Boris Becker

Tennis is a psychological sport, you have to keep a clear head. That is why I stopped playing.

I go to London, my favourite city in the world, and I feel at home.

It’s not that difficult to play well and win titles in a team like Barcelona, but it’s in the national side where you see a player’s true class. That was the case with figures like Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane. With Spain, Iniesta has shown that he is among the best players of all time and that’s why I rate him higher than Messi or Ronaldo. Even though the latter two have incredible scoring records for their clubs, they still haven’t won anything with Argentina or Portugal respectively.

I was in the tennis bubble. I wasn’t thinking about the big picture. I didn’t notice what they said on television, I wasn’t reading any papers. I had a coach and a manager, and they kept me in the bubble.

Girls had never been important. I’d had a girlfriend or two and had liked them a lot but it wasn’t love, because my first love was tennis.

Winning is a way of expressing yourself.

I became a player who goes to a lot of effort while training, who can rely on his will and his mental strengths.

The favorite is always the No. 1. I can win. Blake can win. But the favorite is the No. 1.

I normally listen to Spanish music – well, Latin music. I like a lot of singers.

Always I believe that I can play better. But I am happy.

I go to my favourite tournament, I talk about my favourite sport and it’s just a great month of parading.

I know my serve stinks, but I was a pretty good tennis player.

In Majorca, I can be myself. I go to the supermarket and the cinema, and I am just Rafa. Everyone knows me, and it is no big deal. I can go all day – no photographs.

You fight, you try your best, but if you lose, you don’t have to break five racquets and smash up the locker room. You can do those things, but when you’ve finished, nothing’s changed. You’ve 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 go to the gym, I swim daily and from time to time I meet with friends and do extra-curricular stuff.

How does one control weight? By not overeating. How does one stay in shape? One plays sports. There are no magic pills here.

I have no sense of humor about losing

The young athletes are supposed to mature, to improve their personality.

It was a very unbelievable day for me. It’s special to begin the clay season like this. Beating Roger in the final is even more special, it’s great.

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