Andre Agassi Quotes

I got my first tennis racket on my seventh birthday. And because we had a tennis court in our backyard, I played every day. By ten I was playing competitively.

As a kid, I wanted to be a pro tennis player. I was pretty good; at the tennis academies I attended, I always 'played up' against older age groups.

One day my dad would say, 'OK, if you want to play tennis I can help you out.' And that's how it started. And I had a goal. I wanted to beat my mom first. And my parents and my brother. And that was the ultimate goal.

Tennis was more than a passing interest, but I found my ability didn't measure up to these West Coast kids who had played 12 months a year and taken it much more seriously than I.

In tennis, a lot of parents are accused of driving their kids into tennis. I would say I'm the opposite: I drove my parents into it. They didn't take it that seriously until I was about 11 or 12 years old, when they realised I had an opportunity to go pro.

I never thought I was going to make a career out of tennis, to be honest, until I was 10 or 11 years old. One of my earliest memories is when I was seven, and I was competing against players that were three, four years older than me. I didn't take it too seriously at the time. I was having a lot of fun.

My dad said if you become a tennis professional just make sure you get into the top hundred, because you have to make a little bit of money. You make a living so you can pay your coaching and, you know, your travels.

I began playing in the senior circuit when I was 15 and won the world senior amateur title the same year.

I actually wanted to be a tennis player.

What these guys are doing is great for Argentinean tennis. This is motivating other people.

Well, my mum's been a tennis coach - she coached me till I was 12.

Before I got addicted to comedy, I was seriously thinking about playing tennis full time. I joined the tennis team and played with a lot of professionals.

And it was where I learned how to play tennis and eventually became captain of the tennis team at the school and was on the Junior Davis Cup in New York City.

I obviously grew up on a court, but there wasn't any, 'All right, we're going to name him 'Tennis,' and he's going to be a professional.'

There haven't been that many players, both men and women, from South Africa breaking through on the pro level. It's not easy because you have to really start playing tennis at a young age and be exposed to the right competitions and other players from around the world.

Tennis has been a part of my life since I was five years old.

It's always been a dream of mine to play professional tennis.

Since I was like eight, I always wanted to be playing pro tennis.

At the end of the day, it is a very long year. The tennis season is pretty much ten months of the year.

Tennis is my dream. It is what I love. And it is what I want to be best at.

I moved to Spain, and at all the tournaments I'd play, I would be really good in my age. That made me realize that I could be a pro.

I did interviews with tennis greats, like James Blake and John Isner. I also interviewed tennis pros who aren't well - known but who made all the same sacrifices but had just a little spark of a professional career and are now still orbiting the sport, either as a teaching pro or a coach.

I played a lot of tennis when I was young.

I want to be a top-10 player and I want to win a Grand Slam tournament.

You also can understand how to play tennis from Serena Williams, and she is awesome. I haven't seen her Masterclass but just watching her on the court - I saw some of Wimbledon on TV and there's such an awesome force in her and focus and determination and technique, you just look at her and it's awesome. If I would like to learn tennis I would immediately turn to her.