Chris Evert Quotes - Page 2

My first U.S. Open I think was just very special for me because that was sort of the beginning of what was a 'Cinderella' story for me.

Once you've been number one, you can never be satisfied with less.

Being famous before you've formed your personality, before you have that self-esteem, is dangerous.

Losing hurts me. I was determined to be the best.

You're always striving to play that perfect match.

The great high of winning Wimbledon lasts for about a week. You go down in the record book, but you don't have anything tangible to hold on to. But having a baby -- there isn't any comparison.

Ninety percent of my game is mental. It's my concentration that has gotten me this far. I won't even call a friend on the day of a match. I'm scared of disrupting my concentration. I don't allow any competition with tennis.

I've had a lot of fear in my life, from fear of flying to fear of making a speech in front of a lot of people.

When I was in grade school and we had to write papers about what we wanted to be when we grew up, I wanted to be a social worker or a missionary or a teacher... Then I got involved with tennis, and everything was just me, me, me. I was totally selfish and thought about myself and nobody else, because if you let up for one minute, someone was going to come along and beat you. I really wouldn't let anyone or any slice of happiness enter... I didn't like the characteristics that it took to become a champion.

I wanted always to appear strong and in control . . . .Then the cookie began to crumble.

I was labeled at a young age - Miss Unemotional, Miss Cool, and that would carry over to my press conferences.

I think team sports probably teach you more about giving - about being unselfish and being flexible.

When I play, I'm boiling inside. I just try not to show it because it's a lack of composure, and if you give in to your emotions after one loss, you're liable to have three or four in a row.

I was very, very shy as a younger girl, just petrified of people. Tennis helped give me an identity and made me feel like somebody.

Every time, all the time, I'm a perfectionist. I feel I should never lose.

I'm not an overly ambitious person; I don't feel like I have to excel.

I'm not getting within 20 feet of a married man ever again - not even talking to one!

Not every child is cut out for an individual sport.

In tennis, at the end of the day you're a winner or a loser. You know exactly where you stand... I don't need that anymore. I don't need my happiness, my well-being, to be based on winning and losing.

Cats are peaceful and tranquil - they bring calmness with their serene personalities.

Of all my achievements in tennis, I'm probably as proud of my record on clay courts as any of my Wimbledon, U.S. Open or French singles titles.

Relationships are give-and-take, and when you're a tennis player, you're certainly not giving. You have to be self-absorbed. It has to be about you.

Now that I'm losing some, I can see how tough I was -- the killer instinct, the single-mindedness, playing like a machine. Boy, that's what made me a champion.

I love hiking in the mountains in Aspen. Breathing the clean, fresh air is great. Plus, it gives me a cardiovascular workout and firms my legs.

I still have this image: I can't be controversial, I can't say things.