"If it's Andre and his son against me and Pete, I just might consider it" - When Pete Sampras' wife joked about facing off against the Agassi family
The relationship of Pete Sampras and his wife Bridgette Wilson-Sampras garnered considerable attention when the duo got married at the start of the millennium. With her acting career taking off at the same time, Wilson-Sampras was in the spotlight quite often.
During a promotional interview with Sports Illustrated regarding one of her upcoming movies in 2002, Wilson-Sampras was naturally asked some questions relating to her husband and tennis. She took that opportunity to shed some light on how things started between her and the tennis icon.
"He actually left a message the first time. He was just so sweet and humble, and it was such a cute message, I was like, 'O.K., I'll call him'," - she said.
The 2002 interview was around the time the 14-time Major champion was close to retiring, so Wilson-Sampras was also quizzed about his future plans.
"I'm mixed because it's all in his court. The great thing about it is he's in a position where he can do whatever he wants to do. If he wants to continue to play and enjoys it, a lot of the pressure is off. If he doesn't want to play, he doesn't have to," she said.
Wilson-Sampras was then asked if she and her husband would face off against Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf in a doubles match. She replied that she was fine with Agassi being on the opposing side, but that she would prefer if he teamed up with his son to even the odds considering Graf's tennis skills.
"If it's Andre and [their infant son], Jaden, against me and Pete, I just might consider it," she joked.
Pete Sampras' record of most indoor Masters victories recently broken by Novak Djokovic
Pete Sampras was the holder of numerous records when he retired from the sport two decades ago. Many thought these records would stand the test of time and that players would find it tough to match his achievements.
But with the rise of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, many of Sampras' records have now been surpassed. Djokovic's win over Maxime Cressy at the Paris Masters last month allowed him to overtake Sampras in most indoor Masters victories.
Sampras had held the record with 47 wins for a long time, but Djokovic has surpassed him now. The Serb made it all the way to the final in Paris but lost to Holger Rune. He then went on to win his sixth title at the ATP Finals a couple of weeks later.
However, Pete Sampras' record of finishing the year ranked No. 1 for six straight years is unlikely to be broken any time soon.