Austin Krajicek on Monday climbed to World No. 1 within the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings for the primary time after incomes his first main doubles title on Saturday alongside Ivan Dodig at Roland Garros.
“After all, reaching No. 1 actually is an honour,” Krajicek advised ATPTour.com. “It is an unimaginable honour to be on that record of fellows and it is at all times been a aim of mine since I used to be a little bit child. There is not any doubt about that. I believe loads of gamers have that [goal].”
Krajicek gained the largest junior event in the US at Kalamazoo in 2018. The lefty then performed school tennis at Texas A&M, the place in 2011 he gained the NCAA Doubles title with Jeff Dadamo. The American launched into his skilled journey, cracking the Prime 100 in singles in 2015.
However Krajicek has made his greatest mark in doubles. Fittingly his school coach, former doubles World No. 2 Steve Denton, was in his field (as had been present coach Philip Farmer and others) Saturday for the largest second of his profession.
“It is [been] over a decade of ups and downs and struggles in Futures and Challengers and loads of powerful moments the place you do not know if you are able to do it. [There was] some doubt as properly that everyone has, it is utterly pure,” Krajicek stated. “However I can not say that I may have had any higher of a help employees, all the way in which from from my dad and mom on the very starting to everybody at Texas A&M, to my juniors, to working at IMG and [the] Bollettieri Academy earlier than college, after which lately right here with Phil. It’s actually all about that and the help employees.
“It takes a workforce. I can not take any particular person credit score in any respect. I imply It is all of the workforce, my spouse Misia has been unimaginable by all of the powerful stuff that we do as tennis gamers.”
Two years in the past, Krajicek and his coach, Farmer, sat down to debate brief and longterm objectives. Two of their longterm objectives had been for Krajicek to win a serious and attain World No. 1. Earlier than Might of final 12 months, the Dallas resident had by no means cracked the Prime 30.
“As soon as he got here off from the trophy ceremony yesterday and signing autographs, he stated, ‘Hey, come right here.’ And so I went as much as him within the gamers’ lounge and he obtained out his telephone, and all these different objectives had been checked off — win a Masters and Davis Cup,” Farmer stated. “There have been two left and he did it in entrance of me. It was win a Slam, so he put a checkmark on his telephone. After which the one above it was [reach] No. 1, and he checked that off. In order that was a cool second for me, as a coach and for for us as a workforce.”
Krajicek added: “It is a kind of issues on the time, you’d prefer to say completely, I consider it. However it’s not straightforward to really do it. We put our heads down and labored actually laborious these final couple of years. Final 12 months, we had been exterior of the Prime 30 and we by no means misplaced that perception and willingness to work laborious and do the little issues higher. I believe that is the principle factor that is gotten higher, is simply the little particulars.”
Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek” />
Ivan Dodig (left) and Austin Krajicek rejoice clinching the 2023 Roland Garros doubles crown. Picture: Getty Pictures
Krajicek and Dodig turned a full-time workforce final April and haven’t seemed again. They certified for the Nitto ATP Finals in 2022 and are presently the first-placed workforce within the Pepperstone ATP Reside Doubles Staff Rankings.
“It is wonderful to have an unimaginable companion like Ivan, who’s not solely an amazing participant and clearly probably the greatest in historical past, however an amazing man, an amazing chief,” Krajicek stated. “I’ve realized a lot from him, a lot expertise that he is introduced in the best way to deal with these powerful moments and be skilled and count on to win and make an amazing workforce.”
Krajicek has been extra centered on his workforce’s success than his personal. That selflessness is one thing that one other Texas A&M alumnus, Jackson Withrow, pointed to when discussing Krajicek’s accomplishment.
“Austin has at all times been the team-first kind of man. His continued laborious work and selflessness makes these round him higher, me being an ideal instance of that,” Withrow stated. “Once we performed a couple of years in the past, his drive, his imaginative and prescient, his simply total care about his companion, about his workforce, goes a good distance. You turn into higher as a participant, as an individual, and I believe that simply speaks volumes to who he’s as an individual. I believe he is simply the right instance of what dedication and having a objective appears like.”
Farmer concurred, including: “I’m simply so pleased with Austin and in the way in which he approaches his craft and his profession. He is extraordinarily diligent {and professional}. He is loyal, and respectful. He is very open-minded to teaching and doing no matter it takes to get higher nevertheless [long] that course of is and the way a lot work it takes. He’s accountable, he is dependable, he is a workforce participant and he is simply so coachable.”
Austin Krajicek and Philip Farmer” />
Krajicek and Farmer rejoice after the Roland Garros remaining. Picture Credit score: Philip Farmer
One 12 months in the past, Roland Garros was the positioning of Krajicek’s hardest defeat. Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer saved three championship factors within the remaining in opposition to Dodig and Krajicek.
As an alternative of permitting that second to hang-out them, Dodig and Krajicek returned to Court docket Philippe-Chatrier with a vengeance. Not solely did Krajicek stroll away along with his first main, however doubles World No. 1.
Roland Garros Redemption! Dodig/Krajicek Triumph In Paris
“It’s sweeter to have it occur at Roland Garros. I used to be joking with Ivan that clearly we have waited 12 months for an additional alternative and for it to come back at Roland Garros, I believe it is actually cool,” Krajicek stated. “Gosh, we have been fascinated about that remaining for some time now [since] final 12 months. It [was] simply such a tricky match and unimaginable how tennis can deliver among the hardest moments and finest tournaments of your life collectively.”
Krajicek is already again residence in the US and excited to rejoice the second along with his household and buddies. However after a few days, he is aware of it’s straight again to work forward of the grass-court season.
Farmer, who mockingly coached Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan to their first main title at Roland Garros in 2003, stated: “Form of the stress, the monkey’s off your again so to talk. [With] the arrogance, you actually begin to say, ‘Okay, I’ve finished it now. And right here we go, let’s sort of trip the momentum.’”
