A champion is suppose to hate to lose, and it wasn't like I was ever crazy about the idea. But I learned to deal with losing without having my spirit or confidence broken, which would help immensely over time, not just in the big picture but even in specific matches when I found myself in a jam. Fear of losing is a terrible thing.

By putting pressure on myself to develop a great game, I had less pressure to win. These days, I tell kids that the way I grew up, it wasn't about winning. It was about playing well, about playing the "right" way. That approach helped me enjoy the game and develop mine to its maximum potential.

In tennis, you can make a couple of mistakes and still win. Not in golf.

When you retire you want to get as far away as possible from the game for a couple of years.

I've always led a pretty simple life, with few extravagances. The money in tennis never drove me.

I made it look so easy on court all those years. No one realized how hard I had to work. No one realized how much I had to put into it. They underestimated my intensity.

Golfers are forever working on mechanics. My tennis swing hasn't changed in 10 years.