Pete totally deserved this video tribute, and will deserve many more. I was actually one of the flag bearers at his 2003 ceremony, and the atmosphere was insane. Again, Pete deserved it.
@@trwent There is so many great tennis players who has never won the French, means nothing. Greatest serve In the game, volley as well. So If a tennis player won 25 slams, and never won the french, what then?? Agassi won all the BIG 4 does that make him better? So Its all opinionated.
@@trwent "No French Open title = NO #1" - Right. Even though he beat Kafelnikov on clay, in Russia in the Davis Cup final. That was a tough gig. And not only that, Sampras also played in both singles and doubles because Agassi bailed out. Sampras also won a Masters on clay. It's not as if he couldn't play on the surface.
@@trwent the hilarious thing is that your comment actually invalidates the accomplishments of the modern greats, considering surface homogenization has made all the courts play more and more similar to one another. Clay courts are actually faster today than they were in the 90s, while grass and hardcourts are slower than back then. Funny how that works
I miss Pete with his humble mindset and incredible gameplay so much. I am a Swiss guy and of course I appreciate what Roger Federer achieved in his career. But for me Pete was and will always be the greatest player ever.
@@ArtJorgeCom Lo mismo digo compatriota, Nadal un muy buen representante del tenis español, pero la maestria de Sampras en este deporte es suprema, no se puede ya jugar mejor al tenis, lo hacia todo bien su juego no tenia fisuras y esteticamente era una pasada para el expectador, y lo mas importante siempre tuvo un comportamiento intachable, jamas se le vio un mal gesto hacia el contrario ni hacia el publico ni hacia el arbitro, para mi tambien Sampras es el autentico GOAT, por qué? por todo.
These guys are all in the GOAT conversation. They all changed the way the game is played. Even Ivan Lendl deserves some love. If he had ever gotten that elusive Wimbledon title, he’d be in the GOAT discussion too
Pete was a beautiful player who had all the shots. Sports science and medicine was still in its infancy and wasn't able to help Pete extend his career like so many modern pro athletes. Still he had a legendary career and I bet would be a force today!
I doubt in todays rather slow era… there’s a reason why serve and volley is nothing more than a tactic rather than a style of play nowadays. He will get passed very easily by modern players I suspect
Admiring Pete since I was 7, in 1998, from a small country where few people speak barely any English at the time, let alone knew anything about tennis. That's to show you the extent of his impact. Really touching that USO remembers and honours its greats.
The player I really miss. Sampras, Wawrinka, Thiem, Kuerten… there are very few of them I can watch for hours. Really loved watching his matches in childhood!
One of the greatest of all time. Truly the best serve and vollier the game has seen and probably the game will ever see again. It’s truly a remarkable to see him play and be able to appreciate. Pete we love you!!!
Being a huge Andre Agassi fan I was put through an emotional roller coaster every time these two played one another especially in the finals. Secretively I couldn't stand Pistol Pete but always knew the Sampras serve and volley was arguably the best, if not the best in tennis history. Just thankful to be able to witness something special with this rivalry.
Very nice video by USTA. Sampras doesn't blow his own trumpet like some other players so its important the likes of USTA keep his legacy going. The media and some fans always fixate on his serve but when Sampras was on form, I always liked his return game. He had a lot of variations and different strategies. That should be remembered as well, when it comes to him winning matches at the top level. Keep the opponent guessing and off balance.
Just a gorgeous player to watch. Pete had every shot in the book, and moved so well. I was fortunate enough to meet him at the 1992 US Pro Indoor in Philly, where he and his coach gave my friend and I his autograph. A half hour earlier, Aaron Krickstein snubbed us for one, when we were the only two people asking for his signature when he was walking out after practice, saying he needed to see his trainer lol. When Pete was walking off the court, and signing our hats, we asked him who he was playing that night. He said Krickstein, which I then proceeded to call a D$CK lol. Pete laughed, and that night, Aaron had him down match points. My buddy and I were yelling "COME ON PETE, the entire match, pretty much the only ones yelling anything, and he came back and won the match and later, the tournament. After he won, we wormed our way down behind his chair and he was gracious enough to sign for us again. I unashamedly congratulated him for beating "the you know what", and he laughed again and high fived us. Really cool guy, and A GREAT champion.
Pete is the reason I picked up a racket. One of the All Time Greats. If we didn't have Sampras we would not have had a Federer who is also my Tennis Idol.
@@seanahmad6856 I think what made the difference was his speed around the court and counterpunching abilities. Two facets that compleletly separated him from other attacking players.
@@FUsheK He could play but wasn't consistent. In his book he said he liked playing on clay in his early years. But something went drastically wrong after 1997 because instead of continuing to improve, his results went downhill, Which was surprising. Pre 1997 he won the Italian Open and Davis Cup on clay and beat all the top players on the surface. Just was not consistent on it. I believe an overall win percentage of 60% so should be better for sure.
Fantastic documentary. Thank you so much for putting it together. I was a ball boy for him vs Kuertin at River Oaks. Such a fine athlete and gentleman.
Marvellous memory, the 2002 US Open. Hard to believe it's already more than 20 years in the past. (Time sure does fly!) Pete's exit was like everything he did on the court, in a class entirely his own. Nice video. The more Pete videos on YT, the better.
At 7:53, you'll see his last serve was 135 mph, which is amazing even by todays standards where current players have the added benefit advanced training/recovery techniques, advances in racquet tech etc. Just a testament to what perfect, textbook form looks like and how effective it is..
Pete didn't blow it out of proportion. Agassi had an entire final year farewell tour. I think Andre really loved and relished in the attention. Not digging at him. Just making a quiet observation. Pete ended it on the highest note and left unannounced, which is badass as it gets. Ended it letting everyone know at that time, he was the man. He was the goat.
Loved watching Pete. A class act, on and off the court. We always speak about his serve and volley game - which is arguably the best ever - but he truly had everything in his game plus an incredible athleticism and footwork. He would play today, with modern equipment, I am quite sure that he would also be at the top…and probably win that elusive French Open title ;-) Miss you Pete !
Racket tech is surprisingly not something pro's take on, or if they do it's small and incremental. Rafa is using basically the same racket since 2004. I agree though, Sampras would still be a top player in this era.
My chidhood idol was Ivan which was also Pete's idol, one Lendl retired I followed sampas and he brought tennis to another level. It's amazing how he retired so early at 31 and Nadal and Nocak are still playing at high level over 35. I wonder how peter would have gone in this era.
Has anyone won their last match at a Grand Slam? In the final of a grand Slam? Have to smile at his go to play in his latter years. Dare them to play to his weakness, his backhand on the back court. Then eventually step inside and pulverize a forehand cross court or down the line, often with a running forehand, the best in the business. Won him countless points
Andre, Pete, Stephan and Boris were the powerhouses when I was a kid playing at my local club, I can still remember their posters on the walls and I can still remember how impressed and mesmerized I felt every time I gazed at them. So much memories, such great old times!
Before 30, Sampras collected 286 and federer 285 and djokovic was just 5th with 223. After 30, djokovic has been adding 197, federer 2 and sampras none
Sampras' last US Open Championship is even more impressive when you consider that he had to play the semi-finals on Saturday and the finals on Sunday. Players now have a full day of rest between the semis and the finals.
Yer, what did they call it? Super Saturday? It's one of the key reasons he lost to Edberg in the 1992 final as he was so exhausted. Not complaining though, as Sampras and Edberg were my favourite players.
@@thepsychologist8159 Though to be fair, Edberg played the longest semifinal match in history against Chang on Saturday. So both Sampras and Edberg were probably running on fumes.
@@allanhee I was rather hoping Hewitt beat Agassi in the semi. That would have been great revenge for Sampras. Though fitting his last match was against his greatest rival.
GOAT!!! Fed last match-0:6 at Wimbledon Raf-Rg first round in 3 sets Djok-not in his peak Pete-WINNER of Grand Slam in his last tournament... unbeatable
The comments are funny saying he wasn’t consistent. lol these are the people who googled facts and read percentages and think they know something. For Sampras dominated the 90s only player to stay number one 6 consecutive years. Only stayed in your for 14 years. During a time that courts played differently and no the same. Not only that Sampras had a definitive winning percentage against all of his rivals. It’s not like Federer, Nadal Or Novak that have four or one more wins. He dominated the 90s. He was the man to beat and everyone knew it. For us who saw this time of tennis know how it was and not somebody who just googled data or was 10yrs old. Not to mention Pete hated the media and they labeled him as boring. Sampras out played everyone.
Yeah he was very dominate especially from 1993-98 when he loss 84 matches in those years. ROFL 🤣🤣🤣🤣. USA biased media too overrated him just by slam count. They forgot that if Tilden, Laver, Rosewall, Pancho Gonzales & Borg were care for every slam & some of them didn't turned pro, the slam record could be different.
At latest when Pete started to cry, tears running along my cheeks, although I am german and not american. He was a machine and the greatest american tennis player in history. The sadest moment is always the day, when they announce their resignation. For me it was the day when Boris and Steffie did that. It is always an ending of an era. And so an ending of your own childhood or youth.
Out of all his achievements, that is arguably his biggest. To hit the ball so hard and freely with a racquet that started production in 1983 and his version went out of production in 1991 (St Vincent model). Mary Pierce switched from Pro Staff 85 to a bigger Yonex in the year 2000.
@@check4v He promised to use a bigger racquet during his career, after the US Open. But decided not to play on anyway. Wilson even made the Pro Staff Tour 90 for him, which Federer ended up using for a while. He should have switched to 95 in the early 2000s. 90 was too conservative anyway.
For me Sampras is my favorite player, and the best player because of the risk he takes to win the point, Djokovic,Nadal or Federer take half the risk Sampras took, and in my book the risk taker takes the prize.
Its so fun to start career with a lots of winning 🏆 🎉, but its incredibly difficult to end 😢😮😢😮 when Pete was done lot of people were saying who can replace him, Roger did , & now he is done 😢😮😢 who’s next ?????
he was and will always be my favourite player ever! not saying he's the best of all time, although he was at the time, but watching his matches against the likes of Becker, Agassi and so on. I just feel like you don't see this type of tennis anymore and to me these were the best years. since then, my favourite was Nadal but in terms of overall favourite, it's Pete without the shadow of a doubt! and these days, now that the top 4 (I include Murray with NAdal, Federer and Djokovic), is pretty much gone, there is no one that inspires me at all unfortunately.
Seeing this with alongside all the 'Best of' Roger F clips that are out there, really gives us a chance to compare these 2 at their peak....Ok so my take is...Serve has to be Pete, but very close. Forehand , again Pete, when Fed's lost his timing it could collapse, Pete's never did. Backhand, Roger's was better, more variation and seemed to improve later on. Volley - hmm very tough. I would say Pete's volleys were heavier but Fed's feel and variation were incredible. Roger just on this one. The smash is Pete just, he invented the dunk smash. Return of serve has to Roger, the way he dealt with the biggest servers ever was effortless. Athlete??? I would go with Roger, also he was beating up the youngsters at the age of 35/36. Mental strength?? Pete just, he just would dig so deep to turn matches around. Just my thoughts - I feel so lucky to have seen these 2 play. It would be interesting to hear what Agassi feels having played them both regularly..
Can;t believe how far sports science has progressed. Back in the day an athlete at 31/32 looked so slow and over but these days even at 35 they look amazing. Novak and Rafa and even Roger showing it.
Sampras had collected 286 weeks of no. 1 as the most weeks before 30 while djokovic only 5th with 223 weeks. But after 30, djokovic temporarily has been adding 197 weeks of no. 1 while sampras none
@@KingCast65 I don't think he would've, not because of ability but what many didn't know is that for the last, I think it was 2 yrs Pete was playing by having cortisone pain killing injections in his back. So, much like Steffi in some ways chronic injury made it unlikely that he'd have been able to play the amount of tennis needed to sustain his level. Happy he went out the way he did, still being in control and able to play his best tennis
@@dajohn990 Interesting info. Fans forget these things. Although amusingly Jeff Tarango claims he advised Pete he was playing too much golf which was making his back problem worse :-)
Maybe 1-2 max...in terms of stamina, he was quite clearly outlasted by Agassi in the final set in Australian Open 2000....also 1 pro player once said, in Sampras' final years his agility is like half footwork late
Almost a shame he wasn't born 10 years later. Would've loved to see him have a productive mid to late 30s with the better conditioning and medical today.
Sampras was my all time favorite men’s tennis player before Djokovic. The biggest difference between Sampras and Agassi was Sampras’ net play. Pete could beat you in so many ways. He could play the ground and pound baseline game. Or he could serve and volley you to death or he could mix it up. Where Agassi was more one dimensional and just relied mostly on his return and baseline game.
@@18yearsoldnot we re both Serbians so of course I’m going to like Djokovic. As for Sampras l, he’s of Greek heritage so of course I’d like him too. As for the comparison the only thing Djokovic and Agassi have in common is their baseline game. Djokovic’s game is a hybrid of both Agasssis and Samprasas games.
He was the best player of his generation on grass and hardcourts. But he was ineffective on clay. So while he is one of the greats of all time, he isn’t the very best of them
@@tonib4701 Well , Sampras was king of the fast era ! 1990- 2000 on grass and hardcourt ! Nadal was/is king of clay ! Federer / Nadal / Djokovic all played/play in the slow era where its easier to preform even though you are in your thirties ! Put Novak back on wimbledon final 1999 and I'm pretty sure he would have got the same treatment Agassi did ! And if you put a prime Sampras on todays fast court my money would still be on him ! He just had the hole game plus an exceptional strong mindset !
I never understood how that skinny kid Hewitt could dismantle the powerful Sampras the way he did. Sampras was my favorite player until Federer came along and I couldn't understand how Hewitt was beating Fed either lol. Glad he turned the tables on that rivalry. I still feel Sampras was lucky Agassi beat Hewitt in that semifinal, but I'm so glad he did!
I lost to Pete 14-12 in a deciding set at Wimbledon. One of my Fav playstation games Eva, even though I lost😁 seriously though, Pete was a BEAST, a pleasure to watch.
Pete totally deserved this video tribute, and will deserve many more. I was actually one of the flag bearers at his 2003 ceremony, and the atmosphere was insane. Again, Pete deserved it.
No you was not.. Nice lie..
@@airkuna Yeah I was. One of the many perks from being a ballboy at the Open. Now don't be jelly, dip$hit.
@@airkuna That would be a weirdly specific thing to lie about.
@@AustinConlon why?
@@AustinConlon it's easy to lie about such things
Incredible player. Stats and GOAT talk don't do these guys justice. So many incredible players during 90s
I miss Pete so much. What a class act.
He misses you more I’m sure
The greatest serve of all time. Placement, power, accuracy avd consistency. Unreal.
in combination with his excellent net game, this was unstoppable, especially when he was quicker
Couldn't agree more.
His second serve not much slower
Too slow even the women are serving faster than him now a days...
my childhood hero he was, by far. Loved the net game, service and Slam Dunk and most of all his sportsmanship. True Champion!
So elegant, maybe the greatest ever. A fair sportsman and a modest human beeing.
I miss Pete Sampras a lot. What a great tennis player.
I loved Pete, a super player and a gentleman. I was heartbroken when he retired......still miss him!
One of the most exciting players to watch ever. His overheads, net game… All amazing
I am not a tennis player but really enjoyed watching Sampras……great athlete , great sportsmanship……understated…..we need more people like that today
I’ve loved Pete since 1997. Before the big 3 were ever known, Pete was that dude. He is on my Mt. Rushmore as one of the greatest to ever do it.
The N01 ever, In my opinion.
@@trwent There is so many great tennis players who has never won the French, means nothing. Greatest serve In the game, volley as well. So If a tennis player won 25 slams, and never won the french, what then?? Agassi won all the BIG 4 does that make him better? So Its all opinionated.
@@trwent "No French Open title = NO #1"
- Right. Even though he beat Kafelnikov on clay, in Russia in the Davis Cup final. That was a tough gig. And not only that, Sampras also played in both singles and doubles because Agassi bailed out. Sampras also won a Masters on clay. It's not as if he couldn't play on the surface.
The most dominate player ever.
@@trwent the hilarious thing is that your comment actually invalidates the accomplishments of the modern greats, considering surface homogenization has made all the courts play more and more similar to one another. Clay courts are actually faster today than they were in the 90s, while grass and hardcourts are slower than back then. Funny how that works
I miss Pete with his humble mindset and incredible gameplay so much. I am a Swiss guy and of course I appreciate what Roger Federer achieved in his career. But for me Pete was and will always be the greatest player ever.
same here… I am spanish and I apreciate what Nadal achieved, but Sampras is to me the GOAT. my humble opinion
@@ArtJorgeCom Lo mismo digo compatriota, Nadal un muy buen representante del tenis español, pero la maestria de Sampras en este deporte es suprema, no se puede ya jugar mejor al tenis, lo hacia todo bien su juego no tenia fisuras y esteticamente era una pasada para el expectador, y lo mas importante siempre tuvo un comportamiento intachable, jamas se le vio un mal gesto hacia el contrario ni hacia el publico ni hacia el arbitro, para mi tambien Sampras es el autentico GOAT, por qué? por todo.
@@Rauliki_U_u 100% contigo!!! ♥️ Sampras es deverdad una pasada en todos los sentidos. el es Tennis!
I consider myself a huge tennis fan. Consider myself even luckier to have been able to witness Pete Sampras do what he did on the court. Priceless ❤️
He was the best. Always fan of him. A German admirer
Cool. I was always pulling for Andre and Mac but you cannot deny what a badass Pete was. He's GOAT just like the Big 3 and don't ever forget it.
Totally agree, Pete's the only other tennis player in the same Convo as the big 3
These guys are all in the GOAT conversation. They all changed the way the game is played. Even Ivan Lendl deserves some love. If he had ever gotten that elusive Wimbledon title, he’d be in the GOAT discussion too
Pete was the greatest of his time, and he had confidence like no other. Would have loved to see some grass court showdowns with him against Novak
@@revenzo3 why not the second Grad Slam meeting with Federer (or even better: retrospective / projective time-travel meeting with Federer :)
@@revenzo3 Yup yup.
Pete was a beautiful player who had all the shots. Sports science and medicine was still in its infancy and wasn't able to help Pete extend his career like so many modern pro athletes. Still he had a legendary career and I bet would be a force today!
I doubt in todays rather slow era… there’s a reason why serve and volley is nothing more than a tactic rather than a style of play nowadays. He will get passed very easily by modern players I suspect
@@randomcon123 He would have adapted
He is in his 50s now; I doubt he would be a force today.
@@trwent lol
True, and I believe he would have troubled djocovic a lot with his game had he been paying In his era..
My GOAT! Great serve, vollied with ease.. cool under pressure
Pete is best player ever, for me. I miss him. True champ.
No one can match him, especially on the net. Insane :o
When he was in his rythm, he was unplayable. It was often like 15:0, 30:0, 40:0 game Sampras...
Me too
@@martinkirkov although Pete is my no1 I think edberg was better at the net.
@@lukey1210 so was Rafter and McEnroe
What a way to went out! On real fast courts I do believe Sampras is d GOAT.
“Best of his era” is a factual statement. One of the top 5 greatest ever.
Djokoveric would beat him 6-2, 6-1, 6-0
@@JH-bb8in Hahaha, BS.
@@JH-bb8in is that bad bait or were you just unlucky with brain cells?
A wonderful human being.
Admiring Pete since I was 7, in 1998, from a small country where few people speak barely any English at the time, let alone knew anything about tennis. That's to show you the extent of his impact. Really touching that USO remembers and honours its greats.
@@-music2023 Tunisia, North Africa, and you?
I love Pete. Simple as that. Now words, just pure emotions.
Amazing. Thank you so much for this. I started playing tennis in 97 because of Pete. He will be my idol forever.
The player I really miss. Sampras, Wawrinka, Thiem, Kuerten… there are very few of them I can watch for hours. Really loved watching his matches in childhood!
Gustavo Kuerten was so talented, its crazy actually.
Pete Sampras,what a great player,very calm and focused,elegant,fast and strong,real champions material.
One of the greatest of all time. Truly the best serve and vollier the game has seen and probably the game will ever see again. It’s truly a remarkable to see him play and be able to appreciate. Pete we love you!!!
He was (same like Roger) a real Maestro on the Court.
And there will be never a Player like him!
What an awesome tournament he had, US OPEN do a version of this for all of your Champions it is great seeing the round by round
Being a huge Andre Agassi fan I was put through an emotional roller coaster every time these two played one another especially in the finals. Secretively I couldn't stand Pistol Pete but always knew the Sampras serve and volley was arguably the best, if not the best in tennis history. Just thankful to be able to witness something special with this rivalry.
Very nice video by USTA. Sampras doesn't blow his own trumpet like some other players so its important the likes of USTA keep his legacy going. The media and some fans always fixate on his serve but when Sampras was on form, I always liked his return game. He had a lot of variations and different strategies. That should be remembered as well, when it comes to him winning matches at the top level. Keep the opponent guessing and off balance.
Pete was Complete.
Yeah, Pete is always like your comments, no nonsense, to the point!
@@INseelan Burns Tennis is an exemplary Pete fan.
@@abirkalai5688 Thanks :)
Just a gorgeous player to watch. Pete had every shot in the book, and moved so well.
I was fortunate enough to meet him at the 1992 US Pro Indoor in Philly, where he and his coach gave my friend and I his autograph. A half hour earlier, Aaron Krickstein snubbed us for one, when we were the only two people asking for his signature when he was walking out after practice, saying he needed to see his trainer lol.
When Pete was walking off the court, and signing our hats, we asked him who he was playing that night. He said Krickstein, which I then proceeded to call a D$CK lol.
Pete laughed, and that night, Aaron had him down match points. My buddy and I were yelling "COME ON PETE, the entire match, pretty much the only ones yelling anything, and he came back and won the match and later, the tournament.
After he won, we wormed our way down behind his chair and he was gracious enough to sign for us again. I unashamedly congratulated him for beating "the you know what", and he laughed again and high fived us.
Really cool guy, and A GREAT champion.
Pete is the reason I picked up a racket. One of the All Time Greats. If we didn't have Sampras we would not have had a Federer who is also my Tennis Idol.
Best server of all time
Best tennis player of all time
@@AtlanticDNA can’t say that though . The man just couldn’t play on clay courts.
Sampras had such a big game for a guy that wasn't that big physically.
@@seanahmad6856 I think what made the difference was his speed around the court and counterpunching abilities. Two facets that compleletly separated him from other attacking players.
@@FUsheK He could play but wasn't consistent. In his book he said he liked playing on clay in his early years. But something went drastically wrong after 1997 because instead of continuing to improve, his results went downhill, Which was surprising. Pre 1997 he won the Italian Open and Davis Cup on clay and beat all the top players on the surface. Just was not consistent on it. I believe an overall win percentage of 60% so should be better for sure.
Fantastic documentary. Thank you so much for putting it together. I was a ball boy for him vs Kuertin at River Oaks. Such a fine athlete and gentleman.
Marvellous memory, the 2002 US Open. Hard to believe it's already more than 20 years in the past. (Time sure does fly!) Pete's exit was like everything he did on the court, in a class entirely his own. Nice video. The more Pete videos on YT, the better.
At 7:53, you'll see his last serve was 135 mph, which is amazing even by todays standards where current players have the added benefit advanced training/recovery techniques, advances in racquet tech etc. Just a testament to what perfect, textbook form looks like and how effective it is..
Pete didn't blow it out of proportion. Agassi had an entire final year farewell tour. I think Andre really loved and relished in the attention. Not digging at him. Just making a quiet observation. Pete ended it on the highest note and left unannounced, which is badass as it gets. Ended it letting everyone know at that time, he was the man. He was the goat.
Loved watching Pete. A class act, on and off the court. We always speak about his serve and volley game - which is arguably the best ever - but he truly had everything in his game plus an incredible athleticism and footwork. He would play today, with modern equipment, I am quite sure that he would also be at the top…and probably win that elusive French Open title ;-) Miss you Pete !
Racket tech is surprisingly not something pro's take on, or if they do it's small and incremental. Rafa is using basically the same racket since 2004. I agree though, Sampras would still be a top player in this era.
what a class act. thanks for putting this video together, well done.
I missed the best of Men's Tennis ❤ thanks for these memories ❤ revisited May 8 2024 A Voice in the Mall ❤❤❤
Simplemente, el mejor de todos los tiempos.
literally got tears in my eyes watching this, truly a GOAT…
I’m so glad to have been alive for Pete n Andre and the fed, Novak n Rafa era. Pete and Andre will be my forever no1s
My chidhood idol was Ivan which was also Pete's idol, one Lendl retired I followed sampas and he brought tennis to another level. It's amazing how he retired so early at 31 and Nadal and Nocak are still playing at high level over 35. I wonder how peter would have gone in this era.
maybe 4-5 grandslams at most
A legend who shall never die... I'm proud to have seen him playing...
My absolute favorite growing up!!!
Has anyone won their last match at a Grand Slam? In the final of a grand Slam?
Have to smile at his go to play in his latter years. Dare them to play to his weakness, his backhand on the back court. Then eventually step inside and pulverize a forehand cross court or down the line, often with a running forehand, the best in the business. Won him countless points
Andre, Pete, Stephan and Boris were the powerhouses when I was a kid playing at my local club, I can still remember their posters on the walls and I can still remember how impressed and mesmerized I felt every time I gazed at them. So much memories, such great old times!
You had walls when you were growing up?!
Simply Wonderful !!!
I used to watch Pete compete. Still gives me the chills. Super cool and Inspiring !!! 🎾 🌟 🍀
For me the best Tennis player ever 🇬🇷 bravo
Other than the unnecessary, distracting background music this was a real treat. Thank you.
Pete and Roger, the two I miss most for their sheer talent and artistry..
Before 30, Sampras collected 286 and federer 285 and djokovic was just 5th with 223.
After 30, djokovic has been adding 197, federer 2 and sampras none
Sampras' last US Open Championship is even more impressive when you consider that he had to play the semi-finals on Saturday and the finals on Sunday. Players now have a full day of rest between the semis and the finals.
Yer, what did they call it? Super Saturday? It's one of the key reasons he lost to Edberg in the 1992 final as he was so exhausted. Not complaining though, as Sampras and Edberg were my favourite players.
@@thepsychologist8159 And why he had nothing left against Hewitt in the finals the previous year.
@@thepsychologist8159 Though to be fair, Edberg played the longest semifinal match in history against Chang on Saturday. So both Sampras and Edberg were probably running on fumes.
@@allanhee Yes, and also his matches against Lendl and Krajicek prior to that. At the time I was more of an Edberg fan, so I was actually glad he won.
@@allanhee I was rather hoping Hewitt beat Agassi in the semi. That would have been great revenge for Sampras. Though fitting his last match was against his greatest rival.
Love this guy, Pete Pistol Sampras. Not just his great tennis, but such a great personality as well. Just legend.
Laver and Sampras the best 2 players I've seen.
To the team that made this video - well done 🤙🏻
I always liked Pete. Humble guy who was always a crowd favorite.
GOAT!!!
Fed last match-0:6 at Wimbledon
Raf-Rg first round in 3 sets
Djok-not in his peak
Pete-WINNER of Grand Slam in his last tournament... unbeatable
Great Player, my Idol!
The SAMPRAS VS AGASSI RIVALRY WAS ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS…
The comments are funny saying he wasn’t consistent. lol these are the people who googled facts and read percentages and think they know something. For Sampras dominated the 90s only player to stay number one 6 consecutive years. Only stayed in your for 14 years. During a time that courts played differently and no the same. Not only that Sampras had a definitive winning percentage against all of his rivals. It’s not like Federer, Nadal
Or Novak that have four or one more wins. He dominated the 90s. He was the man to beat and everyone knew it. For us who saw this time of tennis know how it was and not somebody who just googled data or was 10yrs old. Not to mention Pete hated the media and they labeled him as boring. Sampras out played everyone.
With due respect to roger,novak and rafa but for me pete is the best of all time. Cuz he faced all the best in tennis during his time.
Sampras is the GOAT 🐐🐐
He would destroy everyone in this area
He had no motivation no more and grow up to fast
Yeah he was very dominate especially from 1993-98 when he loss 84 matches in those years. ROFL 🤣🤣🤣🤣. USA biased media too overrated him just by slam count. They forgot that if Tilden, Laver, Rosewall, Pancho Gonzales & Borg were care for every slam & some of them didn't turned pro, the slam record could be different.
At latest when Pete started to cry, tears running along my cheeks, although I am german and not american. He was a machine and the greatest american tennis player in history. The sadest moment is always the day, when they announce their resignation. For me it was the day when Boris and Steffie did that. It is always an ending of an era. And so an ending of your own childhood or youth.
Can you believe Sampras was still using that pro staff 85 in 2002, incredible.
Out of all his achievements, that is arguably his biggest. To hit the ball so hard and freely with a racquet that started production in 1983 and his version went out of production in 1991 (St Vincent model). Mary Pierce switched from Pro Staff 85 to a bigger Yonex in the year 2000.
@@check4v He promised to use a bigger racquet during his career, after the US Open. But decided not to play on anyway. Wilson even made the Pro Staff Tour 90 for him, which Federer ended up using for a while. He should have switched to 95 in the early 2000s. 90 was too conservative anyway.
My all time favorite
Todo gran campeón merece el reconocimiento te deceo todo lo bueno gracias bendiciones
For me Sampras is my favorite player, and the best player because of the risk he takes to win the point, Djokovic,Nadal or Federer take half the risk Sampras took, and in my book the risk taker takes the prize.
Spot on . If only the top 3 you mentioned mixed their game more- chip & charged , serve & volleyed etc instead of getting embroiled in Long rallies.
Its so fun to start career with a lots of winning 🏆 🎉, but its incredibly difficult to end 😢😮😢😮 when Pete was done lot of people were saying who can replace him, Roger did , & now he is done 😢😮😢 who’s next ?????
De lo mejor que yo vi❤
My love for tennis started with my love for Pete Sampras ❤
best ever.. the real GOAT .. in terms of pure talent at least.. my humble opinion
20:23 the respect in Sjeng Schalken eyes of Pete Sampras says it all .. Pete the greatest of champions
he was and will always be my favourite player ever! not saying he's the best of all time, although he was at the time, but watching his matches against the likes of Becker, Agassi and so on. I just feel like you don't see this type of tennis anymore and to me these were the best years. since then, my favourite was Nadal but in terms of overall favourite, it's Pete without the shadow of a doubt! and these days, now that the top 4 (I include Murray with NAdal, Federer and Djokovic), is pretty much gone, there is no one that inspires me at all unfortunately.
Pete S my idol after he retired from tennis, came the guy from Serbia Novak D. my champion, my idol the GOAT.
Greatness Personified..
Inspired A Generation.. 👏..
In my personal opinion he is the best ever. 😊
Beating Roddick in three sets is a masterpiece as we know Andy won the USO next year. I'm sure Sampras could win another slam.
Very few greats finish with such a fairy tail finish and on their terms.
One of the best athlete of all time
Bravo Upload..
Serve - Jumping Smash - Running Forehead - Volleys - Mental Toughness - Movement - Consistency..
Sizzling Forehand - Gentleman That Inspired da Next Generation..
In his prime, he was the best of all time! Retired a little early…had a few more grand slams left in him.
this guy is a real gentleman. makes federer look like the classroom troll.
Federer is class personified! He carried the mantle passed down to him as well as you could ask anyone could... Explain yourself!
The original GOAT !!!
The goat of forehand maybe, but his backhand was inconstant and often to short.
@@jasongoestohell5609 I would argue top 3 serve and volley games of all time
The original GOAT after djokovic, federer and nadal 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Seeing this with alongside all the 'Best of' Roger F clips that are out there, really gives us a chance to compare these 2 at their peak....Ok so my take is...Serve has to be Pete, but very close. Forehand , again Pete, when Fed's lost his timing it could collapse, Pete's never did. Backhand, Roger's was better, more variation and seemed to improve later on. Volley - hmm very tough. I would say Pete's volleys were heavier but Fed's feel and variation were incredible. Roger just on this one. The smash is Pete just, he invented the dunk smash. Return of serve has to Roger, the way he dealt with the biggest servers ever was effortless. Athlete??? I would go with Roger, also he was beating up the youngsters at the age of 35/36. Mental strength?? Pete just, he just would dig so deep to turn matches around. Just my thoughts - I feel so lucky to have seen these 2 play. It would be interesting to hear what Agassi feels having played them both regularly..
lovely tribute; Sampras more than deserved it.
Me too. I loved his game. He always had game. Pistol Pete.
Living legend!
15:25 ...THIS Volley is pure Pete!!!
both, dont forget the backhand volley taken from high midfield, looks easy but he was a master of that.
Can;t believe how far sports science has progressed. Back in the day an athlete at 31/32 looked so slow and over but these days even at 35 they look amazing. Novak and Rafa and even Roger showing it.
Sampras had collected 286 weeks of no. 1 as the most weeks before 30 while djokovic only 5th with 223 weeks. But after 30, djokovic temporarily has been adding 197 weeks of no. 1 while sampras none
You can thank Steroids...
The Strongest 💪❤
If not retired at the age of 32, he would have won another 3-4 grand slam titles.
One of the tennis greats!!!
💪💪💪
True. I say 2-3 though.
@@KingCast65 I don't think he would've, not because of ability but what many didn't know is that for the last, I think it was 2 yrs Pete was playing by having cortisone pain killing injections in his back. So, much like Steffi in some ways chronic injury made it unlikely that he'd have been able to play the amount of tennis needed to sustain his level. Happy he went out the way he did, still being in control and able to play his best tennis
@@dajohn990 Interesting info. Fans forget these things. Although amusingly Jeff Tarango claims he advised Pete he was playing too much golf which was making his back problem worse :-)
I don’t think he would’ve won more. His body was breaking down gradually and he didn’t have the drive to chase slams anymore.
Maybe 1-2 max...in terms of stamina, he was quite clearly outlasted by Agassi in the final set in Australian Open 2000....also 1 pro player once said, in Sampras' final years his agility is like half footwork late
Almost a shame he wasn't born 10 years later. Would've loved to see him have a productive mid to late 30s with the better conditioning and medical today.
My hero growing up !!
Sampras was my all time favorite men’s tennis player before Djokovic. The biggest difference between Sampras and Agassi was Sampras’ net play. Pete could beat you in so many ways. He could play the ground and pound baseline game. Or he could serve and volley you to death or he could mix it up. Where Agassi was more one dimensional and just relied mostly on his return and baseline game.
Interesting you like djokovic now... He is much more like Agassi than Sampras!
@@18yearsoldnot we re both Serbians so of course I’m going to like Djokovic. As for Sampras l, he’s of Greek heritage so of course I’d like him too. As for the comparison the only thing Djokovic and Agassi have in common is their baseline game. Djokovic’s game is a hybrid of both Agasssis and Samprasas games.
@@kristianbata3242 No. Djokovic non ha nulla di Sampras. Sono due giocatori opposti.
Sampras is the Real GOAT
He was the best player of his generation on grass and hardcourts. But he was ineffective on clay. So while he is one of the greats of all time, he isn’t the very best of them
Considering all objective aspects, how abt Federer / Nadal / Djokovic
@@tonib4701
Well , Sampras was king of the fast era ! 1990- 2000 on grass and hardcourt !
Nadal was/is king of clay !
Federer / Nadal / Djokovic all played/play in the slow era
where its easier to preform even though you are in your thirties !
Put Novak back on wimbledon final 1999 and I'm pretty sure he would have got the same treatment Agassi did !
And if you put a prime Sampras on todays fast court my money would still be on him ! He just had the hole game plus an exceptional strong mindset !
I never understood how that skinny kid Hewitt could dismantle the powerful Sampras the way he did. Sampras was my favorite player until Federer came along and I couldn't understand how Hewitt was beating Fed either lol. Glad he turned the tables on that rivalry. I still feel Sampras was lucky Agassi beat Hewitt in that semifinal, but I'm so glad he did!
I lost to Pete 14-12 in a deciding set at Wimbledon. One of my Fav playstation games Eva, even though I lost😁 seriously though, Pete was a BEAST, a pleasure to watch.
I got beat by Pete👍👍👍 Best Andys moment of the evening.