“I spent many, many hours in libraries. Libraries became courts of last resort, as it were.”

Drummed into me, above all, by my dad, by the whole family, was that without your good name, you would be nothing.

One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.

Someone once told me that God figured that I was a pretty good juggler. I could keep a lot of balls in the air at one time. So He said, “Let’s see if he can juggle another one.”

If you’re paid before you walk on the court, what’s the point in playing as if your life depended on it?

Throughout my formal education I spent many, many hours in public and school libraries. Libraries became courts of last resort, as it were. The current definitive answer to almost any question can be found within the four walls of most libraries.

There is a terrific apprehension among some people that blacks will take over the sport… It will create problems because their behavior, speech and dress is just a completely different culture.

We must reach out our hand in friendship and dignity both to those who would befriend us and those who would be our enemy.

It is not just the more talented player who wins. Some players may try a little harder.

I have become convinced that we blacks spend too much time on the playing field and too little time in libraries.

Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.

Later, I discovered there was a lot of work to being good in tennis.

I have become convinced that we blacks spend too much time on the playing field and too little time in libraries.

I don’t want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments.

You learn about equality in history and civics, but you find out life is not really like that.

We must believe in the power of education. We must respect just laws. We must love ourselves, our old and or young, our women as well as our men.

A couple of times a day I sit quietly and visualize my body fighting the AIDS virus. It’s the same as me sitting and seeing myself hit the perfect serve. I did that often when I was an athlete.