Never was there a more memorable match than the one Agassi won over James Blake in the U.S. When that happens, it wears you down mentally to the point where you pretty much make it known that it’s time to move on.” I think physically it’s taken its toll the last few years. He’s going to be missed, but at the same time, I think he knew it was time to move on. “He was a great player that brought a lot to the sport, brought a lot to my legacy, just in our matches. “When he announced it, it was the end of an era,” Sampras said. Just you know, one of the best.”Īgassi played in 15 Grand Slam finals and won eight. It’s hard to compare the eras and all that stuff. I think in the ’90s, he was one of the best players, with me included. I just think it’s hard to mention who was the best ever on the list. Was he better than Connors? McEnroe? Just the generations. “I see him somewhere in the top 10 of the greats of all time, being able to win on all surfaces, being No.1 in the world. “It’s hard to put a number on it, where I see him,” Sampras said. In less than two weeks, Agassi will be gone from tennis, too. Open in his last competitive match, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. No one but Agassi should have been on the other side of the net when Sampras won the 2002 U.S.

“As opposed to one moment, I’ll remember more this bigger picture of a guy who came into tennis having very little respect for the history of the game and the traditions of the game, and now the guy is the spokesman for the game.” Open in ’02 and then taking that disappointment and coming back and training that much harder and going down to win in Australia the next year. “What I remember most about him is his disappointment in losing big matches, particularly at the U.S. “Andre has so many memories, so many stories,” said Patrick McEnroe, a former pro who is now a CBS and ESPN commentator and the U.S. Only once did either player win more than three meetings in a row. Sampras won four of those finals and overall won 20 of the 34 head-to-head matches. Opens, an Australian Open and one Wimbledon. They played 34 matches against each other over three decades (1989-2002), including finals at three U.S.

It was as close to a great rivalry as I think we’ve had in the sport the past 10, 15 years.” There was a little more on it, both being American, 1-2 in the world. Whenever I walked out there against Andre, I felt different than playing Becker, Stich or Edberg. “We as a rivalry hit mainstream sports fans that might not be tennis fans but maybe tuned into the match,” Sampras said. It’s a great environment to be your last.”Īnd the tennis world is loud and united in one voice: Current champion or not, Agassi’s performance at this Open won’t affect his 20-year pro legacy.

They made me a better tennis player and a better person. They helped me grow personally and professionally.

Andre agassi us open 2006