"Roger Federer has hairier legs too" - When Andre Agassi outlined differences between him, Pete Sampras & Swiss legend

Andre Agassi ended his career as one of the greatest men's tennis players to come out of the United States, winning a grand total of eight Grrand Slam titles. His arch-rival Pete Sampras, however, eclipsed him, winning 14 Majors, a record at the time.

Towards the end of the careers of both Sampras and Agassi, one Roger Federer burst onto the tennis scene. The Swiss won his first Slam at the 2003 Wimbledon, and won three Slams the following year -- the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

With Federer quickly becoming recognized as someone with all-time great potential, Agassi was asked during his press conference at the 2005 Australian Open about what set apart the Swiss and Sampras. Agassi opined that, in addition to the Major count, there was a lot that was different between the two when it came to their style of play.

At the same time, Agassi admitted there were behavioral similarities between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, particularly the relaxed way they played the sport and the way they made opponents feel helpless on the court.

"Well, the difference between them right now is 10 Grand Slams. That's a lot. But Pete was a great champion, and Roger has proven that every day. They have a way of -- the great champions have a way of making you appreciate what it is they do out there on that court," Andre Agassi said.

"They have a way of making you feel like if you don't play a perfect match, you're going to lose. They both do that. So that's similar. But I don't -- they're both very relaxed on the court as far as how they play the game. They both play it very easily. But I don't feel like their weapons are the same," he added.

Asked about what he felt was the difference between him and Federer, Agassi also joked that the Swiss had hairier legs before giving a serious answer.

"And he has hairier legs, too, sure. I play the game much differently," Agassi said.

Agassi's head-to-head record against Sampras ended up being 20-14 in favor of the latter, while he trails 8-3 against Federer.

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Roger Federer and Andre Agassi met at the 2005 Australian Open

Andre Agassi - ISPO Munich 2024 - Source: Getty

At the same press conference, Andre Agassi also spoke about what it felt mentally to take on Roger Federer, saying that while the Swiss had enough experience in big matches, he felt good about his own chances against him.

"I think he has enough experience to deal with each person on the merits of that day. I mean, it's what makes sports so great. You know, you can't phone in the result. You got to show up and you got to tee 'em up and you got to find a way to get it done over and over again. We both have to figure out how we're going to do that on Tuesday," Andre Agassi said.

The two ended up facing off in the quarterfinals of the 2005 Australian Open, with Federer winning in straight sets. However, he fell in the semifinals next to Marat Safin.