You come to realize that life is short, and you have to step up. Don't feel sorry for me. Much is expected of those who are strong.

If you're paid before you walk on the court, what's the point in playing as if your life depended on it?

Fear isn't an excuse to come to a standstill. It's the impetus to step up and strike.

You come to realize that life is short, and you have to step up. Don't feel sorry for me. Much is expected of those who are strong.

I don't care who you are, you're going to choke in certain matches. You get to a point where your legs don't move and you can't take a deep breath. You start to hit the ball about a yard wide, instead of inches.

I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full.

Having grown up in a segregated environment in the south I know what it's like to be stepped on, I know what it's like also to see some black hero do well in the face of adversity.