Roger Federer has said that he "does not need" to break Pete Sampras's record of 286 weeks as world number one.
The Swiss player has not won a Major tournament since capturing the Australian Open championship in 2010.
"It would be great having that record but my life is very much okay without it, too," said Federer.
"Pete is a good friend and was an amazing champion for our game. I don't need to break every record he has. I came so close and I could have chased it if I had wanted to. I didn't choose to.
"I feel if I play really well until the US Open, then obviously there is a shot. But then again there is a shot for about 10 players. I am aware I'm not the only one. But I feel like I'm on a good run right now. I've won a lot of tournaments in a short time, which gives me a lot of confidence."
Federer plays France's Michael Llodra in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships later today.
Michael Penkman
