"Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer looking at each other like 'Oh no! Mom & dad are fighting'" - Pete Sampras-Andre Agassi beef recalled by journalist
Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim went down memory lane and recalled a charity match between Roger Federer-Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal-Andre Agassi.
Federer, Nadal, Sampras, and Agassi came together for a doubles match in 2010 to support the Haiti earthquake affected. The event called 'Hit for Haiti 2' was organized in Indian Wells. The likes of Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graff, Justine Henin, and Lindsay Davenport participated in the event.
The battle between rivals from the 1990s and rivals from the 2000s began on a lighter note. However, things turned awkward in the ninth game of the match as Sampras and Agassi took shots at each other.
Sampras began the exchange by imitating Agassi's pigeon-toed walk, after saying:
"Okay Andre, I'll joke around a little bit... I'm gonna imitate you."
Agassi was apparently unimpressed. He hit back at his compatriot by showing his empty pockets referring to Sampras' habit of tipping meagerly and said:
"I don't have any money... No! No! wait I got a dollar! It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt huh!"
The gesture changed the look on the 14-time Grand Slam champion's face before Federer jumped in for some damage control.
"This rivalry is intense man," the Swiss said jokingly. "Rafa start... you know... do something."
But Sampras vented out his frustration by directing his next serve right at Agassi rather than serving it cross-court towards Nadal. The eight-time Grand Slam champion wasn't having it as he jeered back, saying:
"You know what... It's better than being a valet driver where you're pulling up."
Jon Wertheim recalled the incident during a recent episode of the Match Point Canada podcast.
"This was sort of like joking and not, it was very intense and what I remember from that is that Rafa and Roger were looking at each other with this ‘Oh No! Mom and Dad are fighting’ look. They had this look on their face, ‘What do we do now?’," Wertheim said.
The Americans played a total of 34 matches against each other between 1989 and 2002. Sampras walked out of the rivalry as the leader with a 20-14 record on the head-to-head tally.
"If Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal get back out there to play exhibitions, they're not going to be settling scores" - Tennis journalist
Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim further suggested that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal won't go around taking revenge at similar exhibition events.
"If Roger and Rafa get back out there to play exhibitions, I do not think that they will be playing out… they’re not going to be settling scores from the years past," Wertheim opined.
Federer and Nadal's rivalry witnessed 40 epic battles before the Swiss retired in 2022. The head-to-head record stands 24-16 in favor of the Spaniard. Despite their on-court tussle, the duo have maintained healthy relations.
Nadal accompanied Federer as a doubles partner when the latter stepped on the court for one last time in September 2022. Tears rolled down the 22-time Grand Slam champion's eyes as he saw his rival bow out.