Best ATP quotes from the 2017 U.S. Open

Rafael Nadal, beginning his answer when asked about being the No. 1 seed: “No, no, no.”

Nadal, on if he wants to play Roger Federer in the semifinals: “I prefer to play against another one. Is obvious, no? I prefer to play against another player–an easier one if it’s possible.”

Alexander Zverev, when asked to describe himself as a player: “I mean, the usual stuff.”

Zverev, on if it helps having his brother on tour: “Have you watched any of my interviews before?”

John Isner, on having to adjust to different courts: “Ever seen the old movie ‘Hoosiers’? Every basket is 10 feet. A tennis court is a tennis court. It’s the same.”

Sam Querrey, on the draw getting rearranged when Andy Murray withdrew: “The only one I don’t understand is why the 3 doesn’t go to 2. If 5 is going to go to 2, and 17 is going to go to 16, the next guy in is going to go to 32, I feel like 3 should go to 2. Other than that, I understand it.”

Jack Sock, on Jordan Thompson’s medical timeout in the fifth set: “Clearly (he) was cramping pretty hard there in the end, running down everything.”

Nadal, on Murray’s withdrawal: “I always thought that he gonna be playing if he was here practicing. Was a little bit strange that he retired just the morning after the draw was made. Was something that is a little bit strange and difficult to understand. The draw was made Friday? Normally you want to keep practicing, keep trying until the last moment. You don’t retire Saturday morning. You retire Monday morning or Sunday afternoon; not Saturday morning. If not, you can do it before the draw. That’s why I say it’s strange.”

Frances Tiafoe, on if he ever imagined a moment like playing against Federer at the U.S. Open: ” It’s the only reason why I play the game. Every day I thought I would be here.”

Nick Kyrgios, after losing to John Millman in the first round: “I have had a diabolical year at these slams.”

Kyrgios, on coach Sebastien Grosjean: “I’m not good enough for him. He’s very dedicated. He’s an unbelievable coach. He probably deserves a player that is probably more dedicated to the game than I am. He deserves a better athlete than me…. I’m not dedicated to the game at all. There are players out there that are more dedicated, that want to get better, that strive to get better every day; the one-percenters. I’m not that guy.”

Kyrgios, comparing his dedication at the U.S. Open with Cincinnati–where he finished runner-up: “I was probably less dedicated than I was this week. I was playing basketball at Lifetime Fitness every day for two hours. Like I played an hour of basketball before I played David Ferrer in the semifinal. I was going to (get) ice cream–this Graeter’s place–getting a milkshake every day. I was less dedicated.”

Taylor Fritz, when asked if he watched the Federer-Tiafoe match: “I didn’t watch the match. It was a bit too late for me. I like to sleep a lot.”

Querrey, on Dudi Sela’s fan club: “It’s everywhere. Even a little more so in New York. That was 80 percent Dudi Sela fans out there.”

Alexander Zverev, on Borna Coric having a history of playing well against him: “We played two times, so, I don’t know, is that a history? I think Rafa and Roger have a history. Or Novak and those guys have a history. I don’t think we have a history.”

Mischa Zverev, on breaking Benoit Paire at 5-5 in the fifth set: “Thank God he served two doubles on deuce.”

Borna Coric, when asked if he needed his win against Alexander Zverev: “I wouldn’t die if I lost most probably.”

Denis Shapovalov, on the night-session crowd: “I noticed a couple of guys had a little bit too much to drink. I mean, some of them were standing and, like, just talking to me as if we’re buddies. I was up a break in one game, I think it was probably 40-15. I just missed a backhand. He’s like, ‘Ahhhh, no.’ I’m like, ‘Don’t worry, man, I got this.'”

Diego Schwartzman, on being an inspiration to people who are not tall: “Tennis is for everyone. Is not just for the tall guys.”

Kyle Edmund, on who will be coaching him during the Asia swing: “A guy called…I only know him by Fidde. I think his name is Frederick someone.”

Shapovalov, when asked about the role of coach Martin Laurendeau: “The role? He’s my coach.”

Querrey, on Mischa Zverev: “Most lefties are crafty. He’s the craftiest of all the lefties…. I wouldn’t call him a clean ball-striker.”

Isner, on being unable to pass Mischa Zverev: “I’m not Djokovic or Murray hitting passing shots or something.”

Mischa Zverev, after beating John Isner–two days before getting blown out by Querrey 6-2, 6-2, 6-1: “I played a great match today, but you never know what’s going to happen two days from now.”

Andrey Rublev, on who his favorite player was growing up: “Nadal was my idol. I was buying the same clothes as him; all the new collections. I was trying to copy. I liked Federer also but, I don’t know, I was not trying to copy with the clothes. Safin and Nadal I was trying to copy always. Federer, I just like him.”

Nadal, after being told he started slow against Leonardo Mayer: “I don’t want to contradict you, but for me was not a slow start. Was a slow start of converting break points.”

Nadal, on the delay in suspending Fabio Fognini because what he said in Italian had be translated into English: “It takes four days for that translation? I don’t think so. Easy to find.”

Federer, on the two halves of the draw after he beat Feliciano Lopez in the third round: “At the top we actually really have good players left.”

Pablo Carreno Busta, on Shapovalov: “I never heard him until this month. He maybe is on fire, no?”

Nadal, on what he remembers about being 19 years old: “Of course if I can come back to 19, I take it. Normally (at 19) you have a lot more years to enjoy the tour, a lot more years to enjoy the life. Of course, better be 19 than 31. My opinion. I always wanted to be young. Even when I was eight years old, I was not very happy to when I was, my birthday, to be nine. Still the same. I am 31, and I am not happy when my birthday going to be 32. I am happy being young, no? I don’t want to get older. For the moment, I didn’t find the way to stop that watch.”

Rublev, on Nadal’s playing style: “He have amazing legs.”

Rublev, on why he likes tennis so much: “I just like it, and that’s it. I cannot be without tennis.”

Federer, on what he remembers about the 2009 U.S. Open final that he lost to Juan Martin Del Potro: “What happened there?”

Querrey, after losing to Kevin Anderson: “I know that bottom half of the draw was open, but you can’t say 63 guys blew an opportunity. Only one guy can go through.”

Rublev, after losing to Nadal 6-1, 6-2, 6-2: “Today exactly happen what I expect.”

Nadal, on what he admires most about Federer: “I don’t want to look like I gonna be his boyfriend.”

Federer, when asked if he was thinking about a potential semifinal with Nadal: “I wasn’t. You were.”

Nadal, on splitting the four Grand Slams with Federer at two wins apiece: “Just can say thanks to life for that opportunity.”