Novak Djokovic made history during the past 1,000 Masters in Paris where, in addition to taking the title, he once again surpassed one of the great tennis brands after become the first tennis player in history to finish seven years as world number one, thus breaking the tie with Pete Sampras, who achieved this feat between 1993 and 1998 in six consecutive years.
In an extensive report published by the ATP on the occasion of Djokovic’s record, Sampras spoke of what the Serbian achieved and believes that no one else will achieve this milestone. “I was ‘The Man’ for that number of years and now he is ‘The Man’. Or even more. I think he has been more consistent, he has won more tournaments and he has more Grand Slam. We could continue talking about his career. I don’t think we’ll ever see someone finish seven years as world number one again. “
‘Pistol Pete’ also wanted to highlight Djokovic’s mental strength in a sport as lonely as tennis and his ambition to reach number one. “Unlike in team sports, here you are alone. Mentally, if you break down in a game, you don’t have anyone to help you. Your coach can’t tell you what to do. The tennis players have to be complete. And I think you need to have an attitude to be number one. You love it and it bothers you when you see someone else arrive there. And I think Novak has that. “
The American legend also confessed that he was surprised by the change that Djokovic has made in the last decade. “What Novak has done in the last 10 years … He could use all the adjectives, I don’t know what to say. He is willing to change and learn from himself. He always seeks to be better. I was impressed with his transformation. From being a young and talented athlete but very fragile mentally, to getting to where he is today has been very nice to see, and also to see him from the couch. “
Finally Sampras surrendered to the figure of the Serbian and gave several reasons why he considers him the best tennis player of all time ahead of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. “Finishing seven years at number one, for him is an extra to all the greats he has won. But I think he will appreciate it even more with age. He has achieved it in a time when he has dominated two of the greatest, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, and where he has also controlled the new generation of players, doing everything at the same time. I think what Djokovic has done in the last 10 years, winning the Grand Slam, being consistent and finishing at number one for seven years, is a clear sign to me that he is the greatest of all time. “