"Never felt in competition with Pete Sampras, he always supported me" - Novak Djokovic on being awarded 7th year-end No. 1 trophy in Turin
Novak Djokovic clinched a record-breaking seventh year-end No. 1 finish by beating Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals of the Paris Masters two weeks ago. On Monday, following his 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Casper Ruud in the round-robin stage of the ATP Finals, the Serb was presented the year-end No. 1 trophy as per tradition.
With this latest achievement, Novak Djokovic has gone past childhood hero Pete Sampras' record of six year-end No. 1 finishes.
Djokovic spoke about his feat during his on-court interview after the match against Ruud, while also answering some questions in Italian. The 34-year-old claimed he watched Pete Sampras lift his first year-end trophy when he was a kid, which helped him fall "in love" with the sport.
Djokovic also stated that Sampras has always supported him in his quest to break the record, which is why he never felt any sense of competition with the American.
"I was 4 when I saw Pete Sampras winning his first ATP year-end No. 1," Novak Djokovic said in Italian. "That was my first tennis image and I fell in love straight away with tennis. Now I won seven times the trophy and I’m very proud. Never felt in competition with Pete, he always supported me."
Djokovic in Italian #3: “I was 4 when I saw Sampras winning his first ATP year-end #1. That was my first tennis image and I fell in love straight away with tennis. Now I won 7 times the trophy and I’m very proud. Never felt in competition with Pete, he always supported me”
In another comment that has turned quite a few heads on social media, Novak Djokovic appears to have provided an update on his future in the sport.
"I hope to play this sport two years more," he was quoted as saying.
However, many fans on Twitter have pointed out that Djokovic likely meant "a couple of years", and that the message might have got distorted in translation.
It could easily be that Djokovic got confused in Italian and used “paio” (which means 2 in Italian) whereas in English it might mean an undefined period
Bravissimo 👏
@DjokerNole was awarded the year-end ATP Tour No. 1 trophy presented by @FedEx following his win over Casper Ruud at the #NittoATPFinals https://t.co/TA1ceBQLCI
"Matching Pete Sampras' records and surpassing his records feels a little bit surreal" - Novak Djokovic
After Novak Djokovic's win over Casper Ruud, Tennis TV's Twitter handle released a video showing the Serb speaking about his seventh year-end No. 1 finish.
Djokovic mentioned how Sampras has been one of his role models since childhood, before admitting that he is yet to come to terms with his own achievement.
"Pete Sampras was one of my childhood role models growing up," Novak Djokovic said. "Matching his records and surpassing his records feels a little bit surreal even nowadays. So I try to understand the greatness of the moment."
Surpassing the achievements of your childhood idol.
A dream come true for @DjokerNole 💫 https://t.co/l73ZJC0Jta
Djokovic went on to explain how difficult it is to gauge your historical achievements whilst still being active on tour, given the constant barrage of tournaments coming your way. The 34-year-old further revealed that he would spend more time cherishing his achievements once he has retired.
"But you know, when you are an active player, it's difficult to see the magnitude of things in a historic sense because as an active, professional tennis player, you're taught that you turn the next page once you're done with a tournament or a season you have to look at what's the next thing, what's the next challenge," Djokovic said. "So I probably will, when I retire, have more time and energy to see the magnitude of everything I have achieved."
Also Check Out: What is Pete Sampras Net Worth in 2022?