I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.
Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.
I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.
I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top position.
Am I the greatest? I don’t know. I’m the greatest that I can be.
Everyone’s dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard.
Think of all the girls who could become top athletes but quit sports because they’re afraid of having too many defined muscles and being made fun of or called unattractive.
It’s me, and I love me. I learned to love me. I’ve been like this my whole life, and I embrace me. I love how I look. I love that I’m a full woman and I’m strong and I’m powerful and I’m beautiful at the same time. There’s nothing wrong with that.
I think in life you should work on yourself until the day you die.
You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.
Growing up I wasn’t the richest, but I had a rich family in spirit. Standing here with 19 championships is something I never thought would happen. I went on a court just with a ball and a racket and with a hope.
You can be whatever size you are, and you can be beautiful both inside and out. We’re always told what’s beautiful and what’s not, and that’s not right.
For the younger sisters, we always look up to the older sisters because they’re always ahead of us and they always win.
I just never give up. I fight to the end. You can’t go out and say, ‘I want a bag of never-say-die spirit.’ It’s not for sale. It has to be innate.
If you can keep playing tennis when somebody is shooting a gun down the street, that’s concentration.
Victory is very, very sweet. It tastes better than any dessert you’ve ever had.
I always say if I play my best it’s difficult to beat me.
I love who I am, and I encourage other people to love and embrace who they are. But it definitely wasn’t easy – it took me a while.
I’ve had to learn to fight all my life – got to learn to keep smiling. If you smile things will work out.