Chapter 764 Historical Highlights
As coaches, top Grand Slam champions are undoubtedly very important candidates.
First of all, any player who can reach the Grand Slam, even if they have some luck, must have their own killer weapon.
Secondly, competition experience, competition wisdom, overall concept, technical characteristics, etc. are also irreplaceable advantages.
As the saying goes, "Only those who have won championships know how to become the champions." This statement may not be 100% correct, but it does have its own inherent rules.
A top championship coach may not be able to transform a player completely, but he can help them hone their weapons into stronger ones.
Just look at the coaching choices of the Big Four.
Federer has officially started working with six-time Grand Slam champion Stefan Edberg since this year's Australian Open. It is no secret in the tennis world that he has always wanted Sampras to be his coach. The superstar has invited him more than once, but unfortunately it has never come to fruition.
Nadal, for a long time, everyone including himself believed that Nadal would only have one coach in his career, his uncle Toni Nadal, but at the end of 2016, French Open champion Carlos Moya officially joined his team and gradually became his head coach.
Murray, in his career, has worked for a long time with three Grand Slam champions, Ivan Lendl, Amelie-Mauresmo and Jonas-Bjorkman.
Djokovic, Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic, two Grand Slam champions, are undoubtedly his most famous collaborations as coaches. In addition, Andre Agassi also served as his coach for a period of time.
There is no doubt that the perspectives, expertise and experience of Grand Slam champions as professional coaches after retirement are indeed a valuable asset.
This is exactly what Gao Wen needs most urgently, especially after he suddenly emerged and became famous overnight, this need has become more and more real.
Sampras's agreement to be Gao Wen's coach is definitely an important turning point in Gao Wen's career.
Gao Wen has always been grateful for this.
Sampras seemed to be able to sense the emotion in Gawain's eyes. He raised his chin with pride and tried to cross his legs, but found himself trapped.
This small sofa really doesn't allow you to stretch your arms and legs.
Sampras should have been able to show off his success with pride, but it was strangled in the cradle before it even started. He said he was tired.
Looking at Gawain's face full of concentration without any smile, Sampras rolled his eyes speechlessly and spread his hands.
"Is it not okay for me to just show off a little?"
"Peter, you don't need to put on airs. Anyone who sees you will be in awe, because your existence itself is a legend."
This flattery was particularly effective. The corners of Sampras' mouth rose again and he nodded contentedly, as if expressing his appreciation for Gawain.
"Actually, you know what?"
“In the 70s and 80s, Grand Slam titles weren’t that important.”
"At that time, the professional system was not as perfect as it is now, and the gap between different competitions was very large. But no matter what competition it was, it was all commercial competition. We were a group of professional players who made a living from it. To put it bluntly, this was our job. There was nothing special about it."
"The special thing about the four Grand Slams is that they are held for a slightly longer period of time, but for players, they are not as attractive. We still prefer to play in tournaments we are familiar with, or in tours supported by our sponsors. The lineups of the four Grand Slams are not necessarily that luxurious."
Gao Wen is still too young. He was born in 1995 and has not experienced professional tennis in the 1980s and 1990s. He heard about these things for the first time and his eyes showed surprise and curiosity.
Sampras was very satisfied with Gawain's expression. He raised his chin slightly, with pride flashing in his eyes.
Gawain reacted immediately, "Wait, Pete, you mean, because of you?"
Sampras nodded slightly, revealing a teachable look.
"It's me."
"I started to consciously adjust my focus, no longer arranging my season around the events supported by my sponsors, but instead arranging my season schedule around the four Grand Slams, because they offer the most prize money."
"Look, it's just a job and you have to aim for the highest goals. I'm looking forward to streamlining my season and optimizing my career."
“Then, when I started winning, things started to change.”
"Then I kept repeating over and over how important Grand Slams are and that numbers mean something, and times have changed."
There is no doubt that Sampras is an excellent superstar player, but his understanding of society, culture, history and economics is very limited.
Objectively speaking, Sampras is half right.
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The real reason for the rise of the four Grand Slams is that the three major player organizations, ITF, ATP, and WTA, ended their internal fighting, no longer restricted players from participating in cross-association competitions, and reached a joint interest, jointly promoted the event level sequence, and established the level of the entire professional competition system.
Based on tournament prize money and association points, the Grand Slam is the first level of the sequence, which makes the Grand Slam unique.
Suppose now the ATP and WTA want to set up a fifth Grand Slam, is it feasible? Theoretically, it is feasible.
They just need to find an event organizer who is willing to give enough prizes, corresponding venues and related event organization, just like bidding for the Olympics, with all the supporting facilities in place, and have a stable tennis market, then they can make it.
Of course, the interests involved are not that simple, so this is just a "theoretical" discussion.
But here’s what Sampras said that was correct:
Originally, the status of the Grand Slam is not that special. These four competitions are just part of the more than 50 events throughout the year. The yardstick for measuring whether a player is great or outstanding is always the world ranking, number of championships, etc.
It is precisely because of Sampras' existence that the standard for measuring greatness in tennis has changed. The "number of Grand Slam titles" has begun to become a yardstick for defining the peak of a player's career, and has further developed to the present day, becoming a footnote to the greatness of the Big Four.
History is indeed very interesting.
Gao Wen savored Sampras' words and thought for a moment. "Pete, so what you mean is that we should not treat the Grand Slam as a special event and keep a normal mindset?"
Sampras nodded. "Whether it's a Grand Slam or a 250-point tournament, championships and victories are the same. Keep a normal mind when you go to the court. A game is a game, tennis is tennis. Get rid of those thoughts. This is the most important thing."
"People always think that this is a Grand Slam, so they stand on the court and play poorly. This is unnecessary. You played well in Flushing Meadows, so you won the championship."
(End of this chapter)