Novak Djokovic says breaking Steffi Graf’s file of 377 weeks at primary within the rankings on Monday is “surreal” and that he’s proud to surpass one of many sport’s all-time greats.
The Serb will spend his 378th week on the prime of males’s tennis competing in Dubai, the place he’ll play his first event since capturing a tenth Australian Open crown and record-equalling twenty second Grand Slam title final month.
It’s the equal of greater than seven calendar years on the prime.
“I still want more achievements,” Djokovic instructed reporters in Dubai on Sunday. “I’m driven by the goals. I’m as dedicated to the sport really as anybody else.
“Of course, it’s surreal in a way to be that many weeks world number one, to match Steffi Graf, who is one of the all-time greats of our sport, both men and women. Just being amongst these legendary names is flattering. I’m very proud of it.”
Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments together with Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
It’s a end result few thought they’d ever see as Boris Becker mentioned he didn’t consider Graf’s file would ever be surpassed.
“It’s an unbelievable achievement,” Becker instructed Eurosport. “I never thought this record could be broken.
“As a fellow German I would have wished for Steffi Graf to be the all-time leader, but being a close friend of Novak as well, I am not too unhappy either.
“Novak is a fantastic guy and a great champion. Records are meant to be broken. Sooner or later all records will be broken, but this is one for the tennis history books.
“And guess what, it’s still counting. I think Novak will be number one for a few weeks more before somebody will take his crown.”
Former World No. 7 Barbara Schett mentioned the end result was “unbelievable”.
“I had so much respect for her because I played against her and I played in that era. I never thought that somebody would break her record. Now that has happened with Novak, which is phenomenal,” Schett mentioned by way of Eurosport.
“When he won the Australian Open at the beginning of the year and he became the No. 1 in the world again, I was thinking ‘how is that possible?’
Undefeated in all 12 matches he has contested so far this season, Djokovic says he has been pain-free for the past week, having recovered from a muscle tear in his left hamstring he had sustained in Australia.
“I’m getting closer to a hundred per cent. Still not there in terms of the game itself, how I feel on the court. But the important thing is that there is no pain. I don’t have a hindrance to the way I move on the court,” declared the 35-year-old.
Djokovic will start his Dubai marketing campaign in opposition to Czech qualifier Tomas Machac on Tuesday, the place the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Andy Murray are additionally anticipated to take the court docket.
Last 12 months, Dubai performed host to Djokovic’s first occasion of the season after he had been deported from Australia over his vaccination standing.
A five-time champion in Dubai, he was defeated within the quarter-finals by Jiri Vesely.
Murray, who’s one week older than Djokovic and has been the Serb’s rival since their early teen years, is coming off a shocking week in Doha, the place he battled via 4 three-setters earlier than shedding to Medvedev within the last.
It has been a theme for the British former world primary, who additionally placed on heroic shows on the Australian Open final month.
“What is happening now this year with his match points saved in literally every match he plays, the amount of hours he spent on the court since the beginning of the year, particularly in Australia, is just something you must admire and say ‘chapeau’ because of everything he has gone through with his hip,” mentioned Djokovic of Murray.
Source: www.news.com.au
