After a Decade-Long Rivalry With Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi Blamed the American Legend for One of His Major Career Regrets – ‘Would Have Been Way Better Off’

During the 90s, the tennis community was treated to some of the greatest rivalries on the men’s circuit, from the Navratilova-Evert rivalry to the likes of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. Agassi, the 8-time singles Grand Slam champion was undoubtedly a dominant force as he outclassed a lot of big names on the tennis court. During his two-decades-long journey, if there was one opponent that he relished playing against, it was his compatriot and archrival, Pete Sampras.

In the 34 meetings between the two Hall of Famers, Sampras won more often than his arch-rival. Speaking of their fierce rivalry, Agassi once revealed how his tennis career would have been way better without the 14-time singles Grand Slam champion.

Andre Agassi once made a surprising revelation about his rivalry with Pete Sampras

The former American tennis player was previously featured in an interview with the former Indian tennis player, Vijay Amritraj. During the show, Andre Agassi opened up about his stellar journey on the court in which he outclassed some of the greatest players, like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. However, there was one player whom the 8 singles Grand Slam champion often failed to overcome on the court.

It was none other than Pete Sampras, who was another force to be reckoned with on the men’s circuit. Among all the other tennis legends, the 14-time singles Grand Slam champion made Agassi feel like just another average player on the court.

Even during their 34 meetings on the men’s circuit, Sampras had an upper hand on his compatriot. Notably, Agassi said, “Well, my career would have been way better off without Pete for sure,” as he looked back at his intense rivalry with the former tennis ace.

Agassi and Sampras had different on-court personalities and playing styles

The American tennis legends were undoubtedly two of the biggest names on the men’s circuit given their list of achievements. However, they both had different personalities and approach toward their game on the court. Rafael Nadal previously hailed his idols in an interview, while detailing some of the differences between them.

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The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who is known for his resilience, said that he has always been inspired by Agassi’s fighting spirit. Pete Sampras, on the other hand, had an aggressive playing style that has long been admired by the Spaniard.

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What do you think of the intense rivalry between the Hall of Famers on the men’s circuit? Let us know in the comments section.