"Look at what Jimmy Connors did, what Andre Agassi has done" - When Pete Sampras quickly shut down media doubting him as an 'older player'
Pete Sampras once opened up about being treated as an "older player" by the media. At the time, the American was 29, and he mentioned the accomplishments of the likes of Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi after they turned 30.
During a series of interviews at the US Open in 2000, Sampras was asked several questions about turning old. The American, then 29, had reached the semifinal of the Australian Open and won the Wimbledon Championships that year.
He was asked if the media looked at him as "an older tennis player" sometimes. Sampras noted that 29 was still "young." He gave examples of great athletes who played into their 30s and kept achieving big things.
"29 is still pretty young. I mean, you know, you look at someone like a Jordan or Gretzky, played till they're 35, I think. It's a different sport, team sport. Tennis players historically are done at 29, 30. I feel like I've got the game that I can play for as long as I want because of my serve," Pete Sampras said.
Agassi, who was just a year older than Sampras, won multiple Majors after turning 29. Meanwhile, Jimmy Connors played his first Grand Slam main draw after turning 28 and won all eight Major titles after turning 30.
"29 is still pretty young, I believe. I mean, you can still do well in majors. Look at what Connors did for many years. He won majors at 30, 31. Look at Andre, what he's done. So it can be done. It's not that old (laughter)," Sampras added.
When Pete Sampras opened up about avoiding regrets and maximizing his legacy
During the same series of interviews, a reporter revealed that when discussing the legacies of tennis greats, Billie Jean King pointed out that Jimmy Connors likely had no "what ifs" about his career, while Bjorn Borg, who retired early, might have some.
Given this background, Pete Sampras was asked if his pursuit of more Grand Slam titles was because he did not want to have any regrets. Sampras acknowledged that there was truth to this.
"Oh, yeah. I've been asked that many times. My goals have always been the major tournaments. I got the rest of my life to look back on my tennis. I always pride myself on doing the right thing, preparing well, and working hard," Pete Sampras said.
"At 29, I feel like I've got a lot of good years left in me to really contend for major tournaments. That's what drives me and that's what keeps me going. You know, I don't want to have any regrets when I look back on my tennis, all the talent that I had, I kind of wasted it away. I wanted to take advantage of it," he added.
At the 2000 US Open, Sampras lost in the final to Marat Safin in straight sets. He reached the final again in 2001 and lost to Lleyton Hewitt. His only Major title after turning 30 came at the 2002 US Open, where he defeated Andre Agassi in the final.