---
title: "1 Important Tennis Quotes By Rod Laver"
description: "1 Important Tennis quotes by Rod Laver. Plus more from Rod Laver and more Important Tennis sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/rod-laver-19420_behave_manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-il_103406.jpg"
---

> [Manners are manners. Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase have no respect. I don't want my kid seeing Nastase play. The demeanor you show on the court is important to tennis… Maybe we (yesterday's stars) were too stereotyped. But we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-ilie-nastase-have-no-respect-i/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/rod-laver-19420_behave_manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-il_103406.jpg)

## More by Rod Laver

> [Manners are manners. Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase have no respect. I don't want my kid seeing Nastase play. The demeanor you show on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-ilie-nastase-have-no-respect-i/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [Roger Federer certainly is my claim to be the best of all time - if there is such a thing. With Rafael Nadal not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/roger-federer-certainly-is-my-claim-to-be-the-best-of-all-time-if/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [Players who win on a clay surface are those who can control the ball, playing steadily and accurately from the back-court, keeping the ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/players-who-win-on-a-clay-surface-are-those-who-can-control-the-ball/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [When you've got your man down, rub him out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/when-you-ve-got-your-man-down-rub-him-out/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [When Hoad and Rosewall were at their best, and I was a youngster, they had no qualms about saying, 'Hey kid, let's go and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/when-hoad-and-rosewall-were-at-their-best-and-i-was-a-youngster-they/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [The time your game is most vulnerable is when you're ahead, never let up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/the-time-your-game-is-most-vulnerable-is-when-you-re-ahead-never-let/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [I saw Kyrgios down in Australia. He played some very good tennis, won two or three matches, and has done the same here at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/i-saw-kyrgios-down-in-australia-he-played-some-very-good-tennis-won/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [There's a lot of ingredients go into being a good tennis player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/there-s-a-lot-of-ingredients-go-into-being-a-good-tennis-player/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [Camaraderie builds. We travelled together to Rome, Paris, Wimbledon, the U.S., lots of places. In a way, I miss it right now. My opponents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/camaraderie-builds-we-travelled-together-to-rome-paris-wimbledon-the/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [Each match is a huge effort from a physical point of view. You can only hit so many balls before your elbow or some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/each-match-is-a-huge-effort-from-a-physical-point-of-view-you-can/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [Forty years ago, the players were like a travelling circus - we went everywhere together and were pretty good friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/forty-years-ago-the-players-were-like-a-travelling-circus-we-went/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [Staying interested in a match is a lot harder than many people think. Throughout my career, I've always had trouble in the early rounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/staying-interested-in-a-match-is-a-lot-harder-than-many-people-think/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [When you have the opportunity, you strike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/when-you-have-the-opportunity-you-strike/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [I often surprise myself. You can't plan some shots that go in, not unless you're on marijuana, and the only grass I'm partial to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/i-often-surprise-myself-you-can-t-plan-some-shots-that-go-in-not/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [I like to let my racket do the talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/i-like-to-let-my-racket-do-the-talking/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-tennis/rod-laver/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Important Tennis Quotes By Rod Laver",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Manners are manners. Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase have no respect. I don't want my kid seeing Nastase play. The demeanor you show on the court is important to tennis… Maybe we (yesterday's stars) were too stereotyped. But we were told to behave or they'd take our racket away.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Rod Laver"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-ilie-nastase-have-no-respect-i/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/rod-laver-19420_behave_manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-il_103406.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/rod-laver-19420_behave_manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-il_103406.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/rod-laver-19420_behave_manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-il_103406.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Manners are manners. Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase have no respect. I don't want my kid seeing Nastase…” — Rod Laver",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-tennis/rod-laver/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-tennis/rod-laver/",
            "name": "Important Tennis Quotes by Rod Laver",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-tennis/rod-laver/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/rod-laver-19420_behave_manners-are-manners-jimmy-connors-and-il_103406.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Important Tennis quotes by Rod Laver. Plus more from Rod Laver and more Important Tennis sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-tennis/rod-laver/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-tennis/rod-laver/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Important Tennis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-tennis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Rod Laver",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-tennis/rod-laver/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
