We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will.

When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest 
bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to
race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, 
Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team,
Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam. When Tendulkar embarked on a 
glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name 
unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown 
kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR 
was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to "open" the 
Nehruvian economy. It seems while Time was having his toll on every 
individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands 
frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had 
legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never 
will.
Time magazine, in 2011.