"Who is better - is it Peyton Manning or Tom Brady?" - When Pete Sampras shared his thoughts on raging Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal debate

The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was defined by the epic battles they fought and their immense mutual respect. Tennis icon Pete Sampras was left firmly on the fence when asked to choose between the pair, comparing them to another legendary sports rivalry—Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady.

By the time they met in the 2014 Australian Open semifinals, they had already faced each other 32 times, producing some extraordinary matches. However, when asked to pick the greatest during an interview with Inside Tennis ahead of the semifinal clash, Sampras took a different approach.

Instead of choosing between Federer and Nadal, he made a fascinating comparison to another legendary sports debate:

"Let’s just appreciate what we’re watching. It’s hard to compare the numbers and the eras where we all did our thing. We’re all great at what we did. It’s just hard to really talk about who is better. Is it Peyton Manning or Tom Brady?"

Brady and Manning dominated the NFL for nearly two decades, rewriting records and delivering unforgettable performances. Brady bagged seven Super Bowl championships along with five Super Bowl MVPs while Manning won two Super Bowl championships and one Super Bowl MVP.

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Pete Sampras compares Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry to his with Andre Agassi and Bjorn Borg-John McEnroe

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup 2022 - Source: Getty

When asked if Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer's rivalry is the greatest, Pete Sampras ranked it at the top with some of the tennis' biggest rivalries.

"One of them. You have Borg and McEnroe, myself and Andre. You have Rafa and Roger. You have Connors and Lendl. There’s a lot of good rivalries. These two guys, they’re so good, [it’s] so much fun to watch these guys compete, I might have to put on my suit and come watch tonight," Sampras said.

Acknowledging the ever-evolving nature of the sport, Sampras also noted that there is no one single greatest player to grace the tennis court. He said:

"Every decade there’s the guy. Certainly, Roger has been the best player for the last 10 years. Rafa is up there with him. Djokovic is pushing. So it’s really hard to say. There’s not one greatest player."

Federer and Nadal went toe-to-toe 40 times in their careers with the Spaniard earning 24 victories compared to the Swiss' 16. Out of their 40 battles, 14 were in Grand Slam events and Nadal led those by 10-4. When it came to Major titles, Nadal outnumbered Federer again winning 22 against the Swiss maestro's 20.