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I had true rivalries. Not only did I want to beat my opponent, but I didn't want to let him up, either. I had a rivalry with Mac, Lendl, Borg. Everybody knew there was tension between us, on court and off. That's what's really ingrained in my mind: 'This is real. This isn't a soft rivalry.' There were no hugs and kisses.

We had an awfully good ball club that was capable of beating anybody. They were that good.

Rivalry doesn't help anybody.

Our two biggest rivals had adjusted their whole season to this one aim of beating us. Of course, it is a big compliment that they were so motivated to stop us but it was very tough to face two matches like that so close together. Suddenly three trophies are down to one.

As a player, to me the Dodgers were the Yankees of the National League because... you either loved them or you hated them.

Everybody says we hated the Yankees. We didn't hate the Yankees. We just hated the way they beat us.

The best under-the-radar rivalry is Dodgers-Giants. I had no idea how deep that one was until I moved to California... that one goes waaaaaaaaay back, and both sides absolutely detest each other. Fights in the stands, fights in the parking lot, the whole thing. It's every bit as bitter as Yankees-Red Sox without nearly the same hype.

England and France were rivals, not only on the continent, but in the West Indies, in India, and in Europe.