~ Goran, speaking about Kafelnikov
Ivanisevic, on why he threw his racket in frustration during his four-set loss to Patrick Rafter: 'It was everything. It was a chance to get me back into the match. I hit a couple of good returns (in the fourth set) and that was the chance, you know. Then I came up with three bad returns -- two mis-hits completely, one backhand. At 4-1, he's pumped. Then I got the penalty point.'
'It doesn't affect me. I can play 5 points in 25 seconds.'
~When asked about the rule changing the time between points from 25 to 20 seconds.
'I don't like it. I go to a restaurant and everyone is 100 or 150 years old. Every time I think somebody is going to die there.'
'I think they like a little action. They like action movies, so they like me. Always something interesting going with me when I play, some aces, a little talking to the people around, a little fighting, a little throwing raquets. They like this. They don't like when somebody's too boring. They like American. I think I'm doing pretty well. I was surprised in Indianapolis, it was really nice.'
~When asked why the American public likes him so much (1996 US Open)
'I wouldn't want to go to a sports psychiatrist, because when you're finished, you come out more crazy than you go in.' 'I still break racquets, but now I do it in a positive way.'
Q. How is your elbow? Goran: It's still here.
~Lipton 1994 Interview
Q. Goran, first, about yesterday, the incident on the doubles court. Can you describe what it feels like to be hit with a serve from Marc Rosset in the back of the head?
Goran: 'Very nice feeling, I tell you. It's -- you have to try once. It doesn't hurt at all. I mean, it's an unbelievable pain because you just wait for his big second serve; I mean, it's coming here right on my neck.'
~Lipton 1997 Interview
'I was pretty nice to the racket all last week. I was surprised how easy it broke. Maybe there is something wrong with it, or I'm too strong.'
~After breaking his racket against Kafelnikov in the 1995 Wimbledon QF
'I changed my attitude in my head. I had to have a press conference with myself. After I did the press conference, everything was working.'
Here is Goran talking about his match, Wimledon 1998:
My matches are like horror thrillers and you cannot expect anything,'
said Ivanisevic, twice a Wimbledon runner-up.
'It's like a movie. I make the movie, but I don't know the end. That's it.'
Tennis: What players did you like most when you were a kid?
Goran: John McEnroe. Partly because he was a left-hander partly because he played with the most imagination. And I liked his temper, it's similar to mine. Later I met him, and he's a calm guy, different from what you see on the court.
Maybe be a journalist (laughter) ~In response to what profession he might chose had he not been a tennis player
'In Europe, nobody cares about baseball. It's big just here in the States. I'm following the guy (Mark McGwire) only because he is hitting the home runs. Now he has one more to break the record, so it's interesting. Otherwise, no way I'm going to watch that.'
~Goran on whether Europeans follow baseball
'The trouble with me is that every match I play against five opponents: umpire, crowd, ball boys, court, and myself.'
'The way I played today I should go to jail.'
~Goran on losing to Chang at Shanghai
'I will donate $50 to charity for every ace I serve. I hope I serve a lot of aces. Any waythat we can raise money is good. Anything that helps kids is nice,' 'Maybe I should give another $50 for every racquet I break!'
'I think it's interesting, you have three movies in one match: horror, comedy, drama. It's fun. I enjoy it. I am like that. I don't like to change. And if I could choose, I would be the same again. just me, and I like who I am.' Q. How is the pasta?
Goran: Pasta? Pasta is always going to be bad in America. It is always --
Q. What if it is made by Italians?
Goran: Cannot be real Italian. Can be half, half, mother can be American, father Italian. It is not Italian pasta. I just eat it for lunch. It was really bad.
~Lipton 1996 Interview
"Last year, I lost to his brother (John), this year I lose to him, next year, maybe I can win against his sister."
~ Goran Ivanisevic, after losing to Patric McEnroe at the Lipton Championships, 1993
On his serve: 'I played like Kournikova - 20 double faults per match.'
~ 5/5/99 at the Licher German Open
'When I was in the school, you know, I had to work, because I had to pass my English tests, that's why I was learning English. And slowly, you know, and then I start to play tournaments and I had to speak something and no one speaks Croatian.'
~Goran on how and why he learnt to speak English
'It's strange to play in that tent -- it's so noisy you can't hear anything,' 'It is so hard to concentrate... I was looking at the tent and expecting it to blow down.'
~Goran on the London Indoor tournament
'I changed my attitude in my head. I had to have a press conference with myself. After I did the press conference, everything was working.'