Tennis • 10sBalls Shares Ricky’s List Of The Most Entertaining Quotes From The 2017 Nitto ATP Finals

By Ricky Dimon
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Updated: November 19, 2017

Alexander Zverev of Germany in action against Jack Sock of the USA during their Round Robin match at the ATP World tennis finals in London, Britain, 16 November 2017. EPA-EFE/ANDY RAIN

By Ricky Dimon

The 2017 Nitto Finals are over, and it is safe to say they provided plenty of entertainment both on and off the court. Grigor Dimitrov went undefeated to the biggest title of his career, winning a trio of three-setters in the process–including over David Goffin in the final. He also excelled in the press room, although not to the extent of Jack Sock.

Here is Ricky’s list of the tournament’s best quotes, in chronologic order from the start of the week to the finish.

Sock, on Roger Federer mis-hitting a backhand for a winner: “It was a minor shank. When he hit it, it wasn’t very clean. I figured it was going to go out. But, I don’t know. It’s Roger, I guess. He can do no wrong. Everything goes in.”

Federer, after Sock turned his backside to him near the net when Federer had an easy forehand: “It was a big distraction, I’ll tell you that. Because it was very big. That’s what I should have aimed for. That target was bigger than the down-the-line court.”

Marin Cilic, on Alexander Zverev: “His game is pretty straightforward: hitting big from the back, serving good. Pretty simple game.”

Zverev, on Hyeon Chung winning the NextGen tournament: “[My team and I] had a little bit of a quiz who is going to win the tournament. I said Chung, and he’s not going to lose a match. I actually said that.”

Jamie Murray, on the Bryan brothers: “Obviously they’re not like at their peak now.”

Bruno Soares, on attending the controversial NextGen draw ceremony–and if he was involved in it: “‘Involved’ is not the best word. I was there. I was not involved. I didn’t organize it.”

Dimitrov, who ended up winning two round-robin matches 6-0, 6-2 and 6-1 6-1: “Whoever you play out here, you know it’s going to come down to the wire.”

Rafael Nadal, on his great season: “Thanks life for this unforgettable one.”

Nadal, at the end of his first–and last–press conference: “Merry Christmas, everyone.”

Cilic, on the Federer-Zverev match that he needed Zverev to win in order to have any chance of advancing to the semifinals: “I don’t know who I’m going to support.”

Sock, on the fire alarm at his hotel going off: “It was probably one of the most annoying noises I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Super loud, super annoying. At first I didn’t know if it was a test or whatever. Then I realized it was 4 a.m., so I hoped it wasn’t just a test from the hotel. I went outside, saw Rafa, saw Dominic (Thiem). Everyone was all bundled up, freezing cold, just wanting to get back inside. It was pretty miserable, to be honest. The whole thing was probably 15 minutes of freezing, miserableness.”

Sock, on whom he thinks will win the Davis Cup final: “I forgot they even had Davis Cup after this. I mean, probably go with the home team, I guess. I don’t know, really. I could honestly care less who wins. I’m just being honest. I will not pay any attention to it.”

Sock, on if he regretted getting a code violation for blasting a ball into the upper deck: “Souvenir for a fan way up there. Don’t get to sit that close. They get to keep a ball now. It’s kind of cool.”

Federer, on why so many players are injured: “Shave 10 years of our age and we probably will do better.”

Dimitrov, when a journalist asked him if he feels like a citizen of the world after listing all the places he has lived and that he had a girlfriend who lived in Los Angeles: “You mentioned only one girlfriend in there? Man, c’mon!”

Federer, after being told that he could have lost to Cilic but that he ended up winning: “Good question.”

Federer, when asked if he regrets his 2017 scheduling after just barely missing out on the No. 1 ranking: “The year played out the way it did, and Rafa was better.”

Zverev, on if he went for a risky second serve when he double-faulted late in his loss to Sock: “There was no risk. It was about a 19 mile-an-hour serve that I hit in the bottom of the net.”

Zverev, on if he had a good year: “Yeah, it’s been an awesome year. Still, the end of the year was absolute crap for me. If I would have played the whole year like I did, by the end of the year I don’t think I would have finished top 50.”

Zverev, on if the pressure got to him against Sock: “Yeah, I choked. It’s quite easy…. Yeah, I just choked.”

Sock, when asked to comment on the fact that Zverev said he choked–right as Zverev was walking through the interview room: “Really bad time to ask that question…. Is the door closed?”

Sock, on Zverev: “I mean, he can’t even legally drink a beer in the U.S. and he’s 3 in the world.”

Sock, on his hot start to the season: “After that I put a lot of pressure on myself; had a lot of expectations to keep that up every single week. We’re all human. That’s probably not going to happen unless your name is Roger.”

Sock, referencing his 0-4 lifetime record against Federer after being asked if he could go all the way in London: “I have a really good record against Roger.”

Sock, on being the first American to reach the year-end championship semifinals since Andy Roddick: “Obviously Nebraska is the best place for tennis players.”

Goffin, after advancing to the semifinals against Federer: “I’ve never found a key to beat Roger. Honestly, I don’t know what to do tomorrow.”

Thiem, after falling to 3-7 lifetime against Goffin: “I don’t really like his game style.”

Pablo Carreno Busta, on Nadal’s chances of defending the No. 1 ranking with both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic coming back: “And me, no?”

Dimitrov, on his performance in a 6-1, 6-1 win over Carreno Busta: “I don’t think I did anything outrageous or crazy.”

Federer, when asked if Goffin had a different plan than he did in their previous matches: “Yeah, he played better. That was a good plan.”

Federer, when asked if Goffin could go on and win the final: “I hope he didn’t just beat me for fun.”

Goffin, after being asked two different questions by the same journalist–first about practicing with Federer, and then about the Davis Cup final: “It is two questions. Yeah…the first question…. I don’t remember.”

Goffin, before the final against Dimitrov after losing to Dimitrov 6-0, 6-2 in round-robin: “It won’t be difficult to do better than on Wednesday.”

Sock, after being told he was so close in his 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 loss to Dimitrov: “Not too close when you win three games in two sets.”

Sock, on how he is physically at the end of the year: “I didn’t win a match from March to now, so I think I’m doing alright physically.”

Sock, who has won Wimbledon and two Olympic medals in doubles, when asked about playing doubles: “I play for fun with some friends when I want to.”

Sock, on 2018: “I really don’t want to talk about 2018. I want to go play golf.”

Henri Kontinen, after winning back-to-back doubles titles at the O2 Arena: “I’d be happy playing here 25 weeks a year, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. They have a few artists who want to come here, as well.”

Kontinen, when asked if he gets to do a lot of press in Finland: “I don’t know if it’s ‘get to do.’”

Goffin, doing his best not to call his idol old: “There is different generations. There is…how can I say…not the old generation, but the generation of Federer.”

Dimitrov, on his emotional reaction to winning the title: “Knowing I don’t have to go to practice tomorrow will be great feeling when I wake up in the morning. I just can do whatever I want.”

Dimitrov, when asked if he could have imagined being in this position when he was struggling so much in previous years:”No. There I was thinking, ‘How can I put three balls in the court?”

Dimitrov, on practicing with Nadal in Mallorca: “I have so much respect for this guy. It’s enormous. I love playing with him. I lost eight times against him and I still want to play him.”