Pete Sampras

“People wrote me off, but I believed in myself. I got the confidence back, and it grew and grew. I won my first major and my last at the place that changed my life.”

“I could be a jerk and get a lot more publicity, but that's not who I am.”

“I loved Wimbledon and what it meant, but the surface felt uncomfortable. I just didn't like it, I was a hard-court guy, a Californian kid.”

“I'm staying in shape, working out.”

“People know me. I'm not going to produce any cartwheels out there. I'm not going to belong on Comedy Central. I'll always be a tennis player, not a celebrity.”

“I've worked hard my whole life, since I was a little kid. But now it's a point in my life now where I can just enjoy it, but at the same time I still need to work.”

“I never wanted to be the great guy or the colorful guy or the interesting guy. I wanted to be the guy who won titles.”

“I let my racket do the talking. That's what I am all about, really. I just go out and win tennis matches.”

“Retirement is a work in progress. I try to figure out my day, and what I know about myself is that I need structure.”

“There's always one shot that I can rely on when I'm not hitting the ball that well, is my serve.”

“All I cared about in tennis was winning.”

“It is nice to walk out on a court to have it packed.”

“The difference of great players is at a certain point in a match they raise their level of play and maintain it. Lesser players play great for a set, but then less.”

“I hate to lose, and I do whatever I can to win, and if it is ugly, it is ugly.”

“I've been into golf, trying to get into the gym to stay somewhat fit. I've got two boys now, they're active kids.”

“I don't know how I do it, I really don't.”

“For so long people have just taken what I do for granted. It is not easy to do year-in, year-out, to win Grand Slams and be No. 1.”

“I don't look at myself as a historical icon, but the reality of it is, yeah, I am playing for history now.”

“It's not my place to tell you whom to vote for, to take any political stand, to tell you what religion to believe in. I'm an athlete. I can influence certain things, but when I see other athletes and celebrities telling you whom to vote for, I actually get a bit offended.”

“I did it my way, and I have no regrets when I look back on my career that it was just a big focus for me.”