Sampras ruined my life: Ivanišević on his rival
The legendary Croatian tennis player recalled painful defeats to the American, as well as the miraculous Wimbledon in 2001 when he went from world No. 125 to the biggest trophy of his career.
The legendary Croatian tennis player recalled painful defeats to the American, as well as the miraculous Wimbledon in 2001 when he went from world No. 125 to the biggest trophy of his career.
Goran Ivanišević, former Croatian tennis player and current coach, experienced both highs and deep lows during his playing career, and one name stands out when he recalls the toughest moments. That name is Pete Sampras, the great American player and idol of Novak Đoković, for whom Ivanišević has only bitter sporting memories.
In an interview reported by Tennis World and carried by Dnevno.hr, Ivanišević did not mince words when describing how Sampras affected his career. "Sampras ruined my life. I like Pete, he's a great champion and a good guy. But I lost so many semifinals and finals against him. From a sporting perspective, that's why I can't stand him," said the former Croatian tennis player.
The most painful defeats came in the Wimbledon finals. The first was in 1994, when Sampras triumphed 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-0. Four years later, in 1998, Ivanišević came even closer, but the American again prevailed in five sets, 6-7(2), 7-6(9), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Those two losses were deeply etched into the memory of the Croatian player, who at the time thought his train for the biggest trophy had passed him by forever.
But three years after losing his second final, a story that went down in tennis history unfolded. In 2001, Ivanišević received a wildcard for Wimbledon, despite being ranked just 125th in the world before the tournament. Plagued by pain in his left shoulder, for which he took painkillers, he battled through round after round.
That year, Sampras, who arrived at Wimbledon after four consecutive titles, never got the chance to face Ivanišević again. In the fourth round, a young Roger Federer stopped him, beating him in five sets and heralding the arrival of a new generation. Federer then lost in the quarterfinals to Tim Henman, Britain's main hope, whom Ivanišević defeated in the semifinals.
That semifinal match became legendary. It started on Friday and, due to numerous rain delays, was only completed on Sunday, with Ivanišević winning in five sets. The final was consequently moved to Monday, where the Croatian player, despite fatigue and shoulder problems, defeated Patrick Rafter, also in five sets, and finally lifted the trophy that had eluded him for years.
Interestingly, Sampras was the idol of the man with whom Ivanišević later spent six successful years as a coach. Novak Đoković, who has since surpassed Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles with 24 of his own, spoke of the American with admiration. "Pete was my idol growing up, and by equaling his record, I fulfilled a dream. I will continue to try to be an even better tennis player, and I hope to have more success and break more records in the sport I love with all my heart," Đoković said in 2020 in an ATP Tour statement, when he finished the season as world No. 1 for the sixth time and equaled Sampras's record.
