Andre Agassi gets emotional recalling touching memories of Pete Sampras

Andre Agassi recently turned honest about his feelings for former on-court rival Pete Sampras. According to the 54-year-old, Sampras presented him with one of the most fierce competition throughout his career. Sharing a detailed verdict on the former pro, Agassi also pinpointed elements that drew a sense of resemblance between the two.

Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras shared a close-knit tennis rivalry. They both faced each other 34 times between 1989 and 2002, with Sampras leading their head-to-head 20–14. Sampras also dominated the Grand Slam encounters by winning 6 of their 9 matches, including 4 of 5 finals. Sampras secured 64 ATP titles, 14 of which were Grand Slams, while Agassi claimed 60 ATP titles, including 8 Grand Slams. Agassi achieved a Career Grand Slam and won an Olympic gold medal, whereas Sampras secured 7 Wimbledon titles.

Andre Agassi recently opened up about his feelings for Pete Sampras. After almost 18 years of marking an end to his professional career, the 54-year-old went down memory lane to recall how his rival not only presented him with challenges but also helped him learn and grow.

"If you have the talent and work hard, you can be number one, there is a lot of luck and things involved but you are not guaranteed to have somebody that is doing the same thing, playing the game completely opposite of you, with a personality that is totally opposite of you," he said of Sampras' emergence in a recent interview with Andy Zodin.

He also mentioned how Sampras resembled many of his own qualities.

“You are not guaranteed a rivalry. And Pete was that. When I look back, I look at him like a mirror in my life. There are times I looked at him and I envied him," Agassi added.

While Pete Sampras lives his life in privacy and embracing a quiet environment, Andre Agassi continues to test his athleticism to propel the growth of Pickleball.

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Andre Agassi optimistic about Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonesca

Andre Agassi at the MGM Rewards Slam - Source: Getty

Andre Agassi recently shared his analysis of the current tennis scenario. While explaining how the newly developed rivalries are fun to watch, he also named Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonesca as two young talents who would emerge as the toughest on the ATP tour.

"Then you have a guy like Fonseca, who you are sitting next to at a restaurant and you just wouldn’t peg him to be the nastiest thing to hit a tennis court at 18 years old," he said, in the aforementioned interview published on RSPA's official YouTube channel.

The ex-pro also named Carlos Alcaraz as the one to possess immediate and precise decision-making

"You can’t legislate, he (Fonseca) is going to get crazy out there with the decisions that he makes and the same with Alcaraz," he added.

After his unexpected defeat against David Goffin at the Miami Open, Carlos Alcaraz is now preparing himself for the upcoming clay court. His next appearance is expected to be recorded at the Monte Carlo Masters, starting from the 6th of April.