June 08, 08
The best ever? Pete Sampras was true Wimbledon class --- on and off the grass
By sayan das
Why the American pips Roger Federer and all those other greats as the finest ever champion of the tennis world's most cherished tournament.
Big tournaments bring out the best in players and Wimbledon has been the greatest test in the world of competitive tennis. Steeped in history and tradition, it is the ultimate barometer of success and of a player's talent. A single Wimbledon title can change the course of a career and make critics and admirers perceive him in a completely different light. Just ask Richard Krajicek.
The greatest Wimbledon champion is a very contentious issue with nominees who are heavyweight champions in their own right, with multiple achievements which are incomparable.
I count Fred Perry, Donald Budge, Bill Tilden, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer as the chief contenders to be the best Wimbledon champion of all times. William Renshaw also won seven titles at Wimbledon but I am counting the period of tennis when the tournament had opened its gate to the world and the media had actively taken an interest in the game.
I believe that to qualify as the best Wimbledon champion of all time we need not just see the player and his astonishing success in the game, and particularly at Wimbledon, but also how well he created a legacy around his success and how good an ambassador of the sport he was.
Keeping all these parameters in mind, I believe Sampras to be the greatest Wimbledon champion of all time. His astonishing seven titles in a span of eight years and his ability to remain on top of his game when the grass court season hit, considering a very disappointing clay court season year after year, was a testament to his talent and tenacity.
In his seven-year affair with Wimbledon, he defeated quality players such as Jim Courier, Goran Ivanisevic, Cedric Pioline, Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter with his power-packed game of serve and volley. His demeanour suited the ageless elegance and polish, which the tournament demanded of its players, and his quiet focus kept allegiance to the calm dignity and grim determination that had come to characterise the Championship.
In between his seven titles, he had a heart-breaking loss in 1996 to the formidable Krajicek, who seemed to have peaked at that moment just to win that solitary Grand Slam. That defeat, rather than deject Sampras, fired him to win the next four Championships, battling illness, injuries and more youthful opponents and the pressure of greatness. He was the greatest ambassador for the sport, a perfect professional, a respected champion and a very responsible icon for the young. For that and more, I believe he is the greatest Wimbledon champion of all time.
Federer has already equalled the record of five consecutive Wimbledon Championships held by Bjorn Borg, which Sampras could not break, but we need to wait a little longer to declare his greatness at Wimbledon. Borg played like a dream for five years at Wimbledon, but then again the impact that Sampras created with his professionalism makes him go ahead of the Swedish great.
Budge, Tilden, Connors, McEnroe, Edberg, and Becker are legends, but the magnitude of seven titles held by Sampras overshadows their achievements at Wimbledon. Laver and Agassi won titles here to complete career Grand Slams, two calendar Grand Slams for the former, but then Sampras brought a special, absolutely unique quality to the Championships.