Novak Djokovic secures year-end No. 1 spot for record seventh time, surpassing Pete Sampras

Together with his 3-6 6-0 7-6 victory over Hubert Hurkacz within the semifinals of the Paris Masters, Djokovic strikes away from Pete Sampras, who completed the 12 months as world No. 1 six instances between 1993 and 1998.

The 34-year-old Djokovic, who faces Daniil Medvedev within the Paris Masters remaining on Sunday, has beforehand been topped the year-end No. 1 in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2020.

“Simply proud and intensely pleased,” was Djokovic’s response to the document.

“Clearly that was one of many largest objectives and it is at all times one of many largest objectives, to attempt to be No. 1 and finish the season as No. 1.”

READ: Novak Djokovic will need to be vaccinated to play Australian Open, says minister

He added: “To do it for the document seventh time and surpass my childhood idol and position mannequin, Pete, is unbelievable. Very grateful, very blessed to be on this place.”

The ultimate of the Paris Masters will probably be a repeat of this year’s men’s US Open final when Medvedev ended Djokovic’s hopes of successful a calendar grand slam. World No. 2 Medvedev cruised previous Alexander Zverev 6-2 6-2 in his semifinal on Saturday to arrange the conflict.

Have been he to beat Medvedev, then 20-time grand slam champion Djokovic would break one other document in Paris by shifting away from Rafael Nadal together with his thirty seventh Masters 1000 title.

Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, videos and features

Earlier this 12 months, Djokovic broke Roger Federer’s document of 310 mixed weeks as the lads’s world No. 1 — a feat he told CNN was “like a crown of all of the achievements that I had in final 15 or 15 plus years of [my] skilled tennis profession.”