"It was inappropriate, out of line" - When Andre Agassi apologized to Pete Sampras for mocking him during charity match
Andre Agassi's rivalry with Pete Sampras is considered to be among the biggest rivalries in the history of tennis.
The two Americans faced each other a total of 34 times, with Sampras leading the head-to-head 20-14. However, even years after retiring from professional tennis, the two tennis greats did not see eye to eye. This was established when they came together to play for a cause alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in 2010.
During the Indian Wells tournament, the four legends signed up for the 'Hit for Haiti' exhibition match to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in the Caribbean country. While Sampras teamed up with Federer, Agassi partnered with Nadal as all four wore microphones for on-court chit-chat.
When Andre Agassi taunted Sampras for being too serious, the 14-time Grand Slam winner decided to loosen up. He imitated Agassi's famous pigeon-toed walk, who in return impersonated Sampras by showing his empty pockets. What Agassi was trying to suggest was that his rival was a miser.
In his autobiography, Open, Agassi had accused Sampras of being a poor tipper. Things got a little intense and Sampras, who was supposed to serve to Nadal, hit a brutal shot in Agassi's direction, who just managed to dodge the ball. Both Federer and Nadal didn't know what to do and seemed uncomfortable.
After the event, the eight-time Major champion admitted that he was out of line and was trying to be funny. Agassi even texted Sampras as he wanted to personally apologize.
"It was out of line," Andre Agassi said. "It was inappropriate. The night was on fire. We were all having fun. I was trying to be comedic. I only had a split second to make a decision. I went for it and it fell flat. I was trying to get past it, but Pete didn't really let me get past it. He didn't really roll with it. I've texted Pete to ask him if I can apologize in person. The joke fell flat and I'm sorry. My hope was that the night was still enjoyable."
US Open Tournament Director compares Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner's rivalry with that of Pete Sampras-Andre Agassi
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played an epic five-set match in the quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open, which the Spaniard won 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3. He went on to win his maiden Grand Slam title at the age of just 19.
Speaking on Courtside: The US Open Podcast recently, US Open Tournament Director Stacey Allaster placed the new rivalry between the youngsters higher than the ones between John McEnroe-Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras-Andre Agassi.
"We watched McEnroe and Borg and how great they were. Sampras and Agassi and how great that level of tennis is. This was at a whole new level," Allaster said.