There wasn't a rich father or rich family that paid for everything that I have right now, so I worked my way.

All in all, I think Kazan is Russia's sportiest city after Moscow, leaving all the others far behind.

There wasn't a rich father or rich family that paid for everything that I have right now, so I worked my way.

There is no such thing as a perfect player; it doesn't exist.

If you get operated, something can go wrong and you can just say bye-bye to tennis. That's what happened to a lot of soccer players in Europe. They get operated, some things, it's not the mistake of the doctor. It's just some surgeries, they just don't go the right way...My injury will never go away. It's already become so chronic there's no chance to fix it so I can play without pain.

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

My mother said I would have more chances to become a tennis player than a football player.