If you want to belong to the best, you need good technique and, perhaps even more importantly, a good eye. If you see the ball sooner, you have more time to think about how and where to return it.
There are many moments during a match when you are tense, wrestling with yourself. Tennis is a lesson in self-control.
I appreciate a lot in this life; the things you cannot buy. Life is only once. I am happy being here and all the things that are a risk I normally avoid.
I always wanted to be honest with myself and to those who have had faith in me.
Playing well or playing bad, I have to play aggressive. I must play aggressive.
I would like to believe there is a God, but I think it is better to say I'm not sure there is a God and live your life with kindness and respect for people than to say I know there is a God and then do bad things.
It's important for the young players to practice other ball games as well, basketball or table tennis. On the tennis court, you can improve your eye through a kind of overexertion.
I have no sense of humor about losing
As a tennis player you can win and you can lose, and you have to be ready for both. I practised self-control as a kid. But as you get older they both - winning and losing - get easier.
Tennis is beautiful when you can see tactics, when players don't just react but are able to act and think.
Don't think about being the number one in the world, try instead to get through today's program as well as you can. Then we will see whether one day you'll end up as number one or number 100.
When you get older, if you are healthy, is not a problem. If you don't have the health, then you go home.
My goal is to improve my game, stay healthy and be competitive. If I have that, I know I can be able to win tournaments, which in the end is what it counts.
My motivation and aspiration is the same, being number one or being number five. So that's the truth. And my goal is the same - it's to always be happy playing, it's to enjoy the game and improve always.
We should try to teach the young people values that are useful to them whether they become professional athletes or not.
I admire a lot of people, but in terms of sport I've always loved the mentality of Tiger Woods on a golf course. I always love his eyes when he's setting himself and focusing on his decision; he has a really strong, focused face and believes that he can make the shot.
I will work day after day like I did my whole life ... I'm not going to change anything.
A lot of times I had some problems, but I always had the passion and the personal motivation to keep going, to keep working hard, keep fighting for the things that really motivates me. That's all.
What distinguishes tennis is respect for one's opponent, one's conduct on the court.
I am afraid of a lot of things. A dog. I could be afraid of a dog that's upset, for example. And on the tennis courts, maybe on the outside I look fearless, but on the inside, I'm scared. There's not one player in the world who isn't nervous before matches. Especially important matches.
I would love to learn other languages, maybe French? My uncle speaks German so maybe also German? Chinese seems to be too difficult.
I just try to win the match by fighting for every point, and running down every ball.
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.
I became a player who goes to a lot of effort while training, who can rely on his will and his mental strengths.
My uncle developed the training philosophy. His idea of good tennis training is basically quite simple: you must try to gain time.
