Today I break racquets for tomorrow we die.

I was making comebacks every single year. That makes it difficult mentally. It causes a lot of stress.

I could go and make commercials left and right and pretend like I am a celebrity, but that is not me.

It was really impossible to break through in Russia. We couldn't buy any balls. We really didn't have any courts, no rackets, nothing. And no people to practice with.

You have to wake up and you have to run if you want to survive.

You're playing or you're not playing. If you're playing, so just shut up and play.

I'm not fighting with myself. Oh, my God. That's how I am. You know, the story of the hippo? The hippo comes to the monkey and said, listen, I'm not a hippo. So, he paint himself like a zebra. He said but he's still a hippo. He said but look at you, you're painted like a zebra but you are a hippo. So then he goes, you know, like I want be a little parrot. So, he put the colours on him and he comes to the monkey and said but, sorry, you are a hippo. So, in the end, you know, he comes and said I'm happy to be a hippo. This is who I am. So, I have to be who I am and he's happy being a hippo.