100 Greatest US Open Quotes Of All Time

US Open Quotes

Powerful Tennis Quotes That Celebrate The US Open

The US Open is a tennis championship that takes place every year in Queens, New York and is played on a hardcourt. These US Open quotes show you exactly how much passion, desire, and preparation are invested into this historic tennis tournament.

The first-ever US Open took place in 1978 and is the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year.

With a staggering prize pot of over $60m, it’s not hard to see why the US Open title is one of the most sought-after on the tennis circuit.

These US Open quotes have it all – humor, desire, honesty, and rivalry, so join us as we gear up for one of the most famous sporting tournaments on Earth.

23 Venus And Serena Williams Quotes On The US Open

“I have had a big red ‘X’ on my back since I won the US Open in ’99. It’s been there my entire career.”

— Serena Williams

“Growing up, I never thought that I was different because the No. 1 player in the world was somebody who looked like me.” 

— Coco Gauff on Serena Williams

“I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus [Williams]. She’s the only reason that Serena Williams ever existed.”

“What she’s done for me, for the sport of tennis, is incredible. I never thought that I’d have a chance to play her in her last match. I remember watching her as a kid in all those finals. This is a surreal moment for me.”

— Ajla Tomljanovic after defeating Serena Williams

“It was Serena’s idea. She’s the boss, so I do whatever she tells me to do.”

— Venus Williams on Serena 

“It’s been the most incredible ride and journey I’ve ever been on in my life. I’m just so grateful to every single person that’s ever said, ‘Go, Serena!’”

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“She’s paved the way for so many, inspired me to go for my dreams. ‘Old’ is not even a word in her vocabulary.”

— Ajla Tomljanovic on Serena Williams

“Sometimes being a woman, a Black woman in the world, you kind of settle for less. I feel like Serena taught me that. From watching her, she never settled for less. I can’t remember a moment in her career or life that she settled for less.”

— Coco Gauff

“You are fearless. I love it. And you hate to lose. It’s great. You’ve touched our hearts and minds to be our authentic self, to use our voices, to dream big. Thank you for your leadership and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially for women and women of color. Most of all, thank you for sharing your journey with every single one of us. We love you.”

— Billie Jean King to Serena Williams

“I think she embodies that no dream is too big. It doesn’t matter where you come from, the circumstances, you can do anything if you believe in yourself.”

— Ajla Tomljanovic on Serena

“I just love being here, love playing here, the excitement of getting here, and the lead-up is all just — it never gets old. It’s so sweet.”

— Venus Williams

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“It’s still pretty surreal when I see her. I still feel like I’m just a kid who’s watching. I’ve watched her my whole life.”

— Iga Swiatek on Serena

“’Les Soeurs Williams,’ – that’s how everybody knows the sisters there (Tunisia). It’s unbelievable what they did for this sport.”

— Ons Jabeur on Serena and Venus

“She’s always going to be considered the GOAT. She didn’t dominate one generation. She didn’t dominate for two generations. She dominated for three-plus generations. I don’t think anybody else did that.”

— Coco Gauff on Serena

“It’s still pretty surreal when I see her. I still feel like I’m just a kid who’s watching. I’ve watched her my whole life.”

— Iga Swiatek on Serena

“She will go down as one of the best tennis players to have ever played, if not the best on the women’s side.”

— Andy Murray on Serena

“She's (Serena Williams) always going to be considered the GOAT. She didn’t dominate one generation. She didn't dominate for two generations. She dominated for three-plus generations. I don't think anybody else did that.”

Coco Gauff Tweet

“Seeing someone who is a Mount Rushmore person like her, seeing the normality in her was crazy. How she treats everybody with such respect, everything like that. Just a true leader.”

— Frances Tiafoe on Serena Williams

“She’s an icon. She’s a legend. She has done so much for the sport, not only for tennis players, but for women in general. She’s fought for us. She’s done incredible things. It’s a little sad to see her leave the sport. But she’s set out a good path for all of the WTA players, even the ATP players, to reach their own goals, voice their thoughts, keep fighting for what they believe in. I think it’s a great way to leave the sport.”

— Leylah Fernandez on Serena Williams

“It’s just hard to picture tennis without her.”

— Jessica Pegula on Serena Williams

“I mean, she’s Serena. She’s always the talk of the tournament.”

— Madison Keys on Serena Williams

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“It was, like, ‘Oh, my God, I really did this, but, wow, I’m the biggest villain in New York right now.’”

— Ajla Tomljanovic on defeating Serena Williams

“You are fearless. I love it. And you hate to lose. It’s great. You’ve touched our hearts and minds to be our authentic self, to use our voices, to dream big. Thank you for your leadership and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially for women and women of color. Most of all, thank you for sharing your journey with every single one of us. We love you.”

— Billie Jean King to Serena Williams

“W-I-N.”

— Venus Williams

15 US Open Quotes On Reaching Your Dreams

“This is something that I dreamed of ever since I was a kid — to be No. 1 in the world, to be the champion of a Grand Slam.”

— Carlos Alcaraz

“I always say, you have to believe in yourself. Hope is the last thing that you lose.”

— Carlos Alcaraz

“I hope I can send a powerful message that if I made it here, everybody could make it here. Especially for women from different countries, especially from the Middle East, from the Arab world, I hope they can believe more in themselves.”

— Ons Jabeur

“I think the message is nothing is impossible and dreams do come true. I think doing it here in New York was even greater because New York is where all dreams do come true, where you feel like big things happen.”

— Leylah Fernandez

“At the end of the day, I love that because of Frances Tiafoe there is a lot of people of color playing tennis. That’s obviously a goal for me. That’s why I’m out here.”

— Frances Tiafoe

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“I’ve got a metal hip. It’s not easy playing with that. It’s really difficult. I’m surprised I’m still able to compete with guys that are right up at the top of the game.”

— Andy Murray

“You have to give everything you have to give. We have to fight for every last point. It doesn’t matter if we are fighting for five hours, six hours.”

— Carlos Alcaraz

“I just like the fight.”

— Petra Kvitova

“A couple of weeks ago, a couple months ago, they were not thinking about me at all. Things can change very quickly. You do good one week and you are the next champ. It’s a sport, it’s tennis.”

— Carolina Garcia

“You play tennis because of the passion, because of the emotions it brings you. So it also drives you to keep practicing, to go forward.”

— Caroline Garcia

“I think the job of the coach is to teach your player not to need you.”

— Victoria Azarenka

“Lots of people told me I wouldn’t be able to play again, and lots of people told me I’d be able to hit tennis balls but not compete professionally again. That was nonsense.”

— Andy Murray

“It’s like a confirmation for me that the sky is the limit.”

— Iga Swiatek

“It’s part of tennis. Winning or losing is part of it. The most important thing is accepting it, learning from the finals that I lost. But I’m not someone that’s going to give up. I am sure I’m going to be in the final again.”

— Ons Jabeur

“I’m not really a vengeful person. I just come out here and do my best. I love to compete. Any win is a bonus for me. Lucky to be here with a lot of the challenges I faced. I’m motivated from within. I just do the best that I can. I work my tail off. I’ve got an incredible work ethic. I think that that comes out a lot in my performances.”

— Danielle Collins

7 Nick Kyrgios From The US Open Quotes

“This year’s been amazing in so many different ways. For my tennis, I kind of wanted to almost reinvent myself, get back to the top of the game where I know I belong.”

“I’m exhausted. Ninety-nine percent of the tennis tour doesn’t understand what it’s like to go on the road this long. I’m not even doing it that long compared to other Australians. There are other Australians that have been on the road for five, six months. I’m closing in on four months. It’s brutal. There’s babies being born in my family, mum is sick, dad is not well. I have to continue to travel. Because we’re from Australia, we don’t have any choice. 

“I feel like in this part of my career, I just don’t want to let people down. I feel like I’m representing so many people.”

 “Probably one of the most uncomfortable matches I’ve played in my career.”

— After defeating doubles teammate Thanasi Kokkinakis

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“When I was really struggling mentally, I was very selfish. I felt like, ‘I feel bad, I don’t want to play.’ Then I looked at the people closest to me and how much I was letting them down, and I didn’t want to do that anymore. I just tried to just look at my career. I feel like I’ve got so much left to give to the sport.”

“I want to be playing on the biggest stadiums in the world in front of millions of people broadcasted globally. That’s where I want to be. That is why I work hard. It makes it even sweeter. I know a lot of people don’t want me to succeed. I know a lot of people hate my game, the way I do things, the way I go about it.”

10 Quotes From The US Open About Pressure

“I came from nothing, and when you come from nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.”

— Danielle Collins

“Fear is part of my life and my career, as well, and I think everybody’s life. For me, it is a big engine, it’s something that helps me getting up in the morning, and achieving goals. Without fear, I wouldn’t be here.”

— Matteo Berrettini

“I’ve had some tough losses, for sure. This is in the top list. I think this one will hurt for quite a while.”

— Jannik Sinner

“I always feel like I have very high expectations and I’m constantly in between trying to enjoy myself and then how do I get better? I feel like a lot of top players are like that. It’s a really hard balance.”

— Jessica Pegula

“There are never two similar tournaments, never two similar matches in tennis. That’s what we like about tennis.”

— Carolina Garcia

“I like the pressure moments when you’re at the limit. I try to play my best tennis there.”

— Paula Badosa

“Angry Bird, I call him. He stresses a little bit, and he doesn’t hide his emotions very well, apparently. I’m calling him ‘Angry Bird’ these days.”

— Ons Jabeur on her husband, Karim Kamoun

“What’s happening in the world is very difficult right now, but we shouldn’t forget that we are all human and we should treat each other that way.”

— Victoria Azarenka

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“It’s been really tough, mentally, when you are dealing with a handful of injuries. It can be mentally agonizing. It’s been a painful experience at times, not just physically, but emotionally. I’ve had to work through that. It’s so hard to go out on the court when you’re playing with physical pain and not knowing how to manage it.”

— Danielle Collins

“I’ve seen the pictures. I was twice in Times Square in my life, and it was weird. I’m going to enjoy that just from my phone.”

— Iga Swiatek on her Times Square billboard

4 Rafael Nadal At The US Open

“Things are not perfect when you are not competing very often when you come back from injury. You need to be humble enough to go through this process and accept that you need to fight, and you need to accept that you are going to suffer.”

“I feel proud and happy to have made a small contribution to the world of tennis. I think in a personal way, it has been amazing to share all these years with such great champions. Being part of this era is an absolute honor.”

“Tennis is a sport of position a lot of times. If not, you need to be very, very quick and very young. I am not in that moment anymore.” 

“I think of her as an athlete, not just as a tennis player. She’s been one of the most important athletes in the history of sports.”

— On Serena Williams

“One of the worst starts, probably ever.”

— On his win over Fabio Fognini

18 Best Ever US Open Quotes Of All Time

“Craziest two weeks of my life.”

— Frances Tiafoe

“Less TikTok, more tennis, for sure, is going to help for the new generation to make the step forward.” 

— Stefanos Tsitsipas

“In a way, the target will be off my back slightly. I just have another chance to claw my way back up there.”

— Emma Raducanu (US Open champion)

“I’m just an athlete and I have nothing to do with politics.”

— Aryna Sabalenka

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“I always fought for every point. I always was the most professional I could be. I always invested in my body. I always trained the hardest and the best I could. I was always open to new forms of training, trying new things. Then, most importantly, is just the respect for the game and the respect for my opponents. I always felt so grateful to be part of the WTA, all these amazing players and women that inspired me. I honestly never thought I would have the chance to compete with these tremendous athletes, women, for such a long time, toe-to-toe, eye-to-eye, every day, day in, day out.”

— Andrea Petkovic

“I actually lost in my fantasy football last year and I still owe a half marathon. I still need to do that.”

— Cameron Norrie

“I’m getting closer to the end. That’s for sure. It’s a reality. I will never be able to play as well as I did in my career.”

— Stan Wawrinka (2016 US Open winner)

“I'm just an athlete and I have nothing to do with politics.”

Aryna Sabalenka Tweet

“It surprised me because he was following me, and he said, ‘I love you, you’re the sneaky player. I love how you play.’”

— Ons Jabeur on meeting Seal

 

“I’m feeling like a real New Yorker these days.”

— Stefanos Tsitsipas

 

“It was just pure sadness, which is also sometimes nice in a way. It was very pure. It wasn’t really negative. It was just exhausting. Crying so much is exhausting. I still love the game, still have a tremendous amount of passion for the game. It’s more the body that is not allowing me to play tennis anymore in a way that I want to play it, train the way I want to train.”

— Andrea Petkovic on her retirement

 

“I think Nick playing great tennis is great for tennis. You see him packing stadiums when he’s playing singles, doubles, whatever. Alcaraz is a great personality. Sinner. Myself. People get behind me. You know the American guys, Tommy, Fritz. There’s a ton of guys playing great tennis. I don’t think it will be a Big Three. It will be like a Big 12.” 

— Frances Tiafoe

“If you look at Daniil Medvedev only on the tennis court, only as a tennis player, maybe it’s not that easy to like him as much because my technique is a little bit odd. My game style is probably not the flashiest, but that’s because I want to win…But I do feel like when I interact with my fans, if they know a little bit more of who I am in real life, they start to like me more. I would think my personality together with what I am on the tennis court, what I am straight afterwards in interviews or my personal life, is what makes some people a fan of Daniil Medvedev.”

— Daniil Medvedev

“Most of my really good friends, they know who I am. I’m still Daniil Medvedev, still play tennis. I tend to think that I’m quite kind in life. Maybe not everybody thinks this way.”

— Daniil Medvedev

“It’s always amazing to see how I’m improving, how I’m pushing my limits.”

— Ons Jabeur

“I love New York. I love Manhattan. I have a special relationship with it.”

— Paula Badosa

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“I hugged him. I didn’t know should I shake his hand, hug, I don’t know. But I went for the hug, of course…He’s handsome, also. I had to say that. Don’t tell my husband.”

— Ons Jabeur on meeting Andy Roddick (US Open Winner)

“I’m proud of my fighting spirit.”

— Garbiñe Muguruza

6 Casper Ruud Quotes From The US Open

“You never know what’s going to come out of his racquet or his mouth.”

— on Nick Kyrgios

“I have been playing tennis since before I have memory because of my father played with me for fun when I was young. Tennis has always been a big part of my life. When I saw Rafa and Roger on TV when I was young, I said that I want to be on TV someday myself. I think that just stuck with me all my life, that someday I would like to try to become world No.1 and win Grand Slams.”

“It shows that it’s possible to do it here in New York. It’s sort of a city of dreams, and I guess that’s helping me with my game and my motivation.”

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“I’m not the most flashy player.”

“We are kind of in this together in a way.”

— Christian Ruud on his son, Casper

“Tennis is a psychological game, as well as it is physical. Sometimes, I guess, we are trying to act like we have good posture, but on the inside, we probably feel different. There is a bit of acting, as well, in sports.”

12 US Open Quotes On Victory

“I’m the kind of player that is in the moment, not the next generation or next player. I’m just fighting with the best players in the world in the best tournaments.”

— Carlos Alcaraz

“It was definitely one hell of a performance.”

— Frances Tiafoe after upsetting Rafael Nadal

“It was, like, ‘Oh, my God, I really did this, but, wow, I’m the biggest villain in New York right now.’”

— Ajla Tomljanovic (after defeating Serena Williams)

“It’s been a while since I put a couple of victories together.”

— Garbine Muguruza

“I love to show the world what I can do. It makes me feel good when people appreciate how hard you’re trying out there and appreciate good tennis, especially where I came from. To see how many people I can get behind me. It means a lot. I just want to go out there and try to give the crowd what they want, and that’s me getting the win.”

— Frances Tiafoe

“The biggest win of my career by far. To do it at the US Open is amazing.”

— Brandon Holt, after beating 10th seed Taylor Fritz

“I’m going to come back and I will win this thing one day.”

— Frances Tiafoe

US Open Quotes
US Open Quotes

“It’s amazing for me to celebrate this record by winning on Armstrong in the night session against the defending champ. I mean, it’s like the stars are aligned, you know? It’s such a special moment for me.”

— Alize Cornet (with ar record-breaking 63rd consecutive appearance in a major tournament)

“Man, I was losing it in the locker room. bro, I was going crazy. I mean, that’s my guy. To see him post that, I was like, ‘Do I retweet it as soon as he sent it?’ I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to be cool and act like I didn’t see it and then retweet it three hours later.”

— Frances Tiafoe on congratulatory tweet from LeBron James

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“We are a bit shocked that we have been able to win this twice in a row and, especially, to back up what we did last year. We won a Masters and then the US Open last year. We were thinking we had a tough ask to defend all the points, but to have done it again is amazing.”

— Joe Salisbury

“It was definitely overwhelming. At first it was great, and then I guess I didn’t expect everything that came along with it, and I felt that at one point it got the best of me. I really had to reassess everything, in a way. I wish I enjoyed it more in the moment.”

— Bianca Andreescu (on 2019 US Open title)

“I’m the same kid as always. Humble, and I will always be the same.”

— Carlos Alcaraz

7 US Open Coco Gauff Quotes

“Everybody’s journey and path is different. I’m definitely happy that people expect big things from me, but I think it’s more that I focus on my expectations of myself than other people’s.”

“Don’t try to feed into any stereotypes. Just be you.”

“Sometimes being a woman, a Black woman in the world, you kind of settle for less. I feel like Serena taught me that. From watching her, she never settled for less. I can’t remember a moment in her career or life that she settled for less.”

“I think heroes are important. I hope that somebody can look at me and say that I feel like I can do it because she did it. You have these heroes like LeBron James, Allyson Felix, the list goes on, Simone Biles. You have these heroes living their lives and you can’t imagine how inspiring it is to see that. Even off-court heroes, Billie Jean King, Barack Obama, Ms. Michelle Obama, it’s something I can’t really put into words how much of an impact, they probably don’t know, they had on my life as a kid. I think for kids to see that is important.”

“I’m just trying to be more in real life and learn more about myself because I feel like when you are online, you are learning about a version of yourself that isn’t attainable.”

“I like to be aggressive. That’s kind of my identity when it comes to tennis.”

“I learned in my life that you just have to accept it, you can’t ignore it. It’s going to be there. You feel it. Everybody else feels it for you. So instead of trying to say, ‘I’m not nervous,’ ‘I’m not this,’ I’m saying, ‘I am nervous, I do feel pressure, I do feel this.’ Once you acknowledge a problem, you can solve it.”

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