"I don’t sit & watch and hope Roger Federer loses, it’s bad karma" - When Pete Sampras spoke about chances of his then Grand Slam record being broken

Pete Sampras once made his feelings clear about Roger Federer nearing the milestone of breaking his record of 14 Grand Slam titles. He said he would never wish for the Swiss star to lose, as he believed doing so would bring "bad karma."

Sampras is regarded as one of the greatest players in tennis history, with a legacy cemented by his impressive records, which once included the most Majors in the men’s circuit at the time. His final such title came at the US Open in 2002, after which he hung up his racket.

.Everyone, including the American himself, believed that his record would stand the test of time. However, Federer came close to breaking it at the 2009 Australian Open, where he reached the final but ultimately fell short against his arch-rival, Rafael Nadal.

Before the Swiss took to the court to face the Spaniard, Pete Sampras sat down for a telephone interview with The Associated Press and said:

"I really thought that 14 would be a number that would be very tough to tie and break but Roger [Federer] just came along and dominated the game much more than I ever did."

"I don’t sit and watch and hope he loses. I just don’t believe in rooting against people – I never did, even when I played. I believe it’s bad karma," he added.

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Roger Federer broke Pete Sampras' record at French Open 2009

Federer pictured at the 2009 French Open | Image Source: Getty

After falling short of equaling Pete Sampras's record at the 2009 Australian Open, Roger Federer took a few more months to achieve his milestone. He finally succeeded at the French Open, defeating Robin Soderling in the final.

Later that year, Federer broke Sampras' record at Wimbledon, where he triumphed over Andy Roddick in the championship match. The American expressed his delight at the news, saying he believed the Swiss would go on to win more Slams.

"Sure, Roger's [Federer] a friend and a good guy and a great player. He's got 15 grand slam titles now, and he could get 16, 17 or 18 – he's a stud. And he's only 27," Sampras said (via The Guardian).

Sampras also called Federer the "greatest" player of all time, adding:

"I have to give it to him. He's won all the majors now, and he will win a few more. So in my book he is."