Novak Djokovic has returned to the competition two weeks after his resounding defeat to Rafael Nadal in the end of Roland Garros. The Serbian is playing the Vienna ATP 500, where you have virtually tied number one at the end of the course for the sixth time in his career, equaling the mark of Pete sampras, whom he has singled out as his childhood idol. When I was a kid Nole saw Sampras win the Wimbledon final against Jim Courier in 1993 and wanted to be like him. It has more than succeeded, with a record above its benchmark. “I feel that that day gave me great power,” he recalls now Djokovic, who was then six years old and dreamed of emulating the greatest, while his father, to sting him, encouraged Andre Agassi and a Courier. The Big Three of the time.
In addition to matching Sampras' record, the Serbian has broken another record. With 33 years and seven months has become the oldest tennis player to finish as world number one. The previous limit, which exceeds by one month, corresponded to Nadal in 2019. In fact, both have been alternating in the last four seasons, and they are the only ones who have sat on the final throne over the age of 30. Who was closest was Ivan Lendl in 1989, with 29 years and nine months. Roger Federer did it in 2009, with 28 years and four months, away from his colleagues in Big three. Three vintage players who do not stop chaining records to each racket. While Nadal equaled the Swiss to 20 Grand Slam titles in Paris, Djokovic also pursues Roger in weeks in front of number one, 292 against 310. The race for glory will end one day, it cannot be infinite, and then it will be necessary to put each one in their place, but it will surely end without an absolute winner, because in this historical rivalry they not only win Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. Win tennis.