Ernests Gulbis brought forth from his mouth another legendary gem earlier this week in Delray Beach. It inspired a reflection on the 30 most memorable quotes of his mercurial career.
On his motivation to achieve success in 2013
“I was really getting pissed to see who’s in the Top 100. There are some guys who I don’t know who they are. Some guys, I’m sorry–with respect–they can’t play tennis. I don’t know how they got into the Top 100. I think I’m much better than them. It’s a motivation.”
On why he thinks he will have a good 2013
“I quit a lot of stuff in my life. For example, smoking, drinking, staying up late.”
On what he likes about Rotterdam
“I like that the marijuana here is legal. I’m for that. Unfortunately tennis players cannot do that, but I like the way of thinking.”
On beating Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon in 2012
“I’m really happy that I didn’t choke in the end, as usual. I’m very well-known for mental strength. Ask around. Watch my previous matches.”
On reports that he flies to tournaments in a private jet
“Yes. And I have a helicopter, a submarine, and a spaceship.”
On his 2010 Los Angeles loss to Alejandro Falla
“Nothing worked today. I was just running like a Spanish clay-court player standing on the baseline and pushing the ball back. Women’s tennis.”
On getting warned by Fergus Murphy for perpetual racket-throwing during his loss to Falla
“This referee – his only purpose in life is to give somebody warnings. He is like a police officer; when they see a car they stop it and they have so much fun to give you a ticket. In Latvia, I stop where you cannot stop and they have a smile on their face as they give me a ticket. Same with this guy.”
After beating Roger Federer in Rome, on how he dealt with failing to serve out the match
“You know, there’s a good expression in English but it involves bad words. So I’m not gonna say it. I…did it in my pants.”
On how he beat Federer
“I think I beat Roger Federer because I ate scrambled eggs in the morning.”
On how he found energy to win his next match after beating Federer
“Well I found energy because I really like doing these interviews, because I get my childhood dream to be a pilot. I feel like a pilot right now.”
On missing a crucial smash on set point against Federer
“Fantastic smash. I already said in the pilot interview, if I would miss the smash, if I would lose the set, I would quit tennis. That’s too much for my nerves. I can’t take this anymore.”
On playing Rafael Nadal on clay in the Rome semis
“If he plays good, I’ll let him go. What can I do? If he plays good, he beats me. That’s it.”
On the comparison between his Rome matches against Federer and Nadal
“I don’t like losing. I like winning. I don’t like to lose beautiful matches. I like to win ugly ones.”
On the Madrid courts in 2010
“I came here early; got used to the courts because they are not really straight. They are like playing on a mountain.”
On Nadal’s mentality
“He thinks how to kill his opponent. He’s got a different mentality. Mine is closer to that of Marat Safin.”
On Fabrice Santoro
“He is a disgusting player. Even though outside of the court, an awesome dude.”
On hitting big groundstrokes
“Well, I don’t know. I never practice that much. I never practice that much at all. What can I do? I cannot run. I’m a tall guy. I cannot move my legs, so that’s why I’m trying to hit it hard; so that I don’t have to move.”
On what he did during a rain delay in the middle of the 2010 Delray Beach final
“I scored 18 free throws in a row during the break. During the rain delay. 18 free throws. Usually I do a couple hundred.”
On how he returned Ivo Karlovic’s serve in the 2010 Delray Beach final
“I think he was a little bit scared to serve against me because the height didn’t matter because I blocked him in basketball. He thought that I didn’t. He thought that I fouled but that’s OK.”
When asked about practice during the 2010 Delray Beach event
“I don’t like practicing. I really hate practicing.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI]
On his slow start to the 2009 season
“I was playing like a Spanish player—two meters behind the baseline doing nothing.”
On an incredibly high racket-toss at the 2009 Auckland event
“I can throw it much higher. I was just scared to throw it somewhere over. Because once I throw it over the fence and I got a $2000 fine. I don’t want to pay it anymore, so I’m trying to keep it in the borders of the court.”
On racket breaking
“I break around 60 to 70 a year. I felt bad after going to the factory where they make the rackets and I saw all the work they do. Everything is hand-made. They do everything for the players; they really think about what the players need, and then an idiot like me comes and breaks them.
“I think I broke 64 rackets. In order to do so, you need to put some muscle into it. On the hard court, where it’s more difficult to break a racket, with one try I broke a racket in five places. I am emotional. Though I don’t do it because something bugs me. It’s just a stupid habit.”
On his propensity for drop-shots at the 2009 Auckland event
“Yeah because I couldn’t do nothing else. I don’t have a volley. Just once it was lucky. But otherwise just drop-shots.”
On spending a night in a Stockholm jail for soliciting prostitutes
“It was great. It was great fun; a very funny time. But I’m never going to go to Sweden again. If you go out and meet some girls, and immediately you’re put in jail, that’s not normal. It was very funny, though. I think everybody should go to jail at least once.”
On why the press room was empty after his 2008 U.S. Open loss to Andy Roddick
“Nobody will come, trust me. Nobody is interested in losers here.”
When James LaRosa asked if he could call Gulbis “Ernie”
“Call me Mr. Gulbis. I’ll call you Mr. LaRosa.”
On what he does with his hair
“I think all the products are for girls. The body lotions, the creams, the makeup, whatever, is just for girls. Guys should be natural. Of course you have to take care of yourself, you have to go to shower, you know, so you don’t smell bad. The rest is just natural. Mr. Gulbis showers and never combs his hair and that’s it.”
On what a night out with him would be like
“What do people do when they go out? They get drunk. To go out and not drink, I don’t understand it. If you go to a nightclub, what is to enjoy there? Nothing. The music is too loud, everybody’s sweating, everybody’s dancing, it’s dark, everybody’s pushing, everybody’s drunk. And if you’re the only guy sober in the nightclub, you don’t enjoy it at all. If you’re into the groove, you know, you have a couple drinks, you’re on the same level as the club, you can sometimes get something positive out of it. But it’s not what I like. I prefer to stay in my friends’ company, invite girls over.”
On drinking
“If I start drinking I’m going to drink until the morning. I can’t go to a nightclub and drink four beers and I’m good. If I go out, I go full night out.”
These are genius Ricky.
best piece in Grandstand history
True. U should make another one.
bump