I just try to stay positive and focused on the tennis, not let anything get to me, like crazy questions. But I’m tough, let me tell you, tough as nails.
The big push for me is the Olympics this year. If I’m healthy, I’m not worried about my ranking. I think I can hit the ball. It’s just about my body cooperating. It’s about being able to play matches in a row. Right now, I’m not sure how much I can do with that, but we’ll see.
Since I started playing at the Olympics in 2000, I have always wanted to do a dress based on Wonder Woman. It should be interesting to wear. And hopefully, it will get me a gold medal.
I have to say accounting almost killed me.
I don’t want to give anyone an edge in my mind. Every time I walk out on the court, I have to feel I’m the best so I can compete well. A lot of times, my chief rival is just me.
Nerves are normal. You can’t be cured from them unless you’re a machine.
Whoever is across the net, I want to win. Whoever that person is, that’s the day I want to win.
To be a well-rounded person and know what’s going on in the world around you, to have a perspective outside of your sport, is important for every athlete. I’m blessed that our parents gave us that.
It’s thrilling and it’s an honor to be part of something bigger than your own self.
I guess it’s a little bit sentimental, but at the time I was really very focused in on really my performance. Afterwards, it was really just a breath of fresh air, just like, ‘Oh, yes, I’m back now. I’m doing good.’
When youre on top, youre on top.
Tennis is mostly mental. You win or lose the match before you even go out there.
Serena and I have done some great career planning, and we’re playing really at the peak of our tennis right now. I think tennis has been a sport where people play this insane schedule from 14 years old, so of course at 26, it’s over. We’ve really paced ourselves.
My dresses are designed to win, so going through it, I think about, what do I want to represent? So, definitely, Vera Wang has been an inspiration for me.
I think I’ve been fortunate to be at the top of the game and in the media for years, and a lot of times, people want to be your friend when you’re on the top. You know, there have been times when I’ve been injured and I never got a phone call. So that’s the way it is.
I can walk around fine, but I don’t have a desk job.
As long as we’re fit, we just have so much to give on the court.
Tennis is a huge part of my life, but I don’t base my self-value or my self-worth or the quality of my life on my results on the court.
The thing is, it’s not good anyway for eight-year-olds to be out there playing tennis tournaments so soon in their lives. But when I did get to play in a tournament, when I was nine, I was overjoyed.
I say accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. If you don’t accessorize, someone else will.