“You’ve Got All My Respect” – Novak Djokovic and Pete Sampras Reflect on Sharing a Stunning Record
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In what must have been a dream interaction for tennis fans, Novak Djokovic and Pete Sampras recently connected to speak about the one record that only the two of them share. Djokovic recently equaled Sampras’ record of ending the season as world number one for six different years.
The two tennis greats lauded each other for the achievement and spoke about their respective experiences of what it took to achieve the monumental feat.
While Djokovic had three different tenures of two consecutive year-end no. 1 finishes, Sampras reached his tally in six consecutive years. The Serbian superstar was all praise for Sampras. “Six years in a row. I don’t know how you did it, Pete, but huge, huge respect for that,” he said.
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Sampras said that just getting to the top spot is a big deal. But staying there consistently is even bigger. “You’ve got all my respect for being the best in the world for six years. As you know, it’s very difficult. It’s one thing to get there, it’s twice as hard to stay there,” Sampras said, lauding Djokovic.
Pete Sampras’ ‘greatest achievement’
Sampras looked back at the time when he was at the top of the field. He admitted that it took a lot out of him to do so for six years.
“I had one chance to break this all-time record of six years in a row… Even the next few years, the years of number one, staying on top of the game year after year after year… It’s very hard to stay no. 1 and to do so six years in a row,” Sampras expressed.
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The 14-time Grand Slam champion then went on to call it the ‘greatest achievement’ of his career. For Sampras, to be dominant for all those years felt better than anything else.
“For me, in my career, I look back at that. I’ve won a lot of majors and I’ve done some great things. But staying number one all those years, I think was my biggest achievement. Just to be dominant. Not just stay no. 1 for six months or a year, but to really cement that,” the 49-year-old said.
Novak Djokovic explains what it takes to stay at the top
Djokovic reflected on the impact that staying at the top of the sport had on his personal life. “It’s a paramount achievement and the amount of dedication that you need to undergo in your life. The way you have to organize yourself not just on the court, but off the court. It’s tremendous,” Djokovic explained.
The 33-year-old also spoke about the sacrifices that top players have to make. These include not just their relationships with others in their lives, but also the mental strength it takes to balance emotional and physical health.
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“Sometimes being unbearing to yourself as well… Nervousness, stress, butterflies, whatever you want to call them. All the positive, negative emotions, all that tornado that is happening inside,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic is a clear favorite to break Sampras’ record and become the only man to finish world number one for seven years. While that is a task for the 2021 season, his immediate focus will be on the ATP Finals starting next week.
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“Tough to Get by Him”: Pete Sampras Believes Novak Djokovic Would Give Him a Hard Time