the game you've got be thinking, when I get into the attacking third I'm gonna be freakin' creative.

When I'm out there on the field, I'm in a whole different world, you know? It's like, I'm just having so much fun.

What do I have to cheat for? I've always been playing against people older than me anyways. So what do I have to cheat for?

Obviously, I'm at the beginning of my career, contrary to what anyone else thinks. I'm 19 years old. In any other country, everywhere else, you're a prospect. And that's what I am right now in Europe. I'm a prospect. I'm not a seasoned veteran.

Obviously, everybody has their own expectations of you, but you have to have your own expectations for yourself. For me, I'm right on track.

Nothing has been given to me.

My mom was always the supplier of soccer balls, and so people were always knocking on my door, and trying to get me out so we could play.

It's one of the best leagues in Europe in football. Benfica in my opinion is one of the top 10 biggest clubs in the world.

It's frustrating at times when you think you've earned a chance to play on the field and you're over there sitting on the bench. That's not the kind of player I am. I'm the kind of player who wants to be out there on the field and needs to contribute every minute of every game.

I've always been one of the youngest guys on the team. But now I'm one of the older guys, one of the more experienced guys, and I have to be more of a leader. The guys are looking up to me, asking me questions and looking at me to step up.

I'm going to go in and play, because the most important thing is playing on the field and being able to contribute. I really am ready.