Quotes By Chris Evert

Tennis helped give me an identity and made me feel like somebody.

You pay a price for everything in life.

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

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.

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

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.

Not every child is cut out for an individual sport.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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, and there's going to be a life after tennis that's a lot longer than your tennis life.

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.

I always looked ahead.

I was very, very shy as a younger girl, just petrified of people.

Even though there are a lot of bright tennis players out there, you still have to protect yourself and save all your mental and emotional energies for tennis.

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.

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

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

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

When you're a famous, successful person at 16 years old, the rules change for you. Everybody is doing things for you to make life easier so you can go out and play. And I think you miss out on lot of growing up and a lot of reality checks.

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

Losing hurts me.

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

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.

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

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.