It is my firm belief that the highest value must be placed on the virtue of each individual, regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Tennys Sandgren
I think there was, like, a childhood moment where I had to pick shoes, either non-marking or marking shoes. The marking shoes were Spider-Man shoes. I'm like, 'Well, I want the Spider-Man shoes.' But I also didn't want to mark the court; I want to be able to play. I chose the generic, non-marking shoes.
If you watch a news channel, you wouldn't then say that that person who's watching the news channel thinks everything that the news channel puts out. You wouldn't think that.
I don't hold a grudge of sheer anger at life because of my name. No, no, no. It's something unique and cool. It's just a part of who I am. I'm OK with that.
If you already think you are correct and there's nothing else you can learn in life, then I think you are in trouble.
I like to consume information. I like to learn.
You can't be named like a sport if you suck at it.
I'm more than happy to talk with people and let people know how I feel about things.
If people enjoy watching me play, or if I can have a good interaction with somebody, that's a win.
I've tried to dial my emotions down: not get too high, not get too low, try to find that even-keel tennis.
My game has been improving as I've been working. Little things are getting better. Which, I would hope so - it's all I do every day.
I'm hesitant to compare myself to Roger Federer in any way, but he's improved while he's in his thirties. That makes you believe that even though you may have struggled for a few years, there's still hope.
Would I consider myself alt-right, if you want to ask that question? No, I don't. Not even a little bit. I think I am a pretty devout Christian, and I treat my walk with Christ very seriously - very seriously - in a way that I'm constantly looking at the things I do and how that affects me existentially.
If everybody thinks you're amazing, you probably are doing something wrong.
I have ideas, but those ideas could be wrong. The only way that you would change someone's mind is through dialogue, through productive discussion. If you're not going to have productive discussion, what are you going to do?
Are you going to get offended when someone says something that is counter to your worldview? I think you need to be willing to change your worldview or, at least, be open to other people's ideas.
What information you see doesn't dictate what you think or believe. I think it's crazy to think that.
Who you follow on Twitter, I feel like, doesn't matter even a little bit.
I support Christ and following Him, and that's what I support.
I'm fine talking about a lot of things.
It's my job to continue on this journey with the goal of becoming the best me I can and to embody the love Christ has for me, for I answer to Him and Him alone.
When I order sandwiches or coffee, I don't give my name: I'll say 'David' or something. It's just not worth it. They never mess 'David' up. I just want my sandwich; I just want my coffee.
I had a little bit of expectations just to be not terrible, because you can't be named so similar to a sport and not be at least adequate at that sport. I don't think there's been expectations to be really good, because my parents never put that kind of pressure on me, but I had to be at least decent.
To say, 'Well, he's following X person, so he believes all the things that this person believes'... I think that's ridiculous.
I obviously grew up on a court, but there wasn't any, 'All right, we're going to name him 'Tennis,' and he's going to be a professional.'
You can ask me about my beliefs on things; that's cool. But I think to lump in and say, You follow this person, so then, wow, who are you?' Ask me who I am.
My parents and my older brother played. You kind of want to do what your family does. They were on the court. I'm like, 'I want to be on the court, too.'
I was definitely aptly named.
When you play Futures and Challengers for three, four years, you're playing in obscurity. You play the game for other reasons. You don't play the game for money or attention. You play the game because you like to play. You play the game because you enjoy the journey.
I haven't ever really been close to retiring. I've threatened myself, that kind of thing. There were moments where I'm struggling or not healthy: It's like, OK, is this the best way I can spend my 20s? Is this something that's going to help me in the future, or I might as well be fishing or gaming.
I have settled on just kind of what I always settle on: To keep getting better and try and affect people positively sometimes. Don't be so negative all the time.
