"I’m not worried, it’s not going to happen again": When Andre Agassi recalled Pete Sampras' response to teasing over loss to then-World No. 110 Agassi
Andre Agassi once recalled Pete Sampras' confident response when being teased about losing to Agassi while he was ranked outside the top 100.
Agassi had a hugely successful 20-year career, winning eight Grand Slam titles, holding the World No. 1 ranking for 101 weeks, and securing a remarkable 60 ATP titles. However, his career hit a significant snag in 1997 when the reemergence of a wrist injury limited him to only 24 matches for the year. This setback caused him to plummet out of the top 100 as he concluded the year without a single title to his name.
However, the then-World No. 110 kicked off his 1998 season with a remarkable resurgence. He claimed his first title of the year at the Sybase Open, securing a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win over two-time defending champion Pete Sampras in the final.
Andre Agassi discussed this match in his autobiography 'Open,' revealing that his arch-rival seemed genuinely pleased to have him back on tour. Agassi admitted to missing his compatriot as well and speculated that a part of Sampras may have even been secretly rooting for his success.
"I go to San Jose and play well. I meet Pete in the final. He seems glad to have me back, glad to see me again on the other side, as if he’s missed me. I have to admit, I’ve missed him too. I win, 6–2, 6–4, and toward the end, part of him seems to be pulling for me. He knows what I’m attempting, how far I have to go," he wrote.
Agassi also recalled playfully teasing Sampras about how easy it was to defeat him and ribbing him for losing to a player ranked outside the top 100. However, Sampras confidently brushed off the jabs, asserting that he wasn't concerned because it wouldn't happen again.
"I tease him in the locker room about how easy it was to beat him. How does it feel to lose to someone outside the top hundred? I’m not too worried about it, he says. It’s not going to happen again," Andre Agassi wrote.
A brief look at Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras' rivalry
Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras established one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history. They locked horns in 34 tour-level encounters, with Sampras enjoying a 20-14 lead in their head-to-head record.
Sampras also held a 6-3 winning record against his compatriot in their Grand Slam meetings. Furthermore, he defeated Agassi in four of their five clashes in Major finals, triumphing at the 1990 US Open, the 1995 US Open, the 1999 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2002 US Open.
Meanwhile, Agassi emerged victorious in the 1995 Australian Open final, claiming a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(6), 6-4 win over Sampras to clinch his maiden title at the Melbourne Slam.