Pete Sampras' 5 biggest rivals: From Andre Agassi to Boris Becker
Pete Sampras is one of the most iconic names in the world of tennis. The American player was a trailblazer in the 90s and the early part of the 2000s.
One of the most efficient serve and volley players the sport has ever witnessed, the former World No. 1 depended on his precision tennis and his tremendous mental fortitude to secure 14 Grand Slam titles in his career. That record stood till Roger Federer passed it at the 2009 Wimbledom Championships.
Let's look at some of Sampras' contemporaries, who were the American's closest on-court rivals.
#5 Michael Chang
Pete Sampras and Michael Chang met across the net 20 times, with Sampras leading the way 12-8. However, the rivalry was not as dominant in the beginning for the 14-time Major winner.
The duo played each other for the first time at the 1989 French Open, where Chang defeated Sampras in straight sets, losing only 3 games in the process. This started a series of five straight victories for the former World No. 2.
Sampras' first victory against Chang came during their sixth encounter at the 1990 Grand Slam Cup. The duo met each other 5 times at the Majors, with Sampras having a 4-1 lead. The pair contested at the 1996 US Open final, which the former World No. 1 won in straight sets.
Sampras was dominant in the latter half of the rivalry as he won 10 of his last 12 encounters against Chang.
#4 Goran Ivanisevic
Goran Ivanisevic matched up well against Sampras in the early part of their rivalry because the Croatian was one of the best servers the game had ever seen. The duo played each other for the first time in Long Island in 1990, with the Croatian winning in straight sets.
Ivanisevic was dominant early initially as he won 5 of their first seven matches, including a semifinal win at the 1992 Wimbledon. However, Sampras rallied back in the back half of the rivalry, losing just one match in the last 11 that the duo played.
The two players had some feisty encounters at Wimbledon, playing the final in 1994 and 1998. While Sampras won the 1994 match in straight sets, the 1998 final was a five-set thriller that also went in the favor of the American. Due to the late surge of the American in the rivalry, their overall head-to-head finished 12-6 in his favor.
#3 Boris Becker
Pete Sampras and Boris Becker played each other 19 times, during the course of their respective careers. The pair met for the first time at the Masters 1000 event in Stockholm, where the German player won in straight sets.
This rivalry is another in which Sampras started slowly, as Becker won 3 of the first matches that they played. However, since then, the American player racked off four consecutive wins against his German opponent, including a semifinal win at the 1993 Wimbledon. The pair also met at the final of the 1995 Wimbledon, where Sampras won in four sets.
The first 11 encounters between two players were on almost even keel, as Sampras led 6-5. However, in the last 8 encounters, the American thoroughly dominated the German player, winning 6 of them. The head-to-head finished 12-7 in Sampra's favor.
#2 Jim Courier
Despite being a contemporary and Former World No. 1 himself, Jim Courier could not tackle the genius of Pete Sampras. The pair met 20 times, with Courier just winning 4 of those matches.
The four wins came for Courier in between long winning streaks for Sampras. Courier won the 4th,8th,13th, and 19th matches of the rivalry, signifying that he did not have a consolidated period of dominance over his compatriot.
The pair contested 8 times in Grand Slams, with Sampras leading 6-2. Both of Courier's wins came at the French Open. The pair famously contested the 1993 Wimbledon final, which the seven-time champion won in four sets.
For Sampras, there have been some remarkable comeback victories as well. At the 1995 Australian Open and at the 1996 French Open, he had lost the first two sets against Courier. However, both times, the great player rallied back, winning the encounters in five sets.
#1 Andre Agassi
The Pete Sampras- Andre Agassi duel was one of the most prolific tennis rivalries in the 1990s and early 2000s. The head-to-head was 20-14 in favor of Sampras with the pair having contested in as many as 5 Grand Slam finals.
The duo first met across the net in Rome in 1989, with Agassi winning in straight sets. The first 16 encounters between the two players were split even at 8-8, with Sampras winning the 1990 US Open final against Agassi, and the latter winning the 1995 Australian Open final against the 14-time Major winner.
In the second phase of the rivalry, Sampras led 9-3, winning two Major finals against Agassi at the 1995 US Open and the 1999 Wimbledon. The duo split their last 6 encounters 3-3, with Sampras winning their last match at the 2002 US Open final, to win his last Grand Slam title.