Rafael Nadal

I like a lot of sports. Especially football – it’s my favourite sport. My uncle played football in Barcelona for nine years and played for Spain in three World Cups.

I have no interest in becoming a tax exile and living somewhere I don’t want to – I just want to be at home with my family.

My uncle developed the training philosophy. His idea of good tennis training is basically quite simple: you must try to gain time.

I am No. 8 in the world. I am not No. 100.

The US player Andy Roddick reaches speeds of 220 kilometers per hour when he serves. If I train with him every day, I will later be at an advantage against a player whose service crosses the net at 190 kilometers per hour.

To be a friend means that they are always there, for the good or the bad.

There is no script. Live your life. Soak it all in.

Very jaded and tired and depressed and cross…Must fill my mind with air and light, and walk and blanket it in fog.

Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.

If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I’d type a little faster.

Most people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so.

Don’t go through life, GROW through life.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.

There are people who strictly deprive themselves of each and every eatable, drinkable, and smokable which has in any way acquired a shady reputation. They pay this price for health. And health is all they get for it. How strange it is. It is like paying out your whole fortune for a cow that has gone dry.

It doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you don’t stop.

If you really understand Zen, you can use any book, even the dictionary, because the sound of the rain needs no translation.

Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.

The world’s crazy, when it comes to beauty.

Everything human is pathetic. The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven.

If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way.

I’m going to go down and take care of the bill. I’m not going to embarrass you, just let me do it. I had such a great time, I just want it to be my treat. [On returning after several minutes red faced] They won’t take my check, I don’t know what we’re going to do. [Robertson said ‘David, what we’ve spent here, we’re going to have to do a lot of dishes.’] I’m going to call Prince Rupert [Loewenstein] and ask him to call the hotel and tell them I’m good for it. Or maybe he can pay the bill and then I’ll pay him back or something. [Prince Rupert vouched for his credit and the hotel agreed to accept Geffen’s check.]