With everything else that would swirl around me when I got involved in it, tennis was my main concern.

No, like I said, my dad was never really part of the tennis. His involvement around what I did with the tennis and with my mom and my grandparents was really not a part of my life.

There is only one number one. It is a lonely spot but it has got the best view of all.

I hate to lose more than I like to win. I hate to see the happiness on their faces when they beat me!

I was raised by two women, and that laid the groundwork for the way I treat 'em: with the utmost respect and admiration.

I think my greatest victory was every time I walked out there, I gave it everything I had. I left everything out there. That's what I'm most proud of. I can't go win Wimbledon anymore, so if what I've done in the past is not good enough, let it go. Because I'm certainly not sitting around thinking about it.

Back in East St. Louis, tennis wasn't the real thing. If you weren't playing baseball, basketball, football, you were kind of on the outside.