women-in-sports

"My story and experience involving the national team these past months will be shared soon when I feel ready and I hope I can continue to represent the Philippines again in the future in a healthier environment."

"For sure nanghinayang pero it happens for a reason. Medyo na-sad pero parang okay rin na may setbacks and you have to think some stuff. May mga na-realize din like spend time with family, sa jowa, sa dogs, and friends. Try to enjoy life din. (For sure there are regrets but it happens for a reason. It's somehow sad but setbacks are also fine since you have to think some stuff. There are also realizations like spending time with family, partner, dogs, and friends. Try to enjoy life, too.)"

"Gutted, heartbroken, disappointed and confused but as the saying goes, everything happens for a reason and I have faith knowing God’s plan is bigger than my own."

"I will continue to stay true to myself as a person and player and not let one person’s decision or opinion of me change that. I hold my head up high knowing I did everything I could to compete for a roster spot both at my professional club and during pre-camp."

"You know, I take that being from the Philippines, born in the Philippines, very true to heart. I think it's part of who I am. So just being able to go to different parts of the country and to be able to play the sport that I love and just showing younger girls that, you know, they can do this too. They can dream big. They can dream fearlessly."

"We must really give special attention to our women athletes, including our Para athletes. And not just the athletes and their coaches but those who help build and promote women sports. These awards are for those who provide inspiration for all women in sports."

"Until now, bowling is still evolving. I believe the right training and proper support will be good enough, we could bring back the glory days of bowling in our country."

"I think that was enough time for us to learn the playing style that he wants us to play. I think we are all on the same page and we all know how he wants us to play."

"When I retired a couple of years ago and decided to get certified teaching, I told myself that I would want to help our golfers here. I just want to inspire and motivate them and it’s time for me to give back teach them what I know. When I was going to turn pro and wanting someone to talk to about it, I really didn’t have anyone to go to, so I figured things out for myself."

"I just want to inspire other people to try and balance two things. A lot of people think you can only pick one over the other, but for me, it’s really important to follow what your heart wants, and for me, I wanted to do sports and take up my studies, so that’s what I did."

"“It’s not about the bashers kasi it’s something internal, e. Some people like me just don’t like the idea of being under the limelight that much. And I was young then and I didn’t handle it that well.”"

"Interviewer: If you could give advice to Jasmine Paolini, who is entering the circuit at a very young age, what would you say to her? Jasmine Paolini: To have fewer doubts about myself. I think it's a very Italian flaw not to belittle yourself a little. Less doubt, more certainty."

"No one is unbeatable, but I'd like to see Serena play in men's tournaments: she'd win a $10,000 tournament. She has an intensity and ability to play on the court that even men don't have. I've heard a lot of talk about the difference between men and women, but Serena's strength has to be proven on the court. I train with guys who are ranked 400-500 in the world, and I can assure you that she hits much harder."

"[...] I started playing tennis at the age of 5 and fell in love with the sport. It was love at first sight. I feel great when I play. When I was younger, I used to watch the Grand Slam finals [...]. But it was hard to imagine that I could do it myself. Of course, I wanted to, but now it's something crazy for me."

"(About Nick Kyrgios) He has a strong personality, which I've always liked. Watching him play is a show, he does crazy things. My character shouldn't like him, but I've always found him interesting. Lately, however, he's made some rather ugly and unfortunate comments [...]. He seemed too eccentric to me, and I don't like that side of him very much. I preferred him when he limited himself to his antics on the court."

"Women have more spirit of sacrifice. In Italy, there is no culture of running, of suffering. Men think they can win with their shirt collars turned up, without breaking a sweat, with aces on serve and classy shots. Kids take to the court thinking about a cool guy like Roger Federer, not Rafael Nadal, who, having fewer natural weapons, sweats and fights. They should understand that, before becoming like that, Federer also worked his butt off."

"(About Iga Świątek) The simplicity with which she plays is impressive. In women's tennis, it's not so common to play against someone who does everything very well and always makes the right choice."

"She hits all her shots perfectly. Sara Errani has a great selection of shots. She processes the game very well inside her head."

"I like nice guys. Someone like Balotelli, for example, I can't stand him. I didn't like him at the European Championships and I really don't like him, his personality, his arrogant attitude. I can't stand him."

"She plays really well inside her head. She has good technique, great technique. She has a grip that works well. Because even though she's short, she can still return a high ball. She's very confident right now. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that. I think you'll see this more and more. Of course, taller players still have huge advantages. When you're not tall, you have to play even better and be faster. Justine Henin has already done it, and now Errani is in the final. It's incredible. It takes a lot of energy just to think that you can be competitive with players who are taller than you, and she's doing it."

"Interviewer: “During a match, have you ever thought that you would have won if you were 10 centimeters taller?” Jasmine Paolini: Never. The only question I ask myself is how I would serve if I were taller. That said, I can serve just as well. We're working on it, especially on transferring what I do in training to the match. During training, I serve pretty well. In a match, it's more difficult: I might miss a couple, I don't get the first one in, I get a couple of winning returns... and then I start to slow down and the insecurities creep in. But I'm happy with what I can do in training. We're working hard: the serve is too important in tennis today. In particular, I try not to slow down the speed of the shot."

"Interviewer: Life on the circuit can be exciting but also repetitive and tiring. How do you experience it? Jasmine Paolini: After years of playing mainly ITF, without hospitality and with very low prize money, I would describe life in WTA tournaments as peaceful. There is no anxiety about money, there are lots of points up for grabs, and everything is perfectly organized. Obviously, traveling all the time is not so easy, I have to learn to manage myself a little better: after New York, for example, I returned to Europe to play in Portoroz and then, without a break, I went back to the States to play in the Chicago tournament. I arrived exhausted and lost in the first round; looking back, I would opt for a different schedule or simply a week's rest. In summary: the professional circuit presents you with many challenges, sporting and otherwise, that are not easy to resolve; however, I consider myself privileged and never complain about this life."

"For a tennis player, technical changes are often traumatic, because it's not easy to change shots that you already consider good. We players are usually quite stubborn..."

"The more important matches I play, the more I understand this sport. There are no magic formulas. There is only hard work, perseverance, and determination."

"I dreamed of becoming a professional, but not of being number 1 or winning a Grand Slam. Never. Not even of entering the top 10 [...]. But I hoped for it, without really believing it. Then, step by step, step by step, I started to believe in myself without projecting myself too far ahead. That's why I was surprised to hear Nole's [Novak Đoković, ed.] interviews when he was a child, in which he said he wanted to become number 1 in the world and win Wimbledon. I watched them and it seemed incredible to me that children could dream like that. The same goes for Jannik [Sinner, ed.], who at 15 said his dream was to become number 1 in the world. I'm very happy, but I think I'm a different person."

"(Before the final of the 2012 Roland Garros) I'll have to serve a lot of first serves and move her around as much as I can. It's still a tennis match, so I'll try to play it and enjoy myself. Could the wind interfere with her high ball toss? Then let's hope for a hurricane!"

"You get hurt, after the injury you can't find yourself again and a thousand doubts arise about your level, your ability to play well... uncertainty after uncertainty, your level drops. If you go on court without being calm, it becomes difficult."

"Interviewer: “What has been the most difficult moment in recent years?” Jasmine Paolini: Not qualifying for the Slams made me feel really bad. Finally, at Roland Garros in 2019, I got through the qualifying rounds [after nine failed attempts in various Majors, ed.] without losing a single set, and that broke the deadlock. Now I'm starting to win matches in the main draw, and it's a whole different story, but those years weren't easy. I arrived unconvinced, often without a coach, and I couldn't express myself at my best. In 2018 in Australia, I won three games in the first round of the qualifiers, and it was devastating."

"Interviewer: “Everyone says about you: ‘She has a great forehand but she's short’. What do you say to that? Jasmine Paolini: It's not a problem and I don't even think about it. I know what I need to improve, for example my serve, but for me, height isn't a huge disadvantage. Okay, if I were 5 centimeters taller, maybe I would serve a little better... but maybe I would be less agile. Like everything, it has its pros and cons."

"These are small things which play a huge role."

"Some of the most important things are travelling and gaining worldly experience, seeing the world and learning about different cultures."

"I hope the future generations will take it upon themselves to change these things and build a team."

"As much as it was a difficult decision, it was the only one available."

"It feels really good to be winning again after having been away from the game for so long."

"It was tough, but I could not accept a reduced sentence upon admitting guilt when I was innocent."

"When I stopped playing tennis, I was forced to confront myself and remember who I was before sports became such a huge part of my life."

"If there's one thing that the past year has taught me, it's to not limit myself to just one career path."

"Then after work I'd be back at the Domain, or at one of the other parks. I'd be watched by Jim Bellwood, my coach. He'd supervise my jumping technique, or my throwing. This session would last a couple of hours."

"I used concrete blocks and sandbags for weights. I'd do an hour of weight training at home in the morning. My uncle, in whose house I was living in Auckland, had built a sort of gym in the spare room, so I'd spend an hour doing callisthenics before I went to work."

"At lunchtime I'd train at the Domain. I ran in army boots for 30-45 minutes. The theory was that when I didn't have the boots on, I'd feel like I was flying. It certainly did feel good without them!"

"It’s an honour to win this award and I’m humbled to accept it. It will keep me motivated as I continue to work towards my targets"

"The season was a tough one, but we went out there with our heart and our soul and we put on a show"

"Even though the achilles injury was challenging and meant I was unable to sprint or even walk at times, I continued to work. To come back from that and achieve what I did is a surreal feeling and I’m happy and proud"

"I would say I am very, very proud, but I cannot dwell on the past. Even though it’s very special, it’s memories. I cannot just sit and say ‘OK, I’m a double Olympic champion, I’m a five-time Olympic gold medallist’. I have to continue working because my motivation is to be even better"

"I told myself that I want to be the greatest female sprinter, so I am just going to focus on what the future holds for me."

"You get a lot of motivation when you achieve your first victory of the season"

"It felt good, the start felt really good. I definitely would like to get hurdles eight, nine and 10 a little bit more efficient in the next round, because everybody’s coming all guns blazing in the semis and so if I want to make it to the final, I have to be as sharp as possible"

"It felt pretty good. I mean, it’s a bittersweet feeling because usually we’re one of the last events at the championship and now we’re one of the first. I was like, ‘Okay, this is different, but I like it.’ Got it out of the way, got the rust off, the dust off, and, you know, did what I came out here to do"

"Every champion has struggles that they’ve been through. There will always be obstacles and you have to learn to hurdle them – you’re never too old to learn new stuff. I think I’ve learned a lot over the past year, and the main thing is that I’ve learned to listen to my body. Like any athlete who wants to be a champion, you tend to want to train through your pain, but sometimes it’s better to rest and listen to your body, which will help you in the long run. That’s one of the mistakes I’ve made in the past; I’d try to push through the pain"

"You know, I try to keep a clear mind and a loose body, I try to focus on what I can control. I know I can do all the hard work that’s possible but it’s God who gives me the strength to keep going and provides the opportunities and I’m just really grateful, and I keep that in mind and just enjoy the process. I mean, it’s not going to last forever, so while I’m in it, I enjoy what I’m doing"