By the late 1980s—an era largely dominated by legends like Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Mats Wilander, and Ivan Lendl—two new American stars emerged on the ATP Tour: Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. Despite their vastly different playing styles, both shared an unmatched drive to win. Born in the early 1970s, Agassi and Sampras turned professional in the mid-to-late ’80s, but it was during the 1990s that they truly showcased their best tennis.
Sampras was known for his aggressive serve-and-volley game, featuring a booming serve, precise shot-making, and dominance at the net. Agassi, in contrast, thrived from the baseline, excelling with his exceptional return, strategic point construction, and trademark two-handed backhand. Their contrasting approaches led to some of the most iconic clashes in tennis history.
When it comes to career prize money, Sampras earned $43,280,489, while Agassi brought in $31,152,975, according to ATP’s official records. Both enjoyed careers spanning more than 15 years and collected dozens of titles.
However, prize money in their era was far lower than today’s standards. Much of their wealth also came from major endorsement deals rather than just on-court earnings.
Head-to-head: Sampras vs Agassi
Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi met 34 times in ATP-sanctioned tournaments, with Sampras holding the upper hand in their rivalry, 20–14. Their first meeting came in 1989 in Rome, while their final clash took place in the 2002 U.S. Open final—a match that also marked the last Grand Slam title of Sampras’ career.
In Grand Slam finals, the head-to-head leaned even more heavily toward Sampras, who won four of their five championship encounters (4–1). Interestingly, despite their fierce rivalry, the two joined forces to help the United States capture Davis Cup titles in both 1992 and 1995.
The legendary career of Pete Sampras
Before the era of the “Big Three” in men’s tennis, Pete Sampras was the all-time Grand Slam leader with 14 major titles—winning the Australian Open twice, Wimbledon seven times, and the U.S. Open five times. Beyond his Grand Slam success, Sampras spent many years as the ATP’s world No. 1 and amassed an impressive total of 64 career titles.
Andre Agassi’s remarkable journey
Andre Agassi competed professionally from 1986 to 2006. Over two decades, he captured 60 ATP titles, including eight Grand Slams. Agassi also won the Olympic gold medal in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Games and helped the United States win three Davis Cup titles. Today, he remains connected to tennis, working both as a broadcaster and in a coaching role for rising star Holger Rune.