Rafael Nadal

No one is perfect. Everybody does stupid things.

My parents’ divorce made an important change in my life. It affected me.

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.

The family is very important. They make me feel good always because if I won, when I started to be famous, the relationship never changed with my friends and family.

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.

Two weeks ago, I was in a fantastic situation, winning at Roland Garros. Now, losing in the first round, it’s tough. The tour continues. Life continues. This is a sport of victories, not a sport of losses. Nobody remembers the losses. I don’t want to remember the loss.

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

I play because I have fun, if I don’t have fun on the court, there is something wrong. I am just a 19 year old boy that likes to do what he likes, nothing else.

As a tennis player you can win and you can lose, and you have to be ready for both. I practised self-control as a kid. But as you get older they both – winning and losing – get easier.

We’ll try and be very aggressive, we’ll try and speed up and change gears, and we’ll see who’s going to win.

Even if I have already peaked, I have to believe I can improve. I wake up every morning, and go to practice, with the illusion that I’m going to get better that day.

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.

I appreciate a lot in this life; the things you cannot buy. Life is only once.

It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.

I have the same bedroom I’ve always had. It’s clean and tidy when I get home, and after two or three days it gets messy and my mother nags me.

I learned during all my career to enjoy suffering.

I’d rather lose an argument than get into a long discussion in order to win it.

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

It is the small steps which bring you satisfaction at the end of the day.

I am very lucky because when I come back home, I have a completely normal life. I can relax, playing golf, fishing – doing what I want. I know when I finish a tournament, I am going to relax at home.

I need to improve, I want to improve, and to be able to stay in London and play on grass before Wimbledon is a very good opportunity for me.