"Steffi Graf and I don’t want this crazy life for Jaden or Jaz" - When Andre Agassi lamented his 'shameful' lie in response to Pete Sampras question

Andre Agassi once admitted to telling a blatant lie about whether he wanted his and Steffi Graf's son Jaden to follow in their footsteps and become a tennis player. The American made the remarks in response to a question about his and Pete Sampras' sons potentially continuing their legendary rivalry.

When Graf was pregnant with their son Jaden in 2001, Agassi placed a public $100 bet that his baby would beat Pete Sampras' baby, while Sampras joked that his child would have the edge when it came to height. However, the eight-time Grand Slam champion had a change of heart regarding his son's potential tennis future by the time the 2005 Australian Open rolled around.

In his 2009 autobiography 'Open,' Andre Agassi recalled an incident when Jim Courier interviewed him at the Melbourne Slam and asked when they could expect to see Jaden square off against Sampras' son Christian. The former World No. 1 remembered saying that he hoped his son would end up choosing tennis as his profession because of how much he loved it.

"He puts the microphone in front of my mouth and asks: How long before Jaden Agassi plays Pete’s son? I look into the camera and say: My biggest hope for my child is that he’s focused on something. Then I add: Hopefully he’ll choose tennis, because I love it so much," Andre Agassi wrote.

However, Agassi admitted that this was a "shameful" lie since he and Steffi Graf had decided to keep their son Jaden and daughter Jaz away from the crazy life of professional tennis. The American also revealed that he had only told the fib because he felt guilty about his hatred for the sport.

"The old, old lie. But now it’s even more shameful, because I’ve attached it to my son. The lie threatens to become my legacy. Stefanie and I are more resolved than ever that we don’t want this crazy life for Jaden or Jaz, so what made me say it? As always, I suppose it was what I knew people wanted to hear," he added. "I felt guilty for hating it. The lie may have been my way of hiding my guilt, or atoning for it."

As it turns out, neither of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf's children ended up becoming tennis players. While Jaden is pursuing a career in professional baseball, Jaz has become a fitness trainer.

"We would reach out just to have our kids play" - Pete Sampras on his and Andre Agassi's friendship

Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi - Source: Getty

While the much-awaited tennis match between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras' sons never came to fruition, the arch-rivals did get their children together for playdates. In an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2007, Sampras disclosed that he and Agassi had managed to set their rivalry aside and become friends after retirement.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion also shared that he and Agassi made efforts to get their children together on playdates whenever they were in each other's hometowns.

"I would [describe us as friends today]," Sampras said. "Not anything where we stay in touch week to week, but if he were ever in L.A. or I were in Las Vegas, I think we would reach out to one another just to get together or have our kids play."

Like Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, Pete Sampras and his wife Bridgette Wilson have two children. They welcomed their firstborn son Christian in 2002 and their second son Ryan in 2005.