ATP launch commemorative book, ‘No.1’
Originally published on: 29/06/13 00:00
We were delighted to be at the launch of the ATP’s Commemorative book, “No.1”. Hosted on Saturday in Wimbledon at the ATP’s hospitality marquee in the presence of John McEnroe, the book is part of the ATP’s heritage programme.
The book features exclusive interviews with No.1s past and present as well as never before seen photography over the past 40 years.
The list of No.1s includes Ile Nastase, Jimmy Connors, and Bjorn Borg through to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
John McEnroe commented at the event, “I really thought it was more important to be ranked No.1 than how many majors you have." He went on to say that when he came on the tour the players were playing 12 months of the year, unlike these days, he joked, “where they play only 10-11 months."
“In my day we had to make decisions a year in advance about our calendar,” said McEnroe. Decisions that affect the ranking and he went on to say, “I am proud to see my name in that list. To be No.1 it makes you think about strategy about maximising your ability, you’ve got to think about hard, grass, rest periods, if you can do all that and look up and see your name there it’s a fantastic feeling.”
_ьRoger Federer, who spent a record 302 weeks as world No.1, said: “It is a huge deal to have achieved the things that my heroes, people like Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras, did. To be a member of the list is truly humbling. World No.1 doesn't just come to you, you have to go and get it and that's what I did. It took me a lot of great performances to get there.”
Novak Djokovic, the current world No.1, said: “It is incredible to be a part of this elite [group], looking at the names who have ended the year as No.1, the 16 since 1973, who have done so much for tennis on and off the court. I know how much effort it takes and how many people around the world compete for that place. Being the No.1 is the pinnacle of all the ambitions of every player. This is the dream.”
The book, with its soft cover and presentation case, will be a welcome addition to any tennis fan's book collection. It retails at £24.99 and is on sale in book shops as well as at Tennis Warehouse.
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