As a child, I was lucky to have the support of my parents because starting a tennis career is a very expensive adventure.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
You know my dad pushed me to believe that I was going to be the best. I just never thought of life without tennis, even looking forward.
One day my dad would say, 'OK, if you want to play tennis I can help you out.' And that's how it started. And I had a goal. I wanted to beat my mom first. And my parents and my brother. And that was the ultimate goal.
As a kid, I wanted to be a pro tennis player. I was pretty good; at the tennis academies I attended, I always 'played up' against older age groups.
Both parents supported my becoming a world class athlete.
I've been athletic since I was a kid. My parents got me playing tennis when I was seven years old and I started to play competitively.
Once you succeed in tennis, financially you become quite well off.
My mom played tennis for, like, six hours a day and went to college on a tennis scholarship, because that was the way she could go to school. So they instilled in me the idea that you have to work hard for the things you want in life and never complain.
I was quite lucky: although my dad worked a lot, whenever he was free, he would play sports with me and my brother, and I can't wait to do that with my child.
I had a great tennis career. I have no regrets. But to find peace with yourself, and to finally be with your family - I'm probably the happiest guy in the world.
No, like I said, my dad was never really part of the tennis. His involvement around what I did with the tennis and with my mom and my grandparents was really not a part of my life.