Pete Sampras was full of praise for Roger Federer after losing to him at Wimbledon in 2001.
The American was the dominant force on the ATP Tour throughout the 1990s, the decade in which he won 12 of his 14 Grand Slam titles.
As the tennis world entered a new millennium with Sampras nearing the end of his career, many wondered who would be the next superstar of the men’s game.
That question would soon be answered as Pete Sampras faced a young Roger Federer on Centre Court 23 years ago.
What did Pete Sampras say about Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2001?
In 2001 Sampras continued his Wimbledon title defence when he faced Federer in round four. The Swiss Maestro made his centre court debut and he certainly left a lasting impression on the tennis fanbase.
Federer took the lead via a tiebreak, before Sampras battled back and levelled proceedings. The pair then split sets three and four and took the contest to a decider.
Many felt Sampras and his experience in pressure moments would come out on top, but it was the youth and exuberance of Federer that came through to seal a shock 7-6(7) 5-7 6-4 6-7(2) 7-5 win.
Following the match, Sampras told reporters what he thought of Federer’s game. “There are a lot of young guys coming up, and Roger is one of them,” he said.
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“But I think he’s a little extra special than some of the other guys. I mean, he’s got a really good all-around court game.
“He was very relaxed. His demeanor on the court is pretty similar to mine. He’s pretty relaxed. Goes out and plays. Doesn’t get too emotional, too many highs and lows.
“He’s got a great backhand, serves well. He’s definitely got a good all-around court game. Doesn’t have any holes in his game. Great athlete. I mean, he really played really well.”
What was Roger Federer’s record in 2001?
In 2001 Federer began to establish himself on the ATP Tour. He won 49 matches and lost 21, which gave him a winning percentage of 70%.
He won the first of his 103 titles at the Milan Open in February of that year, and reached his first Grand Slam quarter-finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Federer made a significant move in the rankings in 2001, starting the year ranked 29 and finishing it at 13, just 16 points behind Goran Ivanisevic.
Sampras on the other hand, went through an entire season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 1992.
However, he did win the last of his 14 titles at the 2002 US Open, which was his final event as a tennis player. In fact, Sampras is the only man in the Open Era to win the final Grand Slam of his career.
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