Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras both enjoyed superb careers, flying the flag for American men’s tennis at different stages.
The pair only crossed paths on the ATP Tour on three occasions, with Roddick claiming two wins over Sampras.
But it was the latter who fared better on the very biggest stage, with Sampras boasting a huge 14 Grand Slam titles.
Roddick clinched just one, although both American stars did manage to reach number one in the world rankings.
Andy Roddick heaped praise on Pete Sampras ahead of his retirement
Roddick was indeed tasked with discussing his compatriot ahead of the 2003 US Open, where he was asked if he was comfortable carrying the mantle for American tennis ahead of Sampras’ impending retirement, and indeed with Andre Agassi getting older.
He said: “Yeah, I was pretty lucky, Pete and Andre were both playing when I kind of started to make my move, and Andre is still playing great tennis. So, it’s been kind of easier for me. Now I’m at the point where I feel like I am ready.”
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And when asked what he thought Sampras’ legacy would be, Roddick replied: “I think it will be pretty much what everybody thinks.
“He was just one of the most graceful players of all time, one of the most quietly competitive people of all time.
“And he’s got to be one… when I think of him, I think of him as one of the best pressure players of all time. It seemed like the bigger the match was, the better that he played.
“You know, he just did it all in his own time. He didn’t really make a big fuss about things. He just made his name by winning.”
Why Andy Roddick panicked against Pete Sampras at the US Open
Sampras’ last Grand Slam success arrived at the US Open a year earlier, with the superstar having knocked out Roddick en route to the title.
Looking back on that quarterfinal loss a year later, Roddick recalled: “I don’t remember much from it. It was over too quickly. But I think a year has made a big difference. I don’t know if I’d be scared if I was in that same situation.
“He just hit me like a ton of bricks and I didn’t really know how to respond. I kind of panicked a little bit, and I don’t know if I would panic if I was in the same situation this year.”
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Very fittingly, while Sampras decided not to defend his title in New York and retire instead, it was indeed Roddick who went on to lift the trophy.
He defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final, with the Spaniard having knocked out 2002 runner-up Agassi in the semifinals.
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