Tennis Legacy Quotes

I'm amazed that years after I stopped playing tennis, people still recognize me in restaurants and ask for my autograph.

No one cares about the Davis Cup. How many people know I won five Davis Cups and seven majors, but that I rarely played the Australian Open?

I'm hesitant to compare myself to Roger Federer in any way, but he's improved while he's in his thirties. That makes you believe that even though you may have struggled for a few years, there's still hope.

Wimbledon 2014 will be my last slam. To be honest, I am already starting to miss professional tennis, having played at the highest level for two decades. It is what has given me my identity, and I will miss every bit of the action. The thought that I will not be playing anymore is daunting.

It's always good to be recognized, you know, for sport. I think being up there with Venus and Serena, I think, that's awesome. I'm excited. I'm happy that I am improving and getting better, and that I can be here.

Beating Roger Federer is a match I will remember for years to come. All my respect to him. Federer is arguably the greatest player to have ever played our sport, so beating him at Wimbledon was really special.

I'm very interested in tennis, but when I try to tell younger players about [Bill] Tilden, they're not interested.

We've gotta give Richard Williams a lot of credit - to give us two number one champions is a phenomenal feat.

My goal one day is to be in the same sentence as Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall. If I can match them for 10 years, I'd be in their company. They were class acts. That's what I'd like to be.

The way I look at the top five, (Rod) Laver, (Roger) Federer, myself, Borg and (Ivan) Lendl. I think those five guys dominated their generations better than anyone. Maybe Roger will dominate better than any one of the other four. Maybe I put Andre (Agassi) as kind of six through 10 with, you know, (John) McEnroe and (Jimmy) Connors, kind of those guys. That's kind of how I see it.

It means everything, definitely. I mean, it's Wimbledon. Tennis here is tennis history. Centre Court is always great to play on. I really feel like I'm at home. I was really up and down after my title here in 2011, but I still worked hard and believed in myself, and my team believed in me as well.

I'm proud to have opened [two] schools in Africa and one in Jamaica [through the Serena Williams Fund and its partners]. I was given a lot. I was given two parents. That's already starting above a lot of kids. And then I was given the opportunity to play tennis and parents who supported that. I feel I can give back.

In the complete overall history of tennis, I figure I'll be worth a sentence or two.... That's why my place in the all-time rankings means so very little to me, because I know I won't be anybody's number one, and it's that same old thing: if you're not number one, then what does it really matter?

Serena's always been one of the best, and she will forever be one of the best tennis players in women's tennis.

I hope that I have accomplished just one thing: that I have been a credit to tennis and my country.

Andy Murray's already done what is needed for British tennis, which is ignite it. There's a person, there's a player that kids want to be like.

I think I owe it to myself and my fans in Britain to play one more Wimbledon.

I never thought about leaving a tennis legacy. I always thought about leaving a legacy of fulfillment, living out your dreams, and giving back.

Nadal is going to break all the records.

I haven't been in tennis for that long, but what I can say is that we have a lot of young guys at the top who are willing to do a lot of good things for tennis in general.

I was fortunate to have people like Althea Gibson come and speak to me, also Leslie Allen and Arthur Ashe. So I feel obligated, part of my duty, to continue to pass on the knowledge I've learned to youngsters and adults alike.

I'd like to think I could have and should have won more, but that's not the point. And I was at the point where I was playing great tennis in the mid 80s - the type of tennis people hadn't seen before - and I was very proud of that.

When you enter the gates of the All England Club, you can feel the history of tennis.

Billie and I did wonders for women's tennis. They owe me a piece of their checks.

Tennis has given me so many opportunities, and I feel very lucky to have achieved whatever I have, especially coming from a country that does not have a great history in the game.