Rafael Nadal

My goal is to improve my game, stay healthy and be competitive. If I have that, I know I can be able to win tournaments, which in the end is what it counts.

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

However great your dedication, you never win anything on your own

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

The record of Borg and Vilas? I have thought about it.

I’m only superstitious on the tennis court.

Some clubs are treated as devils, some are treated as angels.

Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game – and do it by watching some high school or small-town teams.

Some people get very confused about my game. They think it’s better if the court is slow, because I have a good defence. But the faster it is, the better for me. My spin is more painful for my opponents, my aggressive game works better.

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

My motivation is tomorrow, just one day at a time, right?

Tennis has to be very careful.Not everyone is a computer, it is very good we have John McEnroe. I hope we have a couple more.

In the second, I told myself just to hold my serve and try and be aggressive on his serve, and hopefully get a break. I also applied more topspin on my forehand. Once I won the second game after being 0-30 down, my confidence also went up.

I only ever run when there’s some point to it – say, if it’s in a game of tennis.

For sure, with golf it’s not a physically demanding sport like tennis. That’s what makes tennis great – you combine both things. It’s a very mental sport and at the same time can be dramatically physical. But I do admire the mentality of sport more than the physicality because physical performance is much easier to practice than mental performance.

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

Before, I wouldn’t have sacrificed anything for tennis but when I met Barbara it was different. I would have sacrificed tennis for Barbara.

My serve can get better, for sure. It’s not just about serving bombs, but positioning, variation in speed, in spin.

The thing, when you’re down two sets to love, is to stay calm, even though it’s hard, because people are freaking out, people are worried for you.