Pete Sampras is a 14-time Grand Slam champion and undoubtedly the best American male player in tennis history.
Sampras, a winner of 14 Grand Slam titles, retired from the sport in 2003, ending his glittering career at a ceremony during the 2003 US Open.
At that point in time, Sampras was widely considered to be the greatest male player in history. After all, he had won a record number of majors, including a record-breaking seven Wimbledon titles. This record was later eclipsed by Roger Federer, who won his eighth Wimbledon title in 2017.
However, for all of Sampras’ success, there was one event that he was unable to capture – the French Open.
In 2001, his struggles at the tournament came to a head when he was knocked out in the second round, despite being seeded fifth.
Pete Sampras said the 2001 French Open was a ‘major deflation’
Sampras began his 2001 French Open campaign by barely scraping by qualifier Cedric Kauffmann. Sampras needed five sets to defeat the Frenchman, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 8-6.
In the next round, Sampras’ struggles were exploited. He lost in straight sets to Spain’s Galo Blanco, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In an interview with the Guardian a few weeks later, Sampras reflected on his French Open campaign.
He said: “The whole year’s been pretty disappointing, but Paris was a major deflation.
“You know, I’d put a lot of energy, a lot of thought, really a whole year’s focus on the one major I hadn’t won. And I didn’t play well, in fact I lost, and it really wasn’t a good day to have a bad day. And I went home and I was just very down.
“Since then I’ve told myself to look forward, to move on, and over time I guess you do, but right now, you know, I’ve felt better.”
If you were in charge of tennis, what is the first rule you would change?
Sampras struggled to capture his best form throughout 2001, losing in the fourth round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
He did reach the final of the US Open, but lost to Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets.
Who won the 2001 French Open?
Top seed Gustavo Kuerten won his third and final French Open title in 2001.
The Brazilian, the world number one at the time, began the tournament by defeating future finalist Guillermo Coria, before knocking out Agustin Calleri and Karim Alami.
He then defeated qualifier Michael Russell in five sets, before beating Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Juan Carlos Ferrero in quick succession.
What is your bold prediction for the 2026 tennis season?
In the final, Kuerten beat 13th seed Àlex Corretja 6-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-0.
