Pete Sampras has gone down as one of the all-time greats, alongside the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
All four players are in double digits for Grand Slam titles, with Sampras having been the first to reach the 14 mark.
The American icon was later overtaken by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, with the Serbian the only player among the group still active.
Djokovic will eye more Grand Slam success at the Australian Open in 2026, even with the legendary figure top of the all-time list.
He boasts a stunning 24 Grand Slam titles, followed by Nadal in second with 22, Federer in third with 20, and Sampras in fourth with 14.
The ‘ultimate’ tennis record that Pete Sampras still holds
While Sampras was helpless as the legendary trio surpassed him, he does still hold a phenomenal record that has yet to be broken.
He finished the year as world number one for six years in a row, achieving the feat on the ATP Tour from 1993 to 1998.
Discussing the phenomenal record, the iconic figure said: “It’s an ultimate achievement. It will probably never be broken. I’m trying to stay humble through all this, but the record speaks for itself. It’s a little overwhelming.”
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How close have Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal come to Pete Sampras’ record?
Sampras spent a huge 286 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings, although that number has been surpassed.
Djokovic boasts a remarkable tally of 428 weeks, while Federer is right behind him in that list with 310 weeks.
Serena Williams picked Roger Federer as the G.O.A.T.
It was the Swiss icon who came closest to breaking Sampras’ consecutive record, finishing as year-end number one four seasons in a row.
He achieved the feat from 2004 to 2007, while Djokovic has only held the honor in back-to-back seasons, which he’s done three times.
Meanwhile, despite his phenomenal career, which ended last year, Nadal never finished as year-end number one in successive seasons.
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