"Pete Sampras was my idol, I grew up thinking one day I'll do what he does" - When Novak Djokovic matched American's 14-Slam tally with US Open win
Novak Djokovic matched Pete Sampras' 14 Grand Slam titles after winning the 2018 US Open. He revealed that Sampras was his childhood idol and that he grew up dreaming of one day achieving the same level of success as the American tennis legend.
Djokovic was aiming for his third tournament title in 2018. He overcame Marton Fucsovics, Tennys Sandgren, Richard Gasquet, Joao Sousa, John Millman, and Kei Nishikori to set up a highly anticipated final clash with Juan Martin del Potro, who had just defeated defending champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.
Both players put up a strong fight in the final, but it was the Serb who ultimately prevailed, winning 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. This victory added to his earlier Major win at Wimbledon that year and propelled him to No. 3 in the world rankings. His Grand Slam count reached 14, placing him just behind Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (17) in the all-time tally.
"[Pete Sampras] was my childhood idol," Djokovic told the media after his victory. "There is a lot of significance of me being now shoulder-to-shoulder in terms of Grand Slam wins with him. It's truly incredible when you think about it."
"I watched him win one of his first Wimbledon championships, and I grew up playing and thinking that one day I'll be able to do what he does. To actually be here, it's a dream come true," he added.
Novak Djokovic after US Open 2018 win: "I want to thank my kids, my wife my small team of people"
During his victory speech after winning the 2018 US Open title by defeating Juan Martin del Potro, Novak Djokovic expressed heartfelt gratitude to his wife, his children Stefan and Tara, and his team.
"I want to thank my kids, my wife my small team of people," he said.
The Serb then spoke about his own injuries and surgery after the 2018 Australian Open, mentioning how he could relate to Del Potro’s struggles with injuries over the years.
"When I had surgery I could understand what Juan Martin went through. Difficult times but you learn from adversity. I tried to take the best out of those moments," Djokovic said.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion went on to add:
"It felt like a football match with all the Argentine and Serbian fans. The support was amazing."