João Sousa

João Sousa.

João Sousa (born March 30, 1989) is a Portuguese professional tennis player. He became the first player from his country to win a tournament at ATP World Tour level and is often regarded as the greatest Portuguese tennis player of all time.

Quotes

• There are not many people training in Portugal, the ones available were older like Frederico Gil and Rui Machado and in the north region there was no one like in Lisbon, so I had to go for other solutions"
  • On his decision to relocate from Portugal to Barcelona when we was 15, during 2012 Rio de Janeiro Challenger. Português cansado de ser confundido com o Souza brasileiro: 'É ridículo' [Portuguese tired of being mistaken with the Brazilian Souza - "It's ridiculous"]. Band. Retrieved on 2 November 2015.

• You can have news that (Cristiano) Ronaldo went to the toilet three times a day, and that's the news. I make semi-finals and nothing.
  • On tennis' lack of public visibility in Portugal when compared with football, during 2015 ATP Dubai tournament. From Novak Djokovic to Joao Sousa: ATP Dubai quotes of the week. Sport 360. Retrieved on 2 November 2015.

• Well, I agree with him [Gilles Simon]. All those that play within the tennis world know how hard it is to enter the top-100 and there is a huge difference between the top players and all the others, or at least those who are a bit ‘lower in the rankings, so yes, I agree
  • On how prize money is distributed on the ATP Tour, during a 2015 November interview for an Italian tennis news website. Exclusive: Joao Sousa criticises the distribution of prize money on the ATP Tour. Ubitennis.com. Retrieved on 4 November 2015.

• Thanks to all these results, people in Portugal are starting know and become more interested in our sport. Tennis is more and more popular in Portugal and we don't talk about only football anymore. I am glad to help in that process.
  • On tennis' rising popularity in Portugal, during the same interview. Intervista esclusiva a Joao Sousa: “Sono d’accordo con Simon, i top player guadagnano troppo” [Exclusive interview to Joao Sousa - 'I agree with Simon, the top players earn too much'] (in Italian). Ubitennis.com. Retrieved on 4 November 2015.

• I feel that I am respected. The other top players now realize what I am capable of. There is mutual respect among player at this ATP level, everyone knows the required quality one needs to have to be part of the elite.
  • On the feedback received from other ATP World Tour players. João Sousa: "Partilho com o Nadal o gosto pelo Real Madrid" [Joao Sousa - 'I share with Nadal the fondness for Real Madrid'] (in Portuguese). SAPO. Retrieved on 9 November 2015.

About João Sousa

• Sousa's a good player, likes playing on clay, although his best results have been on hard courts, he's got a good forehand.
  • Jamie Murray on Sousa's game, during the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. "Jamie Murray giving no brotherly advice in Paris". BBC Sport. 28 May 2015. Retrieved on 1 June 2015. 

• [He] is tough. João is a great tennis player and a wonderful boy. Every time I played against him [I] had to be always very strong, especially on the mental side. He takes the best out of the opponent.
  • Novak Djokovic when asked how it was like to face Sousa, during a 2015 November interview for a Portuguese newspaper. "O João Sousa é um grande tenista e um rapaz fantástico" ['João Sousa is a great tennis player and a wonderful boy'] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. Retrieved on 4 November 2015.