Chris Evert Quotes & Sayings

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

In tennis, at the end of the day you're a winner or a loser. You know exactly where you stand ... I don't need that anymore. I don't need my happiness, my well-being, to be based on winning and losing. — Chris Evert

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. — Chris Evert

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

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. — Chris Evert

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

You've got to take the initiative to play your game. Confidence makes the difference. — Chris Evert

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. — Chris Evert

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. — Chris Evert

Single-mindedness. I hate to say it because I don't think it's the best thing for developing a person, but the single-mindedness - just concentrating in the one area - that's what it takes to be a champion. — Chris Evert

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

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. — Chris Evert

I can definitely say the same thing [discussing Steffi Graf's claim that she had played against at least one top player who used steroids]. Steroids can really make a difference, physically and mentally. I'd be really disappointed if I had been ranked No. 2 behind someone who took steroids. — Chris Evert

When I was in grade school and we had to write papers about what we wanted to be when we grew up, I wanted to be a social worker or a missionary or a teacher. Then I got involved with tennis, and everything was just me, me, me. I was totally selfish and thought about myself and nobody else, because if you let up for one minute, someone was going to come along and beat you. I really wouldn't let anyone or any slice of happiness enter ... I didn't like the characteristics that it took to become a champion. — Chris Evert

I always looked ahead. — Chris Evert

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

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

Competitive toughness is an acquired skill and not an inherited gift. — Chris Evert

Losing hurts me. I was determined to be the best. — Chris Evert

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. — Chris Evert

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

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. — Chris Evert

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

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

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

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. — Chris Evert

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

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

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. — Chris Evert

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. — Chris Evert

Not every child is cut out for an individual sport. — Chris Evert

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

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. — Chris Evert

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. — Chris Evert

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

Losses are always a relief. They take a burden off me, make me feel more normal. If I win several tournaments in a row I get so confident I'm in a cloud. If I lose I go back to the dressing room and I'm no better nor worse than anyone else. A loss gets me eager again. — Chris Evert

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

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. — Chris Evert

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. — Chris Evert

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

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

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. — Chris Evert

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

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. — Chris Evert

You're always striving to play that perfect match. — Chris Evert

You pay a price for everything in life. — Chris Evert

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

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. — Chris Evert

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