I love going to the beach and swimming in the ocean. I think it's so relaxing. It's also a great form of active recovery. It's perfect for those rest days when you still want to move a little bit.
Eugenie Bouchard
Even sleep is part of my job because I need a certain number of hours of sleep to be able to train at the intensity that I do. I'm constantly working to keep my body in the best possible shape.
I'm very hard on myself. Sometimes too hard on myself. When I lost in the Wimbledon finals, I was so sad, I cried. I had the runner-up trophy! It's still a great accomplishment, but I was so mad.
I'm not a cooking person, so there's not much in the fridge. On the rare occasion that I do cook, I make myself breakfast. Eggs are my go-to in the morning for some protein. Orange juice as well. You have to start your day off with that.
I've never really focused on my ranking per se because it's out of my control. I try and do the right thing each week, and the ranking will look after itself.
I see it as a compliment to be compared to someone like Sharapova who has won five Slams. She's a great champion. I see it in a positive light. But also I'm my own person. I don't want to be the next someone else. I want to be the first of me.
I've learned that it's not a straight road to the top, and there are going to be setbacks along the way. You have to be patient, and you have to keep believing in what you're doing. And keep believing in yourself, no matter what is happening. And then eventually you'll get there.
I won't play past 30. Why? I want to - I don't know - start a family, live life.
I did not have a normal life. I'd be training when my sister would be at birthday parties and sleepovers. I finished high school by correspondence, basically working two full-time jobs. The last years were very, very tough. But I was willing to do that. It's all about sacrifice.
I have very vivid dreams, and often - this happens to me at least a few times a week - I don't know if something happened in real life or in a dream. I'm like, 'Mom, did this neighbor come over, or was it a dream?' And she's like, 'No, what are you talking about?'
I don't really think dreams have real meaning. Some people believe in that. I just think it's your brain, after a day of crazy random pieces of information jumbled together, creating interesting stories. I just view it as entertainment.
After they lose, I think all tennis players go back to a specific part of the match where they wish they had done something different.
Maria Sharapova winning Wimbledon at 17, I don't think that's ever going to happen again. It's a different game now. I need to stay focused and work on my game, and it will come.
Sometimes you just want to get away and be normal for a few days. It's a treat to travel without your racket bag.
Even when I was much younger, whatever I did, I wanted to do it to the best of my abilities. When I came home from school, I would be the one doing my homework while my siblings would be watching TV and putting it off until later.
If you're playing someone you care about, it's tough, and I don't want to be in that situation. We are playing big matches for big points and prize money, and I take it very seriously. I relax when I'm outside tennis.
Someone that I'm really inspired by, and that I look up to, is Oprah. It's amazing how she created such an empire.
Even the greatest player of all times loses sets or is down in a match. It just shows that, you know, a win is never guaranteed. It shows all of us that we have to work for every point, fight for every point no matter what.
