I was pretty fortunate this happened for the five years, then when Open tennis came along, and I got a chance to play in the Open ranks, I was a different player, all the amateur guys said: 'Who is this guy now? He doesn't miss too many, he doesn't make mistakes, his second service is as good as his first.'.

Rod Laver

Categorized in : Sports

The next point - that's all you must think about. by Rod Laver

The next point - that's all you must think about.

tennis focus thinking

The time your game is most vulnerable is when you're ahead; never... by Rod Laver

The time your game is most vulnerable is when you're ahead; never let up.

competition games sports

I like to let my racket do the talking. by Rod Laver

I like to let my racket do the talking.

racket talking

I often surprise myself. You can't plan some shots that go in, not unless you're on marijuana, and the only grass I'm partial to is Wimbledon's.

marijuana tennis wimbledon

Roger Federer certainly is my claim to be the best of all time - if there is such a thing. With Rafael Nadal not far behind.

nadal roger being-the-best

When you have the opportunity, you strike. by Rod Laver

When you have the opportunity, you strike.

strikes opportunity

The roughest thing I ever said to an umpire was, 'Are you sure?' by Rod Laver

The roughest thing I ever said to an umpire was, 'Are you sure?'

umpires tennis said

When you've got your man down, rub him out. by Rod Laver

When you've got your man down, rub him out.

men

There's a lot of ingredients go into being a good tennis player. by Rod Laver

There's a lot of ingredients go into being a good tennis player.

tennis ingredients player

An otherwise happily married couple may turn a mixed doubles game into a scene from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

virginia couple games

Manners are manners. Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase have no respect. I don't want my kid seeing Nastase play. The demeanor you show on the court is important to tennis.... Maybe we (yesterday's stars) were too stereotyped. But we were told to behave or they'd take our racket away.

stars play kids

Staying interested in a match is a lot harder than many people think. Throughout my career, I've always had trouble in the early rounds of a tournament mainly because it was hard for me to psychologically get up until I got to the quarters or the semis. What happened a lot of times is that I would fall behind early, maybe even lose the first couple of sets in a five-set match and then begin to concentrate. Still it wasn't something I could control from the start.

couple fall thinking

It can be a daunting prospect for any player to know that his opp... by Rod Laver

It can be a daunting prospect for any player to know that his opponent will never, ever quit.

quit will never know

Forty years ago, the players were like a travelling circus - we went everywhere together and were pretty good friends.

good-friends good friends together

As a tennis player, you have a record, and that is what counts. I feel like I enjoyed myself, and I'm proud of what I accomplished.

feel myself you proud

I saw Kyrgios down in Australia. He played some very good tennis, won two or three matches, and has done the same here at Wimbledon. I think Australia's got a good prospect in Kyrgios.

down good think done

I don't know much about Mauresmo apart from the fact she played great tennis. Is she a good technician? I don't know those parameters.

she great good know

Yes, I hit with heavy top-spin, but when you look at the little rackets I played with, the Maxply Dunlop, you had to hit the very centre all the time. I had my share of miss-hits.

look you share time

We were pretty darn good - fit and ready to play - but today's level is different. Those ground strokes are ever so much faster, coming back at you at a pretty good speed. Footwork-wise, you've got to be ready to hit that next shot. It's a tough time.

good you time today

I wasn't embarrassed that I'd had a stroke, but I just didn't want people to think I was milking it or looking for sympathy. It happened, and I dealt with it. Afterwards, I tried to do what I could for other people who had strokes, speaking at hospitals that treated stroke victims.

looking think sympathy people