Send to Kindle
facebook
Novak Djokovic says it has taken "a lot of blood, sweat and tears" to break Roger Federer's record of 310 weeks ranked as world number one.
The 33-year-old Serb set the record on Monday for most weeks at number one in the 48-year history of the ATP rankings.
Djokovic, whose longest continuous run at the top was 122 weeks between July 2014 and November 2016, paid tribute to the 39-year-old Federer, who is competing at this week's Qatar Open, his first tournament since the Australian Open in 2020.
"What Roger is doing still at his age is something that is very inspirational for me and many other tennis players, and it's great to see him back," said Djokovic.
The Serb's Australian Open triumph leaves him only two wins behind the joint holders of the men's Grand Slam singles record, Federer and Rafael Nadal - the men he said had made him the player he is today.
"When I started in the men's professional tennis world 15 years ago, I had two of the highest challenges, which was to overcome Roger and Rafa.
"Back in 2008, when I won my first Grand Slam, I thought OK, this is now my time. I'm going to be competing with these guys; I have the ability to win slams.
"But then, for three years, I didn't win a major title and I was losing most of my big matches against them.
"They made me really sit and realise what I need to do, and how I need to improve in order to win against them.
After setting a new rankings record, Djokovic is focused on adding to his Grand Slam titles./bbc
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
The number one tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, will not play in the year's first Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells after authorities in the United States refused him permission to enter the country without a Covid-19 vaccine
The Australian Tennis Federation, which is the organizer of the country's Open Championship, issued a warning to the father of the Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic - Sarjan and his family, to refrain from displaying the Russian flag
Australia has revoked Novak Djokovic's World Tennis visa for the second time, the BBC reported.
World number one Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic on Sunday won his sixth Wimbledon title.
Novak Djokovic confirmed his status as the world's best player with a stunning victory over defending champion Rafael Nadal after an epic battle for his first US Open title.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title and proved himself the best player in the world with an incredible, though well deserved win over Rafael Nadal.
As the 2024 tennis season unfolds, Bulgarian sensation Grigor Dimitrov emerges as one of the standout players, enjoying his best start to the year in recent memory
In a gripping showdown at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto, Nurgul Salimova came tantalizingly close to securing a monumental victory against the formidable 16th world champion, Tan Zhongyi of China
Bulgarian chess prodigy Nurgyul Salimova faced another setback in her journey at the World Chess Candidates Tournament in Toronto, marking her second consecutive loss and fourth overall in the competition
The latest forecast, made 100 days before the Paris Olympics, predicts that the United States will once again lead the medals table, securing the top position for the fourth consecutive Summer Games
Petar Stoychev has etched his name in Bulgarian sporting history once again by becoming the first Bulgarian to swim across v according to the rigorous standards of the Oceans Seven challenge
In a riveting showdown unfolding at the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Title in Toronto, Nurgyul Salimova faced off against India's Vaishali Rameshbabu for the second time, resulting in a gripping clash that lasted 88 moves and nearly six hours
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
