Let's put it this way.
Well, we had our group.
Australians are
very good guys.
Swedish, the French,
Germans are fun.
Americans are good.
It was a kind of a brotherhood.
[upbeat music playing]
It was a circus
going around the world.
It's like a g*ng going
from one tournament to another,
traveling
all around the year.
You are young.
You want to experience
and more experiences
and more experiences.
[engine rumbling]
I rented a charter plane.
Let's go to water park.
Andre obviously closed out
the whole water park at night.
Come on!
You want some of this?
[Kafelnikov]
[Safin] We could go out,
you know, have a beer.
We could go out
to the nightclub, no problem.
Nobody was making
any videos.
We got home at three
or four in the morning,
had to play the next day
and so be it.
I was going to enjoy my time
and that's what we did.
[intense music playing]
[producer] All right,
now, we're giving
every one of you aces,
you number ones, the trivia.
Since the inception
of the ATP rankings,
there have been 29 men
who have been number one.
I did not know that.
[producer]
Tell me how many you can name.
We're doing it with everybody.
I'm not picking on you.
Ooh.
Yeah, hard one.
I don't think
I can name all of them,
but I will probably get
to 20 or something.
♪
Ilie Nastase.
Nastase was
the first one in '73.
-Borg.
-Borg.
-Borg came around.
-McEnroe.
-Connors.
-Connors.
Love the past because
they have paved the way for me.
The easy ones, Djokovic.
-Federer.
-Nadal.
-Carlos.
-Alcaraz.
-Sinner.
-How many are we at?
-Um...
-Pop, pop, pop, pop.
My generation
would be myself, Andre.
Pete. Roddick.
Muster.
Oh, I'm doing great.
I'm thinking
about my period.
-Juan Carlos Ferrero.
-Patrick Rafter.
-Myself. Sneaky.
-[both] Safin.
Well, back then,
Oh, my God.
Guga's the best.
Hewitt.
Oh, Hewitt, I didn't say.
Because he beat me
so many times. [laughs]
-[Hewitt laughs]
-Okay, I'm giving up now.
[producer] Okay,
you want to see the list?
Gustavo Kuerten.
At least say Kuerten.
Oh, Safin.
Sorry, Marat.
Absolutely should have
remembered you.
Everything arrives
in the right moment.
You start to understand
how important these
achievements are in our lives.
♪
[producer] Okay,
whenever you're ready, Andre.
I'm born ready.
[Andre groans]
backhand-to-backhand rally
that he'd hit in the net.
[commentator]
He's done it.
So, you're always proud of
getting over the finish line.
{\an8}So, what I felt
was just like,
{\an8}wow, a lot sure
has come together in my life.
{\an8}[tense music playing]
{\an8}[Drucker] Andre Agassi
was ranked 141 in the world.
{\an8}Things began to just drop off
for him,
{\an8}his motivation,
his engagement with the game,
{\an8}his work ethic, his desire
to even enter tournaments.
[McEnroe] It wasn't like
he's losing first round.
He just didn't play.
{\an8}And, you know,
the next thing you know,
{\an8}you see him at some,
you're like, "You see--
{\an8}is that Andre at a Challenger
in Vegas or something?"
Andre Agassi
has been number one,
and now he's 141.
"What's my ranking," that's
what I would say to myself.
I didn't say
I was going to do it,
I was going to get back
to number one.
-You said what?
-I said I'm going to be
the best
I can be again.
I'd never expected anything.
I just had
to get better every day.
That's what I had to do.
[commentator] Yes!
[Agassi] With the help
of Brad Gilbert,
I learned
to sort of harness my game,
figure out my strains,
how to best leverage them
against who
I was playing against.
[commentator]
Game, set, match, Agassi.
Amazing to see the way
he rebuilt from number 141
all the way back
to the top of the tour
because the ranking system
in tennis is so unforgiving
and you can't really
coast on your reputation
or past accomplishments.
It's exactly about
what you've achieved
in the last 52 weeks.
[commentator]
Game, set, match, Agassi.
[Drucker] It was not hard
to envision him being back,
given how skilled he was and
that he was still 27 years old.
I think the more amazing thing
was that he became even better.
[Medvedev] He said
that he absolutely hated tennis.
When he understood
what tennis can give him,
that's where
he started loving it more
and that's
where he became
even a bigger beast
than he was before.
[both grunting]
[commentator
speaking other language]
It's been a lot of years
since I've had this opportunity
and I-- I never dreamed
that I would--
I would see this day.
And thank you
to the people who have...
never stopped
believing in me,
even when things
seem down.
[somber music playing]
[commentator]
Another Grand Slam final
for Agassi
is so important.
Image isn't everything.
Substance and maturity is.
Andre,
another US Open title.
Let's just say I had
a complicated journey in life
and I had
to come to terms
with my reason
for playing this game.
{\an8}And when I got to number one
in '99, it was on my terms.
{\an8}[commentator] Number one player
in the world, Andre Agassi.
[Agassi]
It's a great sport
and as long as you enjoy it,
it's never intimidating.
The second you make winning
more important than playing,
there's big problems.
Andre, he was
my most fun rival.
[Agassi] Pat Rafter was one of
the great athletes to ever play.
I mean, the only thing better
than his athleticism
was just
who he was as a person.
[Rafter]
When I reached number one,
I go back to Bermuda
for that week
and by the time I came back,
I'm number two.
So I didn't even get to play
a match as number one,
which makes me
the only undefeated number one
in the world.
[laughs]
Remarkable effort.
[tense music playing]
I grew up
in a big family.
[lively music playing]
My mum had ten children,
so it was a bit tricky
to make ends meet.
No funding.
I'd work on weekends,
slept in tents in people's
backyards, slept in an ATM.
Well, you literally
put your card in
and it gets you into that first
little pocket of that room.
I don't know
if he had a terrible sleep,
but seriously, he's 17.
[commentator]
Pat is now one of the most
highly regarded youngsters
on the IBM ATP Tour.
{\an8}And he plays in that
classic Australian style,
{\an8}good serve
and valley tennis,
{\an8}that's the basis
for how they win.
{\an8}He's greatest force when he can
get to the net on his terms
{\an8}because very hard
to pass him.
My style of game
was serving volley.
I'm in your face,
I'm creating pressure.
I just sort of make life
uncomfortable for you.
[commentator]
Anticipation from Rafter,
right on top of the net.
And he's not only
a sporting hero,
but a famed
pin-up as well.
Ah.
The quintessential
Dinkum Aussie.
Very much beloved.
[woman] I love you!
{\an8}In 1997, Pat Rafter made
People's Sexiest Man Alive.
He becomes notoriously
Mr. Nice Guy.
He's the guy
you want to take home to mom.
He's so sweet.
[reporter] So how many trophies
do you have?
{\an8}I don't know,
I shot them all.
{\an8}I used them for target practice
with the g*n. [laughs]
{\an8}[Kafelnikov] He has
a great sense of humour.
My pigeon?
I can't remember.
{\an8}Usually I made
such quotes
{\an8}when-- when I'm beating somebody
numerous times
{\an8}and I never lose.
[commentator]
Game, set, match, Rafter.
[Rafter] We played in
the semi-finals of Cincinnati
and I beat him
pretty easily.
One of my brothers
back in Australia called him up.
"Who's your pigeon now, b*tch?"
Or something like that,
and left a message on his phone.
[laughs]
In '97,
I'd been making finals.
Lose, lose, lose.
I'm like, "Bloody hell."
Am I going to
win one soon?"
Got to the US Open and
I'm ranked 13th in the world.
Now I'm playing
Greg Rusedski.
And I hadn't lost
to Greg yet.
But I'm sh1tting my pants
because I haven't won a final.
I think I've lost
six finals this year.
Pat's a great athlete.
{\an8}Pat got into trouble
on the court
{\an8}when he started
to overthink things.
[Rafter] John Newcombe
was over there for TV.
So I've got
some hesitations here.
And Newcombe's going,
"What do you mean?"
I said,
"I'm playing Rusedski.
I haven't lost to him, but
I haven't won a final this year.
There's something going on."
And he just went to town on me.
And I lost it.
"Get your head
out of your a*s
and start focusing
on what you've got to do."
That ball of fire
down inside your guts,
you have to bring that up
and bring out
the real Pat Rafter.
[crowd cheering]
{\an8}I saw it in his eyes.
The warrior mentality
had come back.
And it was that belief
that they showed in me
that allowed me
to start believing in myself.
[crowd cheering]
From the Big Apple,
Patrick, $650,000.
Congratulations.
[Rafter] John Newcombe
had come on down onto the court.
And I said, "New,
you can give all this away.
This is the best moment."
I said,
"No, you bloody not."
"You don't have a hell
of a lot of money, just wait."
"How about you just give
part of it away?"
"Oh, okay,
you're probably right." [laughs]
[heartfelt music playing]
I always saw my father
try to give something.
You know, the pot would go
around every Mass on a Sunday.
He'd find a dollar
to put in there
or something,
but he didn't really have it.
I just saw
the generosity from him.
Um...
This is--
[Newcombe] That's Pat.
Money was nice for him,
but it--
it wasn't all important.
He's always,
you know, looking out
for other people
and try to do the right thing.
As well as being
a-- a great champion
and getting to be
number one in the world,
he's a great person.
{\an8}[commentator] Rafter joins
John Newcombe
{\an8} is the only other Australian
{\an8}to have reached
the number one spot.
When Rafter got
to be number one,
it bothered me.
A lot of guys that lose it
would be like, "Okay, I'm good.
I'm good three or four.
They don't have
a lot of pressure on me."
But no, not me,
I just wanted, like,
"Son of a b*tch,
I'm going to get back there."
[crowd exclaiming]
[Rafter] I was a player
who played like Pete,
but nowhere near
as good as Pete.
I probably volleyed
pretty decently,
and he returned better,
he did a lot of things better.
[commentator]
Game, set, match, Sampras.
{\an8}It means so much
for him to make history,
{\an8}and he just kept on.
{\an8}He wanted to be
the all-time great.
[Sampras]
I had five years in a row.
Connors also had
five years in a row,
and I had a chance
to do six years in a row
to break the record.
And I remember
stressing about it,
like popping sleeping pills
and not sleeping
and hairs falling out.
I've kept it
pretty quiet.
And I remember this one night,
I was in Paris,
and I called Paul Annacone,
my coach at the time.
I said, "Paul,
come on up here."
And I said, "You know,
Paul, I'm stressed.
Like, I'm really having
a hard time.
I'm not sleeping well.
I'm not eating well.
This is taking
a lot out of me."
I think he was
a little bit floored,
like, because I'd never talk
about how I'm really doing.
To be able
to share it with Paul
and to be honest
about it,
I think
was a good therapeutic thing
for me to feel.
And I--
and I got the record.
And I got
six years in a row,
and it was a once-in-a-lifetime
chance to do it.
But it definitely came
at a price.
It took a lot out of me,
but I think it was worth it.
[tense music playing]
[Carillo] Pete's quest,
Pete's ambition
and hunger
truly took its toll.
But that allowed for
some other people to show up.
You had guys
who were capable of greatness.
Marat Safin.
Ooh.
Russian flavour. [laughs]
♪
{\an8}[heartfelt music playing]
{\an8}When I was ten years old,
the Soviet Union collapsed.
I'm coming from a really
humble family, money-wise.
And not so many opportunities
were back then in Russia,
early '90s.
[Carillo]
Marat and his sister,
who also became
number one in the world,
Dinara Safina, they were taught
by Marat's mom.
[Safin] It was unthinkable to
become number one in the world.
{\an8}To be professional,
it's easy to fly to the moon.
But all of a sudden,
things started to get together.
It started
to work my way.
[commentator] Oh!
Wow, that's simply impossible.
[Carillo] He had talent
just spilling out his sides.
I mean,
he made tennis look so easy.
There was a sense
of whimsy about him
that was unlike
what a lot of players
of that time
were playing.
[Medvedev] I was watching him
play on TV all the time.
All of Russia was watching
when he was playing.
His backhand was monstrous.
{\an8}Every kid wanted to play
jumping backhand.
{\an8}And I actually do think
{\an8}that I have
a very good jumping backhand,
{\an8}and who knows,
maybe it's coming from him.
[Drucker] Marat Safin
burst on the scene in 1998.
This was a guy
with a lot of power.
So how was he
going to harness it?
Because he would be
rather mercurial in his temper.
Nonetheless,
by the 2000 US Open,
he really put it together.
[Safin]
My coach in the car, he told me,
"Listen,
don't do the ridiculous,
at least try to win
a few games," he said.
So he touched my ego.
I'm going to show.
{\an8}I was trying hard,
but it was just like
{\an8}he had this power,
and he was serving big
{\an8}and returning
and moving well.
I was super focused.
At some point, I started
to see the slow motion.
You start to read
everything two steps ahead.
I could feel like
everything what I do
is just perfect.
♪
[commentator] Marat Safin
is the 2000 US Open champion.
Well, I'll just say it.
He kicked my a*s. [laughs]
You know,
I didn't see it coming.
You know, I really didn't,
but I just, I met my match.
I was thinking,
"This kid's
going to win
a lot of majors.
[Drucker] In the wake
of winning the US Open,
{\an8}I think Marat Safin
was wondering
{\an8}how he could continue
to thrive,
{\an8}and he had so many physical
assets that he needed someone
{\an8}to help him with a lot
of the mental game.
{\an8}I was brought in
to try and help him
{\an8}navigate being
only 19 years old,
{\an8}having beaten Pete Sampras
at the US Open,
{\an8}try to navigate this new world
that he's about to enter.
It was too much
for me to understand.
To become number one,
it was a huge surprise for me.
It was so fast
that I wasn't ready for this.
I didn't understand
it's the beginning of the ride.
It was more
kind of a confusion experience
that I arrived
to something,
which is I finished, basically,
if you become number one,
you basically
finish the game.
It's like Nintendo,
like Game Boy.
Okay, so it's another--
there is no other level.
You finish the game.
{\an8}His weak link was that
he was going through
turmoil inside of himself
every time
he played a tennis match.
[Safin]
That was the main problem,
how to be relaxed
in the moment of stress.
I thought
that I could help him focus
less on himself
and focus more on his opponent,
because at his level he's going
to be beating his opponent,
but if he keeps
focusing on himself,
then there's a chance
that he gets upset
and then he forgets
about his opponent.
Rackets,
too many rackets.
[people shouting]
You don't need to suffer,
because it's a game,
you can just enjoy.
But since
we're Russian mentality
and the Russians
like to suffer sometimes,
I guess we have to work
this way also.
Well, not much. Nine.
I'm thankful, actually.
What I did, how I lived,
what I was learning.
I made my mistakes,
mistakes we change for lessons.
And honestly,
I enjoyed it very much.
If I would have to change,
I would not change anything.
Not really nice.
He owes me money.
I lost to him a couple
of times in important matches.
I'm still
expecting the dinner.
[exclaims and chuckles]
{\an8}[Kuerten]
♪
Gustavo Kuerten,
nicknamed Guga,
the happy warrior.
{\an8}Brazil didn't have
this huge tennis history,
{\an8}and here comes Guga.
[Drucker] Some number ones
have to do it
with the whole anger
and the emotion.
{\an8}Guga did it with this love
and this expressive game.
Incredible topspin.
Otherworldly.
[commentator] Oh!
Quite extraordinary shot.
He always played
with a smile.
Whether he won a great shot
or lost an incredible point,
all your sober teeth.
{\an8}[Drucker] He grow up in a small
town in South America,
{\an8}and your exposure
to the game is minimal.
And Guga's coach, Larri Passos,
when he's 15 years old,
he said to Roland Garros.
[commentator] Kuerten
is the first Brazilian
to reach
a Grand Slam final.
[man]
Ranked 66th in the world.
[cheering]
So here's Guga,
wins Roland Garros
for the first time
and who gives him the trophy
but the man who at that point
was the king of clay.
Six-time champion Bjorn Borg.
Can't blame him
for breaking down
in the presence of the king.
Now he is potentially
another king.
[Carillo] He won
the French Open three times.
The French loved him.
They loved
his whole attitude.
Drawing the heart
in the clay when he won.
{\an8}[crowd cheering]
{\an8}No, Guga is unbelievable
how he was reading the game,
{\an8}how loose he was...
{\an8}[commentator] Game,
set, match, Kuerten.
{\an8}...and good fighter.
[commentator]
He's done it! What a match!
Beautiful,
beautiful tennis player.
Very much beloved.
♪
{\an8}[crowd cheering]
{\an8}[commentator] Oh! Incredible.
♪
[crowd cheering]
[Drucker] Guga proves himself
a man for all surfaces.
And what an exclamation point
it was for a great 2000.
-[announcer] Gustavo Kuerten.
-[crowd cheering]
[commentator]
And now the champion.
{\an8} ♪ Ole, ole, ole, ole, ola ♪
♪ Guga! Guga! ♪
He finished
by seven points more than me,
became number one
at the end of the year.
Then was Hewitt.
[emotional music playing]
[Hewitt] In 2001,
there was three of us
that had a chance of finishing
the year world number one,
and it was myself, Andre Agassi
and Gustavo Kuerten.
[commentator]
Game, set match...
And as it turned out
in the end,
I only had to beat
my great mate
and one of my idols
and like my big brother,
Pat Rafter.
At the time I was the youngest
ever to get to number one.
I'm not sure
I could have written
a better script to be honest.
{\an8}Yeah. [chuckling]
[Hewitt]
Yeah, it is a great photo
because that's kind of
how Pat was.
Like an older brother to me
when I first came on the tour.
{\an8}Being with Lleyton and seeing
him become number one
{\an8}was pretty special because
he deserved
{\an8}and he stayed there
for a long time.
[announcer] And from United
States of America,
Andre Agassi.
[Hewitt]
In '98, I got a wild card
into the Adelaide International.
{\an8}It was nearly like
an out-of-body experience
{\an8}and I remember
going in the locker room
{\an8}right before it
and Andre looked so calm
{\an8}sitting in the corner
reading a novel
{\an8}and I'm sort of stressing out
and pacing the room.
He was certainly a guy
that I idolized.
[Agassi] He was a kid.
{\an8}He actually had to have
a safety pin on his shorts
{\an8}because they would
just fall off of him.
He was so little.
We go out that day,
it's so hot
and all I'm telling myself
is I am going to put you
in the hospital today.
I'm gonna turn
those little legs
into rubber
because I'm gonna run you
like you've never been
run in your life.
And he beat me 7-6, 7-6.
And by the way,
I could argue
maybe I was more tired
than he was.
[Hewitt] Funny when we talk
about it years later
and Andre kind of says,
"You know, I either thought
that I was really bad
and struggling
or this kid's
gonna be bloody good."
Now I've heard also
that you've decided
to leave school to continue
your professional tour.
Yeah, now I have
to really think about it
and I don't think I'll be
going back to school this year.
Lleyton was a player
that I worked with
from 12 years of age.
My role was really
to teach him how to play.
{\an8}What I did not
teach him at all
{\an8}was that fierce desire
to win every single time
{\an8}he stepped onto the court.
And that was his DNA
and that came from his parents.
{\an8}He was a very, very
tough player with a father
{\an8}who was an Australian Rules
football star
{\an8}and he grew up with that ethos
in the family
{\an8}of losing is not acceptable.
{\an8}I think for Lleyton Hewitt
the big challenge
{\an8}was being a little smaller
in an era
{\an8}where players are getting
taller and taller.
Players like Marat Safin,
players with bigger weapons,
more power.
[Hewitt] For a kid growing up,
not the biggest guy,
I had to try
and find other ways
to have those 1% strengths
over players.
The mental toughness,
fitness, footwork,
they were things
that I could control.
I couldn't take that
away from me.
The bigger the match,
I was able to focus better
and get into that
competitive zone.
[Agassi] If he's coming to net
he's not missing a volley.
He's an Aussie, if he didn't
know what he was doing at net
he could lose his passport.
His shot tolerance,
his blood pressure tolerance
is off the charts.
The guy
was an absolute animal.
He was hell to play
because you had to fight
for every single point
against him and you knew
you had to suffer.
[crowd cheering]
{\an8}[Drucker] Great competitor
{\an8}who leaves every piece
of their skin,
{\an8}body and every last drop
on the court.
[reporter] So what
do you think about Houston?
I've only been to Texas
a couple of times
when I was about
I actually went
to John Newcombe's tennis ranch
and spent
a little bit of time there.
He really took me
under his wing
had a lot of belief in me.
{\an8}Quick story about
Lleyton in Davis Cup.
{\an8}We played in the finals
against Spain.
Lleyton had been
a bit crook during the year
so he hadn't been able
to train as hard as he'd like
and he said,
"I'm really soft,
I've [indistinct],"
and I said,
"I want you
to sit back in your chair,
close your eyes
imagine above you
is clear blue sky
and you're breathing
in the strongest air
you've ever breathed in
and this is going to
energise your body.
He's sitting back
with his eyes closed,
he's almost allowing me
to hypnotise him.
He gets back to juice
and then wins the game,
wins the match.
Lleyton allowed me
to do it to him,
he trusted me.
He's been
always in my corner
and I guess really instilled
the inner belief for me
that I was going to be able
to make it to number one
and be a Grand Slam champion.
When it happens so quickly
it's really hard to know
how big an achievement it was.
I hadn't been
on the tour grinding
for six or seven, eight years
to be in that position.
But that's the great thing
about sport isn't it?
Everyone is
on their own journey,
their own path
and it happens
in their own
timeline as well.
-[Hewitt yells]
-[commentator] It's long!
And here is what's he's done.
[Cahill]
That time Lleyton Hewitt
was the number one player
in the world.
Andre saw Lleyton
as the player to beat.
[Hewitt] It was sort of
a pinch me moment really
to consider
that Andre's worrying about me
and what I'm doing
on the tour and my results.
[Cahill] I think
he also had great respect
for the way Lleyton
played his tennis.
Why is he playing
a certain shot
from a certain part of the court
and what is the result?
He's never made a wrong
shot selection decision
on a tennis court
in his life.
[Cahill] There is no one
that is more analytical
about the game than him.
So he was really
fascinated to semi jump
into the brain
of Lleyton Hewitt
by grabbing me
as his coach.
He's a f*cking great coach.
Darren trusted me
at a time in my life
when people thought
I was old in their minds
but he believed
and committed to me.
♪
[both groaning]
[commentator] That's it!
Champion of Australia
for the fourth time.
♪
And at 33 years of age
he became the oldest ever
at that time player to become
the number one ranked player
on the men's side.
And he gave me a hug
and I said
"Well done," and he said,
"This is a great day,
we're going to remember this
forever."
I'm sure that moment
of reclaiming
the number one ranking
meant something to him
but I'm pretty sure also
that he got more enjoyment
out of what it meant for me
and that sums him up.
the age of 33
regains the ranking and then
out of Spain emerges
Juan Carlos Ferrero
and then he takes away
from Andre.
[groans and chuckles]
{\an8}[Ferrero]
{\an8}[Ferrero]
{\an8}[announcer]
{\an8}[Carlos Moya]
{\an8}[Ciriza]
{\an8}[Ferrero]
{\an8}[announcer]
Ferrero is the champion!
[McEnroe] He was sort of this
guy who most of us thought
predominantly
was this clay court player.
{\an8}He showed some real mental
fortitude that he actually
was determined to figure out
a way to make the best
out of his ability
on a hard court.
{\an8}[Ferrero]
{\an8}[Agassi]
I struggle the whole set.
{\an8}Juan Carlos was faster than me,
{\an8}more fast twitched with
the feet and with the hands.
{\an8}Juan Carlos with his speed
and his ability to hurt the ball
{\an8}off both sides could make me
have to red line
{\an8}and that could unsettle me
and make me not be at my best.
{\an8}[audience cheering]
{\an8}[Ferrero]
[announcer]
Game, set, match, Roddick.
[announcer]
Three sets to Roddick.
You know, I feel
a little bit sad right now
but tomorrow I will be
the number one,
so it's going to be
a big day for me.
{\an8}[announcer]
{\an8}[Ferrero]
{\an8}Coming off of this era
where you had Jim Courier,
{\an8}Sampras and Agassi,
{\an8}and Americans
really ruling the roost.
{\an8}And they're starting
to retire or fade...
{\an8}and then here comes this kid.
[man, indistinct]
[laughs] Appreciate it.
[Carillo]
Andy Roddick was this big-boned
-Nebraskan all-American kid.
-[groans]
{\an8}You look at Andy Roddick
there's no chance you thought
{\an8}he was from anywhere
{\an8}but the United States
of America.
Nice morning at the Notre Dame,
had a crepe so it's all good.
{\an8}He was able to make
the transition from junior
{\an8}so easily because he had
such a big weapon in his serve.
[commentator]
That is an adrenalized
143 miles an hour.
He had the biggest serve
that we'd ever seen in the game
and he certainly walked around
knowing that as well.
[reporter]
How big is that serve?
-It's 149.
-[laughter]
[commentator] Nothing has tasted
sweeter for Andy Roddick.
First time you beat your idols
like Sampras and Agassi,
I grew up watching them and to
beat them is pretty amazing.
[commentator] I think Sampras
just stared into the eyes
of the man who may hold
his crown in a few years' time.
I see Roddick as...
[commentator] Whoa!
...the first
serve-dominant player
who revealed that
there were more nuances
to his game from the baseline.
[commentator] Ridiculous.
[Wertheim] Keep an eye
on this kid with a live arm.
A lot of hype started
to trail him
and to his credit
it did not take him long
to fulfill that hype.
[commentator, indistinct]
Everyone talks about
the power game that he had
the massive serve,
big forehand the presence
on the court, but he was
a hell of a competitor.
One of the best out there.
America had been waiting
for another champion
and I didn't think he was going
to win the US Open that year.
[commentator]
Roddick one serve away.
[audience cheering]
And he does it and at 21,
number one in the world.
{\an8}He was poised to be
the next Agassi,
{\an8}the next
star American player...
{\an8}who was so good looking
and dating a famous celebrity.
It was very easy
for American tennis fans
to gravitate to Andy Roddick.
I had goals
when I started tennis,
one was to be number one,
one was to win the US Open
and I'd love to win
Wimbledon one day.
He was in three Wimbledon finals
and didn't win Wimbledon
because of Roger Federer.
[Carillo]
Roddick was winning.
Roddick was going
to win Wimbledon.
He had Roger on the ropes
and a rain delay stopped things.
Roger said that when
they walked back on the court
after the rain delay,
and there's always a hush
in the Wimbledon crowd,
he could hear how hard
Andy Roddick was breathing...
and he knew
it was his.
And that's when
he knew he had him.
[announcer] Yes, Federer!
{\an8}You knew Roger was really
talented in juniors.
Even when he first came on
the seniors tour,
he had all the shots, he wasn't
as disciplined back then.
He wasn't
the toughest guy out there.
Mentally you could probably
break him in matches.
Early in your career
you had a huge temper.
-It is said.
-It is said, it is true.
I used to cry sometimes
after hard losses
because I was just so sad.
I put so much effort into it
and it didn't pay off.
I seek perfection
maybe way too early in my life.
I thought I could play
these perfect tennis shots
and then you realize, tennis,
you're going to make
a lot of mistakes.
{\an8}Come on, dude!
{\an8}I played this match in Hamburg
against Franco Squillari.
Very vivid.
I felt like it was yesterday
basically because it was
a life changing moment
in my life I believe.
I tried to hit a volley
into the open court
and I can't see the ball.
I'm looking for the ball
and I can't see it
and it's basically plugged
between my racket and the court.
So I totally mishit the volley.
I didn't even touch it properly
and I just smashed the racket
and I go like,
"Oh, my God,
I'm playing such bad tennis."
I was angry for a change
rather than just being
sad and disappointed
in my performance
and I said,
"I'll change from here on."
So I went into this big massive
process of about
two and a half years trying to
change my attitude on the court
and I realized it works.
Pete Sampras had absolutely
taken charge of Wimbledon.
He'd already won
the thing seven times,
and he wanted to win it
for an eighth time.
And he plays a young Swiss kid
named Roger Federer
and Roger had already shown
how good he is
but he had never done it
on center stage.
[Federer] Wimbledon is special
for me because of Pete Sampras.
I fell in love with
its tradition, its history.
I used to joke that,
"Oh, my God, I won Wimbledon,
I would fall
to the knees and go like,
'Oh, my God, I won,'" you know,
like Björn Borg style.
[commentator]
His first time
on the most famous
court in the world.
{\an8}He was 19 or something.
I knew he was good.
{\an8}I was caught off guard
with Roger
when I played him that match.
He was fast, he was powerful,
he had all the shots.
[commentator]
That was a rocket.
Roger Federer on that day
truly announced himself
on the biggest stage in tennis.
And I met my match
you know in that match.
[commentator] He's done it!
The champion is out!
[commentator]
Sampras has lost like a champion
in a fabulous match.
You know I was getting up
there and I'm thinking,
you know, that was passing
of the torch maybe.
I just remember walking
off the court thinking,
"This kid's pretty special."
Like, "He's a little bit
different."
And he was. [laughs]
{\an8}In Australia when I had
the chance to beat
{\an8}Juan Carlos Ferrero
in the semis,
{\an8}I knew if I won that match,
the next Monday
{\an8}I would be world number one.
I won that match.
Ended up winning the finals.
[announcer, indistinct]
How I went to my knees
almost thinking, "I made it."
I knew that the people
in the stadium didn't know
it meant world number one
for me.
But I and the team
and the family knew it was.
[commentator]
Roger Federer joins the greats
as an Australian Open winner.
Next day,
in the computer ranking I was
for the first time
world number one.
[announcer] World number one
player from Switzerland
Roger Federer!
Ugh. Massive moment.
I was for the first
time world number one.
First male Swiss to ever do it.
I couldn't have been
more overjoyed
being world number one.
This is what dreams are made of.
And Roger in his winsome way
just starts cranking out majors.
Five straight US Opens.
Then five straight Wimbies.
{\an8}Roger Federer was number one
{\an8}for almost five years
uninterrupted.
[commentator]
And set match, Federer.
Roger Federer is to be
number one for 237 weeks.
I mean he was borderline
unbeatable for a good few years.
[commentator] And 18 consecutive
winning finals for Federer.
More than
anybody in modern times.
You know, he was winning
three out of four slams
and making that
almost seem normal.
{\an8}That was how good he was,
{\an8}and how fearful everyone else
in the locker room was.
You know,
he would go into matches
having almost won already.
That was his aura at that time.
[commentator] It was truly
a golden performance
from this great champion.
{\an8}To stay at number one
for that long in a row
{\an8}mentally as well
to stay that motivated
{\an8}and that focused for that long
is really, really hard.
[commentator]
This was a 12th title this year,
more than he's ever won.
He goes on rewriting
the record books.
We leave Pete Sampras who thinks
he has made his mark
and it'll never get touched.
I didn't think
it would be broken.
I really didn't.
But watching Roger
for that decade,
winning those majors
pretty easily.
When he got to eight,
nine, ten, I'm thinking,
"He's going to do it."
He's only like 26
and he had like ten,
and I'm thinking, "He's going to
break this record."
And then when he did
I wanted to be there.
[audience cheering]
[commentator] For the
six Wimbledon Championship.
Roger Federer [indistinct].
And we knew at the time,
even though he got 15
that he was going to win more,
and he did.
[Carillo] I think it delighted
him how much fun it was
being number one in the world.
And he's making it look easy.
{\an8}[commentator]
Oh, a bit of magic from Federer.
{\an8}Roger was the first guy I ever
played where a ball could leave
{\an8}my racket dead perfect
{\an8}and I know
what should happen next.
He could cause me pause.
I wasn't sure if I was really
going to be in the position
that I should be in.
Anywhere you went
on the tennis court,
you weren't safe.
{\an8}[commentator] Oh, stop it!
{\an8} And he comes up with
{\an8}a little bit of magic
to finish it off.
You can argue up and down
about who the greatest
of all time was.
It's a good bar fight.
There has never been anybody
who has made tennis
look as beautiful
as Roger Federer.
[commentator] Oh, it's majestic
tennis from Federer.
{\an8}Just sheer talent coupled
with this graceful movement,
{\an8}and you really don't have to
know anything more
{\an8}about Roger Federer apart
from the fact that he's
{\an8}a hell of a nice guy
is how he moves.
[commentator]
Just burns through the air.
I mean look at the footwork
initially to get around this
to create the space.
There was a lyricism.
It was elegant.
It was graceful.
He made it look magical.
[announcer speaking
in Spanish] Increíble.
His ability
to play the right shots,
make the right decisions
at the critical times
and matches was incredible.
[Carillo]
It was dreamy,
and especially
how light he was on his feet.
He barely bruised
the blades when he played.
[Evans] He was playing
the Davis Cup Final
indoors on red clay.
I wasn't accommodating.
Somebody else was,
and I'm envious of him
because he made
one of the greatest observations
I've ever heard
a commentator make.
And the commentator said,
"Look at their socks."
He was playing Gasquet
and his socks were pink
because of red clay.
They scuff up.
It happens with everyone.
And you looked at Roger's socks
and they were white.
He doesn't touch the surface.
He glides across the top of it.
His feet
never touched the ground.
Not totally metaphorically.
[commentator, indistinct]
[Carillo] He was one of
these guys who bent time.
And he was just going to
keep going on and on
except that it took him years
to win his one French Open
because Rafa Nadal shows up.
[indistinct chatter]
I was number one in 1973.
It's very
nice to be the first one.
[theme music playing]
I'm a big
nostalgia tennis lover,
knowing the history of
the game is important to me.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
It was fun.
Thank you.
Thanks, guys.
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