JAMES BLAKE AFTER BREAKING HIS NECK, LOSING HIS FATHER AND BEING PARYLYZED IN HIS FACE, HE FOUND REDEMPTION IN THE POWER OF LAUGHTER
“Every different scenario was going through my head. I wondered if I’d be able to play again. I wondered if my face would ever come back to normal.’ I was curious what life had in store. I tried to think about every situation and find a way to be happy. If I couldn’t play tennis again, was I going to be happy going back to school, maybe going to business school, doing commentary, or doing anything. Would I be happy if my eye never came back to normal and I couldn’t play for the rest of my life? I tried to answer yes. The reason that was possible was because even when I was at my lowest, I still had friends; people who knew that was a possibility. Maybe I would never hit a tennis ball again, but they didn’t care. They were still hanging out with me: playing cards, shooting the breeze, having dinner, just laughing with me. That’s what I needed, to laugh. If I had to be the butt of the joke sometimes, that was fine, too. One of my best friends came into the hospital the day I went down. I couldn’t move half my face. He saw me that next day. But he just joked, ‘You’ve got to smile for me.’ I kind of did. [But] only half of it worked. He just cracked up laughing. Almost everyone fell on the ground laughing. That was exactly what I needed. Everyone else was coming in saying, ‘Everything will be all right.’ But he just started laughing. I said, ‘You know what, I’m sure I look ridiculous.’ But that’s what I needed. People like that were my true friends because he knew exactly what I needed. I realized I was going to be happy no matter what happened. This makes everything [here at the U.S. Open icing on the cake. That I’m back to playing the way I’m playing now, in front of these friends...It’s just a dream.”

MARAT SAFIN PUBLIC OPINION AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DOUBT
“It’s psychological. I had to forget about winning the ‘00 US Open because everything came so easily. Once you have bad losses, people start to think you’re not [going to win] — it becomes public opinion. People speak, you listen. The rumors get into your head and you believe that maybe that is who I am: I have talent, I’m a good player, but not good enough to be where I want to be. You can can beat anybody, but you can lose to anybody: that’s it. They say that’s who you are, it’s the maximum you can get. I started to believe that that’s who I am... You start to have doubts, can I do this or not.”

ANDRE AGASSI AT THE EDGE OF THE PRECIPICE, WHEN HE ROSE FROM NO. 141 TO NO. 1
“I never considered being able to get back to the top again. But that wasn’t important to me. What was important was to make a decision for a way of life, to get the most out of myself every day. Just to do that, to build momentum and get a day better each day — that hasn’t stopped...I had to answer: What do I do, because I can’t continue like this. You’ve either got to commit to it or forget about it. And I still felt there was more tennis. It was a very honest conversation with myself. I want to continue playing; how am I going to go about it...I’ve spent a lot of my career having great confidence and having no confidence. If I’m not playing well I get really frustrated, and I wonder why I’m not beating these guys bad, because I know what it feels like to beat guys bad. And these are the matches you’ve got to work through, and all of the sudden you start playing those great matches where you have solid wins. But winning the tough ones when you’re not playing that well is what any athlete will tell you is the key — getting the W when you’re not your best.”

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ROGER FEDERER SO WHAT DO FED AND AL DAVIS HAVE IN COMMON (‘JUST WIN, BABY’)
“I was stuck outside of the top 10...I was wondering, ‘What do I need?’ I realized after I won Hamburg [in ‘02], which was a big surprise because it was on clay, I made it into the top 10 and became No. 8. I said, ‘That’s what you need — the big titles.’ I also wanted to give myself an opportunity to win a Grand Slam. Right away I was in contention with No. 1. That’s when I started to realize what it takes to be on top. It’s not enough to just play well and consistently so you get into quarters or semis. You’ve got to win titles.”

ANDY RODDICK RESETTING THE BAR
“When you set the bar high, anything less than that is going to be criticized. I understand that. It’s the same in every other sport. If the San Antonio Spurs lose next year in the NBA Conference Finals, people are going to be down on them. That’s the way it works. It doesn’t bother me because I know I’m putting in the work and it’s nothing that I’ve done wrong. I’m in the mix. I’m plenty motivated. A lot of people don’t realize how tough it is to stay close to the top for three or four years. They don’t see the work we put in. I’ve been in the process this year of trying to become a better player even if that meant taking a couple steps back to take some steps forward. I’m making progress.

VENUS WILLIAMS OBSERVES THAT ‘FEAR IS NOTHING BUT THE DEVIL’
“My mom says, ‘Fear is nothing but the devil.’ It’s the worst enemy - fear and doubt. But from chaos comes clarity. I had some times when I needed to break away because I was working hard. A lot of times I wasn’t very healthy either. That amplified the issue. There were times when I had to step out of the box, take a week off, and then get back in there and keep working.”

BILLIE JEAN KING ‘GO-FOR-IT-BILLIE’ ON LETTING GO
“You get scared. You get fearful. You have to face your fears. There are always doubts, but that’s life. You can’t have all peaks. If you don’t have valleys, you won’t understand the peaks. It’s what you do with the doubts that matters. I had a great belief in God. There’s a reason. Sometimes it’s good to let go because I care too much sometimes. As for my job, I ask myself, ‘Am I working too hard? Then I ask am I being good to my friends? Am I giving back to my world? Am I giving more than I’m taking?’ I have to let go. That’s my personality. It’s not that I don’t care, but letting go, letting tennis go — I believe I have to do that. You can’t just want something — you have to pay for it. And you’ve got to work hard.”

CAROL NEWSOM

IVAN LENDL’S NOT-SO-QUICK QUICK FIX
“I was between No. 2 and No. 3 for two or three years, and I had problems with certain players. I had trouble beating John [McEnroe]. I was way down in the matches with Jimmy [Connors]. So I asked, ‘What do I need to do to overtake them?’ I had to figure out how to get better. Quickness [was the answer]. I had to get around to the ball quicker so I wasn’t always on the defensive and catching the ball on the last stride. I worked on it and that took care of it.”

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE A FEROCIOUS COMPETITOR EMBRACES PATIENCE
“You have to accept that stops [in your career] are coming. When you’re not playing, you don’t know what’s going to happen or if you’re going to do this again. It’s tough. You have to fight against that. You need to take your time, to be patient. I hoped that one day it would turn away, and it did. When I won the French [in ‘05], it was emotional because I didn’t think I could win it again. That took a lot of energy emotionally...I proved a lot, and [now] I don’t have anything to prove to anyone, just to myself because I’m such a competitor. I want to win every time. I know it’s not possible, but I’m like this. It’s my personality.

SERENA WILLIAMS I STUMBLED AND I GOT UP
“I’ve had doubts because of my ankle sprain and the way it’s affected my leg and my body. That was a little scary for me. It was interesting to feel that way. It affected it pretty bad. It was nerve-wracking, coming off a big injury. It was a little upsetting to have to deal with that...I’ve had a bizarre year, a lot of downs. But I’m alive, I’m well, I’m happy. I stumbled and I got up. I didn’t think I could get up at one point, but I did. I have the talent. If you have game and talent you can do it. I feel like I’m destined to keep going.”

MARY PIERCE AN INTERESTING JOURNEY
“It’s been an interesting journey. It’s been tough. I had some really difficult moments, but I had something inside when I was injured telling me, ‘You’re not done. There’s still something for you to do in tennis.’ I believe in myself, and the few people that believe in me have helped me a lot to get where I am. It’s been difficult, but we’re never really faced with things we can’t handle. We’re not going to be handed more than we can handle. I feel like I’ve been stretched to my limits, but that’s where you have the greatest growth.”

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA BE IN THE MOMENT
“My problems are more mental. I put so much pressure on myself because I have such high expectations. If something didn’t go right in a match, I would get tight and couldn’t fight. I need to be as strong as possible. I’ve learned that you have to think in the moment more and enjoy yourself and not think about what’s going to happen in the future. Sometimes you say all these beautiful things to yourself but once you’re under pressure, you start thinking again. I can’t keep doing that.”

FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE STOP THE INNER CHATTER
“I’ve improved everything, but I don’t know if I have it inside of me to reach the top 10. I’ve been close, but I haven’t been able to find that level. I need to free my mind. I have so many things in my mind. I ask myself too many questions and I have to get rid of these questions. I need to free myself as a player and person.”

LINDSAY DAVENPORT THE MENTAL GAME
“Your career goes in stages and I had a tough two or three years with two surgeries. You’re out of the game, you lose a lot of your drive. It was a long time coming back, longer than I thought. I underestimated the toll the surgeries took. I was ready to quit last year. I don’t know if that took some pressure off, but finally I played the tennis that I hadn’t played in years. It’s hard when you’re used to a certain level and then you go down. I thought I wasn’t in contention to win Slams any more. Then that all changed. I proved to myself that, as long as I still had the opportunity to win a Slam, it’s hard to walk away. It’s the big difference in your mental game when you feel like you can still do it. “

BRAD GILBERT SPACE IS BEST
“When I got hurt and missed eight months with an ankle surgery, the doubts started to creep in. Tennis is something you love and take for granted. After I came back I played like s---. Then, all of a sudden, you start questioning yourself. You wonder, ‘Am I ever going to be the same?’” As a coach, when that whole thing was happening with Andre [who fell to No. 141 in ‘97], it wasn’t as alarming. He didn’t lose his game, he just lost his focus. He got married [to Brooke Shields]. He didn’t play that much. He didn’t play the French, Wimbledon or the Aussie. I felt like, as long as he recommitted himself, he was going to be fine. In ‘95, when he lost to Sampras in the U.S. Open final — that was tough. I knew that might have some lingering effects. To me, space is best. Give them a little space. Then, when they want to talk about it, good things can happen. Five minutes after a match, it’s not the right time.”

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA In SEARCH OF INSPIRATION
“This year, I’ve wanted to go out and play like U.S. Open champion. I put too much pressure on myself and tried to be too good. I need to be more motivated. It’s hard to play now. I played too much last year and got tired , but I just kept going. I need to find my inspiration again. Motivation has to come from the person herself. People can tell you things, but you have to find it yourself.”

GREG RUSEDSKI AFTER WRONGFUL DRUG ACCUSATIONS, HE WANTED TO FIGHT BACK
“It was very unfair. Now we found out it was all natural and in the body. So it irritates me and makes me angry. It’s just wanting to prove I can come back. The tour gave me absolutely zero help. So you want to fight back, prove people wrong and show that you can still play well. So it’s very satisfying to get in the top 30 again. It was an injustice. Rules for some, rules for others. It was an injustice. That’s what motivates me.”

ROBBY GINEPRI WORK YOUR BUTT OFF
“I wasn’t reaching my goals or potential. I’m starting to realize that, to be the best, you have to work your butt off every single day. Days go by where you’re upset about something, but you can’t let that affect your play. I got up to No. 25 and thought everything was going to be smooth sailing, but I had to defend all my points and didn’t know how to. Maturity is a big part of it now. I’m a lot smarter on court. I make better decisions. I wasn’t winning the matches I should have. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, and that wasn’t any good.”

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KIM CLIJSTERS A BUSTED WRIST AND THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
“I had more MRIs last year than I had between 12 and 20. Every time you went to a hospital, you hoped they’d say, ‘This looks good. You can recover.’ But they were all saying, ‘You need surgery. We can’t promise you’ll play again.’ I didn’t know what to think. But talking to my family, I realized that if I want to come back, I can. If your mind is set, if you think positively, then you can fight anything.”

TOMMY HAAS ‘NEVER GIVE UP’
“There were times when I definitely threw in the towel and I had a few people who didn’t believe in me coming back — not that I really cared. It’s just proof that if you work hard, believe in yourself, have a great team and fight hard, it’s possible to still have success...There were days where I really gave it up. You have to go through that. I have a pretty strong team around me —family, friends, coaches — who all supported me and told me ‘never give up.’”

MARIA SHARAPOVA WHEN NOTHING’S GOING YOUR WAY
“There’re always times when things are not working, on the court or off. There’re many days when it’s not about being a player - it’s about day-to-day things. You might feel like nothing’s going your way, but somehow you have to get through and stay positive. Whenever something’s not working, I just think about what I’ve achieved, look toward the positive, and always think of ways to make it better.