Chris Evert Quotes

To be a tennis champion, you have to be inflexible. You have to be stubborn. You have to be arrogant. You have to be selfish and self-absorbed. Kind of tunnel vision almost.

You've got to take the initiative and play your game. In a decisive set, confidence is the difference.

My first U.S. Open I think was just very special for me because that was sort of the beginning of what was a 'Cinderella' story for me.

When I play, I'm boiling inside. I just try not to show it because it's a lack of composure, and if you give in to your emotions after one loss, you're liable to have three or four in a row.

If you're a champion, you have to have it in your heart.

Find something that you're really interested in doing in your life. Pursue it, set goals, and commit yourself to excellence. Do the best you can.

You can't give up! If you give up, you're like everybody else.

Competitive toughness is an acquired skill and not an inherited gift.

Whatever your goal in life, be proud of every day that you are able to work in that direction.

The difference is almost all mental. The top players just hate to lose. I think that's the difference. A champion hates to lose even more than she loves to win.

Training the body to obey the mind as I have done differs from the more conventional method of getting the mind to obey the body.

Ninety percent of my game is mental. It's my concentration that has gotten me this far.

If I win several tournaments in a row, I get so confident I'm in a cloud. A loss gets me eager again.

Don’t let a first-set victory lead into a second-set slump

If you can react the same way to winning and losing, that's a big accomplishment.

I realized that with hard work, the world was your oyster. You could do anything you wanted to do.

You're always striving to play that perfect match.

Losing hurts me. I was determined to be the best.

I'm not an overly ambitious person; I don't feel like I have to excel.

There were times when deep down inside I wanted to win so badly I could actually will it to happen. I think most of my career has been based on desire.

Every time, all the time, I'm a perfectionist. I feel I should never lose.

I was very, very shy as a younger girl, just petrified of people. Tennis helped give me an identity and made me feel like somebody.

When I was younger, I was a robot. Wind her up and she plays tennis.

I love hiking in the mountains in Aspen. Breathing the clean, fresh air is great. Plus, it gives me a cardiovascular workout and firms my legs.

After being at the top, I don't think I could play senior tournaments, because you know how good you were. I don't know if I would enjoy that, being half of what I was.

Not every child is cut out for an individual sport.

A champion hates to lose even more than she loves to win.

The great high of winning Wimbledon lasts for about a week. You go down in the record book, but you don't have anything tangible to hold on to. But having a baby -- there isn't any comparison.

Now that I'm losing some, I can see how tough I was -- the killer instinct, the single-mindedness, playing like a machine. Boy, that's what made me a champion.

Being famous before you've formed your personality, before you have that self-esteem, is dangerous.

Cats are peaceful and tranquil - they bring calmness with their serene personalities.

Of all my achievements in tennis, I'm probably as proud of my record on clay courts as any of my Wimbledon, U.S. Open or French singles titles.

I'm not getting within 20 feet of a married man ever again - not even talking to one!

Relationships are give-and-take, and when you're a tennis player, you're certainly not giving. You have to be self-absorbed. It has to be about you.

I still have this image: I can't be controversial, I can't say things.

I think team sports probably teach you more about giving - about being unselfish and being flexible.

I was labeled at a young age - Miss Unemotional, Miss Cool, and that would carry over to my press conferences.

I wanted always to appear strong and in control . . . .Then the cookie began to crumble.

I've had a lot of fear in my life, from fear of flying to fear of making a speech in front of a lot of people.

Once you've been number one, you can never be satisfied with less.

You pay a price for everything in life.

I always looked ahead.

I realized that with hard work the world was your oyster. You could do anything you wanted to do. I learned that at a young age.

You've got to take the initiative and play your game ... confidence makes the difference.

If I win several tournaments in a row I get so confident I'm in a cloud. A loss gets me eager again.

If you're a champion you have to have it in your heart.

If you can react the same way to winning and losing that's a big accomplishment. That quality is important because it stays with you the rest of your life.