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I went through so many things personally, emotionally and mentally during that time off that I know that I'm better for it now and I think I'm a better athlete because of that.

The thing about tennis is if you stay off for two weeks, or just for three days, you can lose your rhythm quickly. So it's just a question of constant diligence and vigilance.

Once your body is in workout-mode, a few days off won't hurt. Muscle memory is magical. If you work out consistently, you can afford to miss a few sessions and your body will gladly pick up where you left off.

I think one has to understand that there are stages in life, and that the life of an athlete has its limits. It's short, and then it stops, and sooner or later you have to accept that.

To be honest, I haven't had a lot of time off.

I think every athlete has their window of opportunity, and you just have to jump on it. You never know when it can end. So I'm just trying to live large while I have the opportunity.

My time off is usually spent working out and getting better at football. When I come home and spend time with my little brother, we're out on the football field. We're working out or playing Madden. We're spending time with each other, but our quality time is football.

In sports, people reach their peak very early. You have to move on. I don't know if I will ever surpass what I did at the Olympics, but I'm still doing the work I always wanted to do.

I've been an athlete and competitor my whole life, and there's nothing more that I get off on than competition.

A good thing is I've been playing tennis I think every day for the last two months. I really haven't had a day off. I've been doing things that I did used to do.