My nerves tend to dissipate once the match starts. When I know I've practiced as much as I can and I do my best and leave it all out there, I feel OK no matter what happens.

We do get to do what we love. I think that's really special, and I think sometimes we get really caught up in the winning and the losing and rankings. And at the end of the day, we get to play a sport that we love for our jobs.

Since I came on the tour so young and I won my first match, I've had a lot of comments like 'You'll be a top player one day.' I got to the point where, as nice as it was to hear that, I almost stopped listening to it. I was almost putting added pressure on myself.

I think I'll always consider the Quad Cities home.

Everyone else wants to hear 'I wanna be Top 5,' or 'I want to be winning a Grand Slam.' Those are all goals of mine, but I'm not going to put a time limit on them.

My youngest sister does not like tennis at all, and she'll be the first one to tell you that, which I find pretty funny.

Both of my grandmothers have always been really good bakers, and I was always in the kitchen helping them. Obviously I can't eat a lot of the things that I make, but just baking it and giving it to someone makes me feel really good.

I can play the No. 1 player in the world in a pretty close match.

I would like to think I can win a trophy or two, but the main thing for me is to focus on consistency.

When you're 13 or 14, sometimes you wake up in a bad place. You feel like everything's out of your control. You don't know what to do.

I could go through my Twitter account right now and there would be 10 horrible messages.

The second I was on the tennis court, I had the structure I wanted. I was in complete control of what I was doing.

Sometimes I have lapses of attention, and I can lose some points very quickly.

I'm not the best at hiding my emotions.

The expectation from other people kind of gets on me.

I was getting, at like 18, 'Why haven't you won a Grand Slam yet?'

I don't really focus on other people's expectations of me. I only care what my own expectations are.

I've been on my own and traveling for years now.

It can be tough and lonely on the road, but at the end of the day we get to play professional tennis for a living, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

For me it's just never being satisfied with what I've done and always just wanting more and more.

I really wanted a tennis dress. My parents told me that if I played, they would buy me one. I was like, 'Hey, I'll try it.'

Every single day, my parents fed me balls. Eventually it turned into having a coach, and then it went to being at an academy. You know, it worked out pretty well.

My priority when I get off the plane and get to a city is get situated at the hotel and then go on site and get a good practice in. Sometimes working out can help with getting over jet lag as well.

I've tried my best to be a good role model for my two younger sisters.

It was tough because I was on the road so much, on top of everything. I went through what every girl goes through emotionally in life, going through high school. It wasn't easy.

I think I have slowly kind of had my name out there a little bit more and had some success.

My mom has always been that person who keeps me grounded, and my two younger sisters are always cheering me on.

I would be lying if I said I wanted to wake up and work out every day.

My mom and grandma always told me: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It's something everyone needs to be more conscious about. Putting more positive energy out into the world would be so beneficial.

Usually before matches I eat plain pasta with a little bit olive oil, salt, pepper and chicken.

We do a lot of lifting, and mix it up with upper body and lower body. A lot of circuit training for cardio. I hate just doing long distance running, so I do 5 or 6 different exercises for 20 to 30 seconds then move to the next one.

I think it's just really good to be honest with yourself and if I'm not feeling up for something I have no problem staying in my room in ordering some food and relaxing and managing my energy and kind of just checking in with myself throughout the day.

I'm obsessed with my couch. I have the greenest couch on the planet.

I love Dennis Quaid! I don't know why, but I've loved him forever.

I'm one of those people who writes out words. All of my text messages? You can read them. Everyone would know what I'm trying to say. My sister will say 'BTW.' Do you mean 'by the way'? Is that what you're trying to say?

Sometimes you have to give yourself a break.

People aren't winning Slams at 21 anymore. It's later.

I loved dance, but tennis felt more natural to me. Dance did help with my rhythm and balance.

I try to live in the moment and not overthink things because then you start putting yourself in situations that you don't want to be in pressure-wise.

A lot of people just assume men's tennis is better.

I make a little goal every day and work toward achieving it - even if it's the smallest little thing.

On those days when you don't want to get up, I think, I'm going to get through my entire practice without saying how tired I am or I try not to complain just because I was in a bad mood when I woke up. Even if it's not perfect and I slip up, I can catch myself and make myself of aware of where my mental space is at and move on.

I enjoy lifting weights more than I enjoy getting on the treadmill to run.

I've always loved Charleston. It's always been one of my favorite tournaments.

People always look shocked when I tell them the Cincinnati Open is one of my favorite tournaments.

You can get eight thousand great, amazing messages, and someone will send you one thing that you're maybe self-conscious about, and that's the only thing in your head for the rest of the day.

I have one of those bodies that is just a little more injury-prone.

I'm really lucky to have Lindsay Davenport as my coach. She was number one in the world, and she's won Grand Slams, so if there's any person who can help me get through, it's her. Getting her advice is very special for me.

I expect a lot for myself.

When people say that American tennis is dead and things like that, you kind of take it a little personal.