Rafael Nadal

Today people hit the ball with much more strength. Almost every player is capable of playing a winning stroke from any position. This means the balls arrive more quickly. If you want to reach them, you have to slow down from a high speed or suddenly change direction. These are moments when you can injure yourself, and that’s what wears us out.

If I am not playing at one hundred percent, it is going to be very difficult for me to win.

I didn’t play a great match, but once I pass the first two rounds, things get easier. I’m used to the court and the conditions.

We should try to teach the young people values that are useful to them whether they become professional athletes or not.

I’m ambidextrous when I eat. But playing tennis right-handed – I can’t do it. I’m clueless.

It is unbelievable to me that I can win against the best player in the world, against one of the best in history. It’s very important and very special for me, especially because I was three months off the court.

If you want to belong to the best, you need good technique and, perhaps even more importantly, a good eye. If you see the ball sooner, you have more time to think about how and where to return it.

Money plays an important role in football but it is not the dominating factor. When Chelsea play a Carling Cup game in a small city and it could result in a draw – the excitement, the spirit, the atmosphere – that’s the real beauty of football in England.

I take pleasure in tennis and the hope that it requires.

If you are playing bad you are going to lose here, on clay, on ice, or on the beach.

Playing well or playing bad, I have to play aggressive. I must play aggressive.

In your career you have a lot of good moments and bad ones. The important thing is to have enough motivation to keep working all the days with humility and trying to be a better player than before. I am going to try to continue doing this.

Tennis is beautiful when you can see tactics, when players don’t just react but are able to act and think.

When one gets beaten by somebody better, one has to know how to lose with humility. Sure, I could have served better. Sure, I could have hit my forehand harder. But the truth was this was like an avalanche, and there was no way to stop it.

No one is perfect. Everybody does stupid things.

More than anything, believe that you can win.

I always think about victory. It was very important for me to stay in this final. If I play my best I have a chance (against Federer). I’m going to play aggressively, with determination.

I am not the most courageous guy in the world outside of the court.

I learned during all my career to enjoy suffering.

I admire a lot of people, but in terms of sport I’ve always loved the mentality of Tiger Woods on a golf course. I always love his eyes when he’s setting himself and focusing on his decision; he has a really strong, focused face and believes that he can make the shot.

I still take advice from my mum on what clothes look good on me. I used to listen to her a lot more, but I’ve started to choose my own things from time to time.