Novak Djokovic matched Pete Sampras’ 14 Grand Slam titles after winning the 2018 US Open. He revealed that Sampras was his childhood idol and that he grew up dreaming of one day achieving the same level of success as the American tennis legend.
Djokovic was aiming for his third tournament title in 2018. He overcame Marton Fucsovics, Tennys Sandgren, Richard Gasquet, Joao Sousa, John Millman, and Kei Nishikori to set up a highly anticipated final clash with Juan Martin del Potro, who had just defeated defending champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.
Both players put up a strong fight in the final, but it was the Serb who ultimately prevailed, winning 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. This victory added to his earlier Major win at Wimbledon that year and propelled him to No. 3 in the world rankings. His Grand Slam count reached 14, placing him just behind Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (17) in the all-time tally.
“[Pete Sampras] was my childhood idol,” Djokovic said after his victory. “There is a lot of significance of me being now shoulder-to-shoulder in terms of Grand Slam wins with him. It’s truly incredible when you think about it. I watched him win one of his first Wimbledon championships, and I grew up playing and thinking that one day I’ll be able to do what he does. To actually be here, it’s a dream come true.”