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.

“In fact, reaching No. 1 actually is an honour,” Krajicek advised ATPTour.com. “It is an unimaginable honour to be on that record of men and it is at all times been a purpose of mine since I used to be a bit of child. There is no doubt about that. I feel a variety of gamers have that [goal].”

Krajicek gained the most important junior event in the USA 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 have been present coach Philip Farmer and others) Saturday for the most important second of his profession.

“It is [been] over a decade of ups and downs and struggles in Futures and Challengers and a variety 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 might have had any higher of a assist workers, all the best way from from my mother and father 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 not too long ago right here with Phil. It’s actually all about that and the assist workers.

“It takes a group. I can not take any particular person credit score in any respect. I imply It is all of the group, 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 targets. Two of their longterm targets have been for Krajicek to win a serious and attain World No. 1. Earlier than Could of final yr, 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 received out his telephone, and all these different targets have 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 group.”

Krajicek added: “It is a type of issues on the time, you’d wish to say completely, I imagine it. However it’s not straightforward to really do it. We put our heads down and labored actually arduous these final couple of years. Final yr, we have been exterior of the Prime 30 and we by no means misplaced that perception and willingness to work arduous and do the little issues higher. I feel that is the primary factor that is gotten higher, is simply the little particulars.”

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Ivan Dodig (left) and Austin Krajicek rejoice clinching the 2023 Roland Garros doubles crown. Photograph: Getty Photos

Krajicek and Dodig grew to become a full-time group final April and haven’t regarded again. They certified for the Nitto ATP Finals in 2022 and are presently the first-placed group within the Pepperstone ATP Stay Doubles Workforce Rankings.

“It is superb to have an unimaginable associate like Ivan, who’s not solely an ideal participant and clearly among the best in historical past, however an ideal man, an ideal chief,” Krajicek stated. “I’ve realized a lot from him, a lot expertise that he is introduced in how one can deal with these powerful moments and be skilled and anticipate to win and make an ideal group.”

Krajicek has been extra targeted on his group’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 arduous work and selflessness makes these round him higher, me being an ideal instance of that,” Withrow stated. “Once we performed a number of years in the past, his drive, his imaginative and prescient, his simply general care about his associate, about his group, goes a great distance. You develop into higher as a participant, as an individual, and I feel that simply speaks volumes to who he’s as an individual. I feel he is simply the right instance of what dedication and having a function seems like.”

Farmer concurred, including: “I’m simply so happy with Austin and in the best way 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 group participant and he is simply so coachable.”

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^{Krajicek and Farmer rejoice after the Roland Garros ultimate. Photograph Credit score: Philip Farmer}
One yr in the past, Roland Garros was the location of Krajicek’s hardest defeat. Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer saved three championship factors within the ultimate in opposition to Dodig and Krajicek.

As a substitute 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 together with his first main, however doubles World No. 1.

“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 feel it is actually cool,” Krajicek stated. “Gosh, we have been fascinated with that ultimate for some time now [since] final yr. It [was] simply such a troublesome match and unimaginable how tennis can carry among the hardest moments and greatest tournaments of your life collectively.”

Krajicek is already again dwelling in the USA and excited to rejoice the second together 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 boldness, you actually begin to say, ‘Okay, I’ve performed it now. And right here we go, let’s type of trip the momentum.’”