It is difficult for our youth to want to be active when PE is taken out of our schools.
Someone had to lend me a hand or two to pull me forward. I feel it's my duty to make sure I do the same.
I grew up in the USTA's junior circuit.
As a kid, I used to love going to the arcade. I used to tell my parents I was working on my hand-eye coordination. It was probably just a way to get more quarters from them.
My goal is to play better than my seed. If I'm seeded sixth, I want to try to go to the semifinals. If I'm seeded third, I'm going to shoot for the finals.
In college, you become truly independent; your discipline is honed. It has to be there for your studies. It helped make me who I am, and it increased my determination to be the best I could be.
If you get into the main draw of a Grand Slam, then you've made your mark and proved that's where you belong.
Few players hit the swinging forehand volley as often, or as well, as Maria Sharapova.
A bad toss is one of the most common causes of a bad serve, and most tosses are bad because players release the ball too soon, flick their wrists, or both.
I was the ultimate tomboy because my oldest brother used to always beat up on me and wrestle and make sure I was engaged in sports, because I was his excuse to be able to go hang out with his friends.
I was throwing a spiral football at 6.
I'm a competitor in everything that I do. I love to compete.
My parents have been unbelievable. Obviously, without them, I wouldn't be where I am.
I was fortunate to have people like Althea Gibson come and speak to me, also Leslie Allen and Arthur Ashe. So I feel obligated, part of my duty, to continue to pass on the knowledge I've learned to youngsters and adults alike.
Tennis is a very interesting world. It's a sport of opportunities, but it's a sport of challenges as well. And for anybody to continue to progress, they have to understand what those challenges are.
Anything with the title 'Breaking The Barriers' means a lot to us, and to myself in particular, because if it wasn't for those who broke the barrier of color before me, I would not have the opportunity to live the life I'm leading right now.
I'm a visual learner, so with hand-eye coordination, I was a natural.
I stumbled into tennis.
I was eighth in the world in doubles, 67th in singles. Could I have achieved more? Yes, perhaps, but I did it my way.
My role at the USTA allows me to fulfill my ambition to open up opportunities for people to play tennis that may not otherwise have a chance or an outlet to play.
