Rafael Nadal

I cannot win this year but I can play good on grass

My tennis is aggressive, though I wouldn’t say that it’s more physical than technical. I rely more on technique than physique, but being physical is always a help to me.

I love the beach. I love the sea. All my life I live within – in front of the sea.

Being home alone at night makes me a bit nervous. If I’m at home alone, I have to sleep on the sofa – I can’t face going to bed. I’m there with the TV on and all the lights on. I’m not very brave about anything in life. In tennis, yes. In everything else, not very.

Honesty, willingness to exert oneself, friendship – all these things shaped me too.

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

I learned during all my career to enjoy suffering.

I’ll never have a tattoo – I just don’t like them, and when you’re old they can look a disaster. As for piercings, I don’t like them on men.

You fight, you try your best, but if you lose, you dont have to break five racquets and smash up the locker room. You can do those things, but when youve finished, nothings changed. Youve still lost. If something positive came from that, I probably would do it. But I see only negativity.

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

I’m getting excited before every single game. The trophy at the end is less important than the process itself.

I am decidedly unfriendly during a golf game, from the first hole to the last.

I want to be remembered as a great athlete. As a boxing champion.

I will do as I usually do. Tomorrow is going to be a day like any other day.

Certainly I would like to have some of the qualities of other players and obviously from Roger Federer. But believe me, there are plenty of other abilities that are important, particularly mindset and strength.

I love the crowds in Miami. I feel that is one of the tournaments where I get more support. That helps me a lot.

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

Because, to give a goal, the ball must be 100% in and he must be 100% sure that the ball is in.

I like fishing. Not actual fishing – I like the peace and quiet of being at sea. It’s different.

The only way of finding a solution is to fight back, to move, to run, and to control that pressure.

I have a lot of respect for Liverpool fans and what I did, the sign of silence – ‘shut your mouth’ – was not for them, it was for the English press.