“He was my hero,” Roger Federer hails Pete Sampras as his hero as he recalls his favorite match of all time

Roger Federer recalled his match with Pete Sampras at the 2001 Wimbledon Championships and said it was his all-time favorite.

“He was my hero,” Roger Federer hails Pete Sampras as his hero as he recalls his favorite match of all time

Pete Sampras(L), Roger Federer(R) (Via Imago)

Roger Federer hailed his Wimbledon match against Pete Sampras as his all-time favorite. The first and only match between them turned out to be an epic five-setter.

The match took place in July 2001. The Swiss icon was only 19 years old and faced one of the all-time legends at the All England Club. Moreover, it was his first time playing on the Center Court.

Surprisingly, Federer pushed Sampras into a five-setter. The match had everything in it to get viewers fully invested. The Swiss maestro worked hard in the last set and made the most of a timely break point to win 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5. After the win, he became emotional and even cried.

He was my hero at the time, and this was both my first time and my only time to play against Sampras. It was the first time I played on Centre Court at Wimbledon, and it turned into five sets.There was just so much going on in my head, it was fairytale stuff. And I don’t know if this was the first time or the second time in my career when I cried after winning.
Roger Federer said (via Vogue)

Roger Federer failed to claim the title after beating the King Of Wimbledon

Roger Federer may have caused the biggest upset at Wimbledon in 2001 by ousting the ‘King Of Wimbledon’ Pete Sampras. It was a match full of energy with Federer emerging victorious. However, he could not make it his year as he lost 7-5, 7-6(8), 2-6, 7-6(6) in the next round to Tim Henman.

Roger Federer
Roger Federer (Via Imago)

It might have been a sad Wimbledon for Federer but it was the start of him becoming the next ‘King Of Wimbledon’. Two years later, he won his maiden Wimbledon title.

He would go on to win the title for four years after that, solidifying his position as the best player on grass. He would win three more titles (2009, 2012, and 2017) to take his total tally at SW19 to eight, which stands a record to date.

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