Juicy Quotes

It's amazing. The lengths she'll go to not to play -- Andre Agassi, whose hopes to team with Steffi Graf in the French Open mixed doubles were scraped because she's pregnant with their second child.-Pic. AP

This is what I play tennis for, mostly: to be remembered.

— Serena Williams, after crushing Barbara Rittner 6-2, 6-1, in the French Open first round.

It's between the ears, man. I know I can play tennis. I just started unravelling and it got out of hand.

— Andy Roddick, when asked if tennis is more a physical or a mental thing, after the sixth-seeded American lost in the opening round of the French Open for the second consecutive year when Sargis Sargsian upset him 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

I honestly think he needs better coaching with all due deference to Tarik Benhabiles who has been with him for years. He's not getting the job done.

— Mary Carillo, ESPN-TV commentator, after Andy Roddick suffered a bad loss to No. 67-ranked Sargis Sargsian.

You guys just won't quit. No, I mean my coach didn't lose the match. He's smart. I'm the one losing the matches. He's not losing them.

— Andy Roddick, when asked if he might consider a coaching change after being upset by Sargis Sargsian.

I will miss the echo of the ball, and I will miss walking out on centre court. I will miss it at 31, at 41, at 61, for the rest of my life.

— Pete Sampras, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, on skipping the tournament this year and perhaps never playing there again.

He plays every point as if it's World War II.

— Roy Emerson, all-time record-holder with 28 Grand Slam titles, on compatriot and world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.

I ranked No. 8 in the world while I was throwing up 20 times a day.

— Carling Bassett Seguso, 35, who had a combination of bulimia and anorexia during her career while playing the tour significantly underweight, commenting on Daniela Hantuchova's alarmingly thin physique.

She's a lying, monstrous young lady.

At the end of the match, he (Nalbandian) just told me: 'Come on, don't tell the chair umpire to punish me, I am your friend.' But I said to him: 'You are right, but there are some rules and when we play against each other there is no friendship or stuff like this.'

— No. 208-ranked Nicolas Coutelot, defending his right to demand punitive measures be taken against rule-breakers after David Nalbandian escaped any penalty for smashing three rackets en route to a stunning Roland Garros defeat.

Just sitting around in a big camp base, knocking back cans of beer, I don't particularly regard as mountaineering.

— Sir Edmund Hillary, scolding the legions of climbers partying at the base camp, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of his historic ascent of Mount Everest.

The best part about Wimbledon is the history and tradition. That was nice, the curtsy. I am disappointed.

— Venus Williams, lamenting the passing of the Wimbledon curtsy to royalty.

When I was younger I always looked forward to having a chance to curtsy. It was just a dream. But when I first did it I was so excited. I am glad I had my chance to do it. I feel honoured to be going down in history as the last woman champion to curtsy.

— Serena Williams, also disappointed that she will curtsy no longer.

He has earned the right and deserves the respect to opt not to play. All I can really attest to, is the longer you're away, the harder it is (to return).

— Andre Agassi, on the absence from the pro tour this summer of his long-time arch-rival, Pete Sampras.

That is very tough, you know. A lot of people are dishonest and I have run into a couple, I mean a few, I mean several... I mean a whole lot of guys who have let me down. I think there are very, very, very few good guys out there. But I have to believe there are some, so I'll just have to try hard to search and find one. I guess you only need one!

— Serena Williams, on how difficult it is to find a man she can trust because of her great wealth and fame.

This was the match of my life. To be two sets down and 0-3 down in the fifth, and to have this crowd chanting my name in Paris against a guy like Hewitt, it's close to perfection.

— Tommy Robredo, after his great 4-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 escape to upset world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt at the French Open.

I just remember when I was in the same position, you know, starting to be on tour, at least I was having a lot of fun. She's probably having a lot of fun. Always looking forward to the big match, playing the No. 1 players in the world.

— A world-weary Venus Williams, after being upset by Russian teenager Vera Zvonareva at the French Open.

I believe children help you to keep a lot of things in perspective. It doesn't matter what day you're having, you go home and forget about it whether it's a good day or a bad day. I think it helps with your balance. It helps with forgetting about tennis when you need to forget about it.

— Andre Agassi, on the blessings of fatherhood.