ATP Tour World Championships
Hannover, Germany
Pete Sampras def. Andre Agassi
6-1, 7-5, 6-4
November 28, 1999
An interview with PETE SAMPRAS
ATP TOUR: In his tenth World Championship, Pete wins his fifth event and the last of the millennium. First question.
QUESTION: The beginning of the week, Andre said that if he didn't win this tournament he wouldn't feel like he was No. 1. Do you feel like you're No. 1?
PETE SAMPRAS: Do I feel like No. 1? Not necessarily. ou know, if you look at the year, his winning the French, US Open, Finals at Wimbledon, that's pretty significant. But after the US Open, I kind of accepted the fact that I wasn't going to be No. 1, but, you know, I feel like I've done that in my career. I've done it longer than anyone. It's nice to be there, but my goal this week was to obviously see how I was physically and if I could win here, that's a bonus. And, you know, I just felt today it was a big match, and I've always believed in myself, that I can rise to the occasion. I was pretty much humiliated by him three days ago. Three, four days ago. I definitely wanted to prove something that, you know, I could still -- I still have it. So it was a good week.
QUESTION: In that case, updating the question I asked after the first match - is this more than you could have dreamed of?
PETE SAMPRAS: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I didn't know what to expect this week. The way I was feeling after Paris and to be having played the way I did today and having such a great week, I really didn't expect it. But, you know, I've always -- I've never questioned my ability in big matches or when I play against the best players in the world. And once I got through a couple tough matches this week, I felt like once I got to the weekend that I was going to be match shape, and, you know, played well against Kiefer which gave me some confidence going into today, and, you know, Andre played so well against me on Wednesday that if he was going to continue that, you know, it was too good. But I played at a level that reminded me a little bit of Wimbledon, kind of got in the zone, served well, did pretty much what I wanted to do.
QUESTION: Pete, you appeared to position yourself rather gingerly into the chair there. Is the back a bit of a problem?
PETE SAMPRAS: I have ice on my back. You want to see it?
QUESTION: Not really. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Three months' injury time - do you feel that it's a great achievement to finish No. 3 at the end of the year?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, all things considered, only completing eight events, you know, that's with the ranking system, it's -- won five tournaments out of eight I guess. So it's a pretty good percentage. I'm more pleased with the victory today than the ranking. The ranking isn't quite as significant. It's nice, but beating Andre, who's had a phenomenal year, is what I'm most pleased about.
QUESTION: Can you compare the two feelings, last year you were exhausted at the end of the season, but for six times No. 1, and this season you couldn't play because of physical problems but still make a good end of the season.
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, I feel, compared to last year, it's night and day how I was stressing out with rankings and doing whatever I could do. This year I came in relaxed; didn't expect too much from the week. So I felt that I certainly can rise to the occasion playing the best players in the world. This week I just got better and better and really saved the best for last. Last year this point, I was, you know, I lost a tough match to Corretja, I got the ranking but I was certainly very depleted and very tired. This year, obviously not playing much, I felt very fresh going into today's match and looking at Andre's body language in the third set, I mean, he played a lot of matches, maybe mentally he felt it a little bit. He's played so well and today he, you know, ran into someone that was playing about as well as he could.
QUESTION: How crucial was it to stop him from 4-1 in the second? You seemed to lose your service rhythm at the start of the second.
PETE SAMPRAS: I did. For about ten minutes there,. I pretty much gave him a break and double-faulted twice, you know, kind of let him back into the match. When you let Andre into a match and give him some confidence, he can kind of steamroll you. But I still felt I was hitting the ball well; needed to slow down a little bit, play at my pace. Once I broke him back, he kind of changed the momentum within a minute. Just the second -- after the second I felt he was going to have to fight real hard to break me and maybe win the match. So I felt good in the third.
QUESTION: Anything at all surprise you about how well you played today?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, nothing -- it didn't -- it didn't -- well, I'm pleased. But I'm not surprised. I mean, I've been doing this for quite a while and have been in big Finals against the best, and, you know, with the crowd and walking out there with him, I was very pumped up and ready to go. So I was, you know, yesterday helped. I mean, yesterday playing against Kiefer and getting my timing back, compared to how I played against Lapentti, I went into this match with a little bit more confidence. He always brings out the best in me. When I'm not -- you know, Wednesday, that's what happened. But today, everything just clicked.
QUESTION: After all, do you think it's been an advantage to have lost the first leg against him?
PETE SAMPRAS: I don't think that it's an advantage. If anything, it was a disadvantage since he destroyed me 2 and 2. That didn't sit too well with me. But it, you know, it's tough to beat five guys in the top eight in six days. I think every player that's won here has lost a match. And this just goes to show - it's hard to play at that level for five or six straight days, but, you know, I had to save the best for last.
QUESTION: Pete, in view of what Andre said on Wednesday about your recovery, that he knew from the past that he wouldn't be surprised to see you in the final, especially with the way you came back from injury and played so few matches, does the name on the cap say "Lakers" or "Lazarus?"
PETE SAMPRAS: It says "Lakers." (Laughter.)
QUESTION: That very emotional press conference at the US Open after you hurt your back, you were very philosophical. You said this happened because there is a reason and I'll try to figure it out later. Did you figure it out?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, yeah. It definitely gave me some time to spend at home with my family, which was nice, and if anything, you kind of appreciate your health. Without my health, I can't play. You know I went through a huge wave of emotions after the US Open. I was, you know, P.O.'d, I was upset, I felt maybe that was going to be it for the year. You can't make decisions on emotion. You know, going to treatment every day for two months, I just had to do it. And, you know, thinking about my career over the next two, three years, what I want to be a part of, playing some more Davis Cup, which is something I want to do - it gave me some time to maybe reflect a little bit, which is something I haven't done. I've played a lot, there's not much of an off-season to do that. And I had some fun. I had some fun with my time off. I did some things I haven't done. My focus wasn't just tennis and training, I did some other things that I haven't done in many years.
QUESTION: Winning the last final of the season in straight sets against Andre, does it mean that you kind of sent him a message saying, "Maybe, okay, you're No. 1 for the season, but I'm still the best player in the world?"
PETE SAMPRAS: We can argue about that all day. You look at the way he's performed over the Slams, he's been more consistent. He's played more. So with the ranking, he's, you know, he, you know, I guess kind of -- he deserves it. To win two Slams and the Finals of another, that doesn't happen very often. But, you know, maybe it sent him a message today. I don't look at it like that. I don't look at it like it's a personal thing with Andre, it's a message. We're going to take some time off and get ready for Australia and just go and play. It's never been about messages. But, you know, I played as about as well as I could.
QUESTION: How much of this is a boost to you for Australia?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, it's night and day with the conditions. It's a long way away, but it helps the confidence physically with my back that I can go the distance and that I can do it. I can still play this game. Which I never questioned it, but you just -- you don't really expect to play at the level that I did today. So it helps, but there's enough time off to kind of refocus my energy to Australia and get myself in good shape and -- but it certainly is going to give my Christmas shopping a little more extra money to spend. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: The other day you talked about your physical needs now, what you have to do for your back. Are you going to do anything different as far as training goes?
PETE SAMPRAS: No. I'm going to pretty much do the same that I've always done. It's just I have to put in some more back exercises, keep it strong, and do that pretty much three, four times a week. But it's still pretty much the same conditioning, weight lifting and running and doing pretty much what I've been doing over the years.
QUESTION: What do you think of the new ranking system? What kind of impact will it have on the professional tennis Tour?
PETE SAMPRAS: I think it's good that we're going to simplify it and everyone starts with zero and you just play the year. Whoever has the most is No. 1 player in the world. It's up to this point, it has been a little bit confusing, with the different No. 1s. Now it's more of a race. And it will give everyone a chance to understand how it works, because up to this point, it can be confusing. So I like it. You know, it's... Go ahead.
QUESTION: The season is finished, Pete. But there is a Davis Cup final. Do you have a bet for that?
PETE SAMPRAS: I don't have a bet. You want to have one? (Laughter.) With your accent, you're probably routing for France. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Give me your opinion on it.
PETE SAMPRAS: Who's playing? I mean who's playing in the tie?
QUESTION: Philippoussis, Hewitt, Pioline --
PETE SAMPRAS: I'm going to be laying on a beach, so... The other guys can fight it out. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Are you going straight to Melbourne? Are you going to play Kooyong?
PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, most likely Kooyong.
QUESTION: What do you think about Andre's level of game today?
PETE SAMPRAS: Well, you know, I really felt I didn't -- I was on top of him early. I didn't give him a chance to get into his rhythm. You saw what happened on Wednesday when you give him a lead and you give him confidence, he didn't serve quite as well. He was just a little bit off. Just a combination that he's been playing so well and maybe hit the wall a little bit, and me playing, you know, the best I played all week, it happened and straight sets it was.