Pete Sampras vs John McEnroe | US Open 1990 Semifinal

[@BurnsTennis]

John McEnroe said in 1993 that what surprised him in this match was how well Sampras was hitting returns and passing shots, he said he "wasn't expecting Sampras to be so strong from the baseline". Serve Volleyers were not known for those kind of counterpunching abilities. That's what marked Sampras out from other serve volleyers and why he won much more than the other fellow serve volleyers. By the way, a piece of interesting trivia. Andre Agassi has a comprehensive winning record against all serve volleyers: Agassi v Becker: 10-4 Agassi v Edberg: 6-3 Agassi v Stich: 6-0 Agassi v Rusedski: 9-2 Agassi v Rafter: 10-5 Agassi v Krajicek: 4-3 Agassi v Ivanisevic: 4-3 Agassi v Todd Martin: 13-5 Agassi v Escude: 5-1 Agassi v Henman: 2-2 (they never played a grand slam match) But Agassi v Sampras? 20-14 in Sampras' favour.

[@efrennaranjo7566]

....and ,H2H of Sampras vs. Krajicek ?

[@BurnsTennis]

@@efrennaranjo7566 I know the head to head but might as well do a like for like comparison: Sampras v Becker: 12-7 Sampras v Edberg: 8-6 Sampras v Stich: 4-5 Sampras v Rusedski: 9-1 Sampras v Rafter: 12-4 Sampras v Krajicek: 4-6 Sampras v Ivanisevic: 12-6 Sampras v Todd Martin: 18-4 Sampras v Escude: 1-1 Sampras v Henman: 6-1

[@suatkayatennis]

Mac also mention that when Sampras hit his forehand it was like he faced a basketball coming on to him .

[@suatkayatennis]

May i add : Sampras v Philippoussis : 7-4 Sampras v Wheaton : 8-0 Agassi v Cash : 1-0

[@hussTennis]

Federer vs Agassi 8/3 (1998=>2002 Agassi won 3 first matches)

[@mitchc6040]

It never gets old watching Pete Sampras!

[@moheganson]

I feel like Fed modeled his game after Pete

[@graphguy]

or McEnroe!

[@johncharles2357]

I'm so used to watching the modern game that it feels like something is missing from these classic matches. I mean the serving and volleying is interesting to watch, but other than that, the game feels a bit empty.

[@lwh7301]

@@moheganson Federer was much more graceful.

[@hardtoke]

@@graphguy that stupid eastern grip really got exposed here

[@RootWB]

Pete’s coming out party. I was attending matches at the Open that year and was a huge Mac fan. I was thrilled to see this no-name kid take out Lendl in the quarters because I thought it meant Mac had a clear path to the final. I was shocked to read the score line the next day. Pete beat him easily. Little did I appreciate at the time what a phenomenal talent Pete was. One of the best ever to play the game. Watching highlights now, you can tell Pete was having fun out there playing a legend on the big stage and showing his tremendous serve and volley game.

[@blucat4]

Yeah he didn't really have to play 100% to beat McEnroe, the game had changed to more power and topspin with the new rackets. I was a big Mac fan and it was a bit sad but until he got beaten he wasn't going to stop, so ..

[@fp387]

I agree. I watched him play Wheaton at that tournament. A star on the rise

[@robertbeach7942]

That's not the way I remember it. Mac was clearly on the downside of his career at that point and his game was a little outdated. I definitely didn't consider him the favorite in this match.

[@infrasleep]

And about a decade later Pete Sampras was taken out in Wimbledon by a no name kid called....Roger Federer !! These pesky kids!! XD If a teenager and can take out a great you're seeing the next superstar....

[@malhotraroger9106]

Sampras ..A cold killer . Amazing emotional control and focus , maybe the most ever , along with Borg .

[@josephd.2725]

Absolutely. Good assessment. Always thought the same about Sampras, even watching this back now.

[@JuanAntonioMatias-xw6dz]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉

[@edf9577]

I miss the days of serve and volley tennis. Or even volleys at all, both players seeking that net position constantly. Great stuff

[@ZAY109]

Tennis changed so much between 84 - 90. McEnroe was still winning slams in 84, but by 1990, his game seemed to have become outdated due to the increased emphasis on power.

[@antonboludo8886]

Yes, that's right.

[@FLIP238]

Because of his bad technique too

[@juliuscepeda9655]

Not that I know too much of Mac’s training, but by this time tennis players were taking exercise and fitness to a whole new level. I don’t think Mac adjusted to this whole new level of training. Especially in the later part of his career when the effects of time takes its toll, that’s when it would have been even more important to up his training in order to successfully compete with the new generation of players coming on the horizon

[@Raidersscm]

An emphasis on movement also. Sampras moved better.

[@antonboludo8886]

@@juliuscepeda9655 Yes, that is correct.

[@icefalcon2243]

This is one of those big ‘changing of the guard’ matches. It reminds me of watching a young Federer beat Sampras at Wimbledon 2001

[@isjawu]

Seriously? The changing of the guard for McEnroe happened already 1984 in Paris against Lendl whose style was a generation ahead of McEnroe. In the years after another generation without real guard arised: Becker, Edberg, Agassi. This semi-final was like great-grandson against great-grandfather.

[@Grivian]

@@isjawu People seem to forget about Lendl

[@1bcordell]

@@Grivian Lendl was my guy. Once he dialed in his fitness, he became a tennis machine.

[@matthewtrout1440]

@@isjawu He lost to Lendl at the French in 84, but proceeded to win the next two majors, including beating Lendl at the U.S. Open. The next year was arguably the changing of the guard when he lost to Lendl at both the French and U.S. Open. I'd also have a hard time saying two opponents that were 31 and 19 were three generations apart.

[@mrDareism]

​@matthewtrout1440 I hear what you are saying in regards to the generations. But the generations of tennis in that time where Lendl/Mcenroe, then you had Edberg/ Becker and then Agassi/Sampras/ Chang/ Courier. Tennis at that time was evolving so quickly.

[@devirachman5442]

This was the beginning of Pete Sampras. He is one of the best players of all time. He had the fastest serve. I was always a big fan growing up...I was a teenager back then...I had a celebrity athlete crush on him😀

[@DBfails]

its amazing you can really see the dated yet amazing strikes McEnroe does and then when Pete Sampras hits the ball you see how much more progress the technique has to nowadays.

[@jonrobles1468]

This was definitely Pete bursting onto the world scene and McEnroe's last great stand. Tennis experienced a seismic shift after this U.S. Open. The emphasis was on power and fitness. Plus it takes highlights of a match like this to remember and realize how crazy great Pete Sampras was back in the day.

[@michaelgarza8271]

He was terrifying. This is still, for me, the greatest tournament arrival of a player ever.

[@garydelcourt2791]

You know what was most impressive about Pete. He was already a level better than everyone else…. then in the Slams, especially the finals, he would crank it up another level beyond that…that is how great he was. Never saw anyone dominate like that and able to kick it up at will.

[@victorsrpapacoy5602]

For me Pete is the GOAT, as a teenager he beat up legends like Mac, Lendl and his gr8 rival Agassi in the Finals! Who did Carlos Alcaraz beat at the USOPEN 2022?!! Nobodies!!! Djokovic wasn’t allowed to play, Nadal was injured and not 100%, meanwhile the current number 1 Medvedev was upset by Kyrgios. Pete played without the hype, He let his skills and racket do the talking.

[@seanphillips9523]

@@victorsrpapacoy5602 I refer you back to Madrid where Carlos beat Nadal and Novak. It's not his fault the draw was what it was so don't be crummy.

[@victorsrpapacoy5602]

@@seanphillips9523 Madrid is not a grandslam. What are you talking about?!!!

[@jjonwards]

Sampras was huge in the 90s, gosh this clip brought back memories. Still astonishing to see how skilled Sampras was. To the younger generation, he was roger before roger

[@dontbefooledbyjumla7869]

He was well known also Agassi then came Fed he just dismissed everyone and if not for Nadal could have 5 to6 french open also

[@prant8998]

His matches were boring, he just crushed opponents.

[@StuStevens-rn7rb]

Now (24) it's moving to Sinner and Alcarez. The latter I'm predicting won't get the number of Slams that Dvorak has at this time in 24. (24) Al will suffer injuries over time that will prevent him from passing Dvor. 🤔😯

[@WalkerKlondyke]

I cannot understand how McEnroe got any power at all out of that swing. His legs are straight, body goes stiff as a board... He must've had the strongest left wrist on the planet!

[@luigi3589]

Courts were faster and he hit the ball on the rise with little or no spin. He had the greatest hand and the greatest eye ever. He hit shots no one ever had before, he is a unique player.

[@FrederickJohnSebastian]

Loose tension/strings. He had his rackets strung at low 40%. Created a slingshot effect

[@thomasmedeiros5722]

You had to be court side to appreciate what McEnroe did with the ball. He was like a magician. Also his constant movement forward put pressure on opponents and didn’t let them get comfortable.

[@exfolios]

Looked like McEnroe had very strong wrists. He just puts out his racquet for volleys without even swinging.

[@tennisfitapp]

He knew how biomechanics worked ;-)… strong legs + core 🙏 the rest are details plus his hand was amazing

[@TheImano]

Love watching those days tennis, late 80s and 90s.

[@sandro1a2b]

2 elite serve and volleyers in a meaningful singles match, MY EYES

[@ooR4]

How beautiful is serve and volley stile! I missed it very much!

[@kwansikkim8712]

I understand what you mean but Sampras wasn't considered as a serve and volleyer until late 90s.

[@iliastsouktakos604]

@@kwansikkim8712 interesting point, I think that's true.....

[@PronatorTendon]

He's still doing it here

[@seltaeb9691]

Quite happy with now. If you don't find the now exciting then nothing will.

[@seanschulze5418]

Sampras's game is obviously incredibly impressive but what is really amazing is his demeanor - ice cool, focused, determined and never flustered.....the mindset of a champion with the skills to go along with it.

[@PilotDaveLI]

Exactly. I'm watching Djokovic v Shelton as I type this. Down love 40 they get a point and pump their first and run around. It's ridiculous. Also ridiculous is comparing Shelton at 20 to Sampras at 19. They need to re-watch this video. People seem to forget.

[@timothylee2772]

​@@PilotDaveLISampras was never a show-off. He was always a class-act on and off the court. He is truly the gold-standard of respectability in American tennis. Today's players like Shelton need a hard lesson from Pistol Pete.

[@cpg8000]

I remember watching this with my mom and dad. It was so exciting at the time!

[@Mr10usdad]

Two great players, At this point Samparas was younger, bigger, stronger, and a player who grew up in juniors with a graphite racket. The game was changing. McEnroe's style changed the game and at this point the game was changing again.

[@yashpaldas2302]

You nailed it

[@keljonmanion-hj7en]

I watched this match live in 1990. I grew up with McEnroe and he was my favorite player. We all tried to emulate his serving style, and I had it down pretty good at one point. His marriage to Tatum O'Neal ruined his game. I knew his career was ending when he was soundly thrashed by a 19 year-old Pete Sampras that few had heard of prior to the '90 Open.

[@rteitel1974]

As I remember that by the mid-80's with the new racquet technology, once Mac and others moved to mid sized racquets, Mac lost his advantage. He didn't have the power to take advantage of the new tech.

[@stylistxxx]

Silly comment ! , what are you saying Mc Enroe too old at 31 ? game is changing ??? Djokovic is playing 20 years on tour and he is changing and adapting hes technique , fitness and still number 1 REAL PRO only your jab loving USA can stop him (:

[@blucat4]

Mac was still playing with the old Max 200g then. I played with that when I was a kid. Later I changed to a Volkl C10-Pro. One day I picked up the old 200g - it felt like a hockey stick! I can't believe I ever played with it. You just can't get the power and topspin with that racket, he never really had a change against Sampras in this match.

[@thomasmedeiros5722]

I been fortunate to have played, coached and watched tennis since 1970. Just my humble opinion that McEnroe and Sampras are two of the best serve and volley players that have played this style of aggressive athletic tennis. I just enjoyed the way they went out and made things happen my constantly moving forward and challenging each other to make a better shot. I got to watch McEnroe live from court side through out his career and was always impressed with his use of spin, pace, placement and tactics. I realize that the evolution of the game to power tennis passed him by but the way he and Sampras constantly moved forward inside the baseline is still an important tactic.

[@critical_analysis]

Edberg was also a great serve and volleyer.

[@Smudgeroon74]

You were a tennis coach yes

[@jeremystark3350]

Love watching the old serve and volleyers. Was how i grew up learning to play, that and the chip and charge, thats a slice backhand down the line and rush the net to protect. Some old 1980s terminology 😄😁👍

[@webking185]

The two most distinctive serve motions you'll ever see and most recognizable too. At 7:56 that overhead smash is legendary and would later be perfected. Pete's serving at 110mph in the 90s was at least 10-15mph faster than player on tour at the time.

[@stevephlyer]

McEnroe could've defeated anybody but Sampras in this match. I watched it live in 1990 and that year Mac was in the last leg of his comeback ('88-'90). In that US Open he looked unbeatable, playing close to his peak years '84-'85, until he met Sampras, and then the old guard had to pass the torch to the young guard. Tennis changed a LOT after that year's US Open.

[@antonboludo8886]

Yes, you are correct.

[@rickhattersley2801]

Yes, Edberg and Lendl and Becker would eventually be replaced by Sampras and Agassi and Hewitt, among others. Imthe 90s were a unique moment in time in tennis, with an entire generation of greats slowly giving in to age and, let's not forget, form.

[@sashashaikh111]

couldn't agree more

[@KingCast65]

Pretty true. Also Wimby '92 same with Agassi.

[@KingCast65]

@@rickhattersley2801 Also... Blake definitely has his moments. I loved his game. Blake, Rafter.... good shit.

[@juliuscepeda9655]

Pete and Mac are my 2 favorite tennis players. So much respect for both of them.

[@KingCast65]

And EDBERG dude... come on now :)

[@juliuscepeda9655]

@@KingCast65 Edberg was great too but the video is about Pete and Mac.

[@SOLVED101]

Andie Rodik ismy fav even though.. he never won any Wimbledon title

[@_pjd]

Sampras's composure throughout his entire career has been exemplary. The ice man. Brilliant player.

[@simosaghir84]

The first time i see Mcenroe satisfied with his defeat, because as he is a legend so he has the flair to sense the other legends even if they are still young.Great Sampras&Mcenroe.

[@seand67]

God this was CRAZY.....I loved this era. Sampras looked so young. Had the complete package. McEnroe was great also.

[@PronatorTendon]

This was the first Open after my mother and I started watching, very nostalgic for me

[@orestes1984]

It's amazing seeing the change in style of Sampras and his all court games vs. the flamboyant strokes and chip and charge/serve and volley style of McEnroe. I'm not old enough to remember this game. It's clear Sampras would change the game forever.

[@guitarista666]

McEnroe was impressive at the net of course, but the deciding factor , I think, was Pete's serve. It was just too good.

[@mikerzisu9508]

Yes, his serve was ridiculous but his net game is one of the best ever in history. Maybe the best.

[@666marquis]

Goran's serve was as good or better, but the rest of his game wasn't as good as Pete's.

[@blake7871]

@@mikerzisu9508 It was good, but a notch below Mac, Edberg, and Rafter.

[@1nalh]

pete incredible at only 19 years old here. the first true power player of tennis. serve is simply incredible.

[@MikeBarratt-lk3gt]

I would say Becker but Sampras took it to ever more a another level

[@davidpham3234]

Lendl was the original power player then all came after him.

[@harrybalsak916]

Lendl and Becker were the first true power players

[@harrybalsak916]

Lendl and Becker were really the first two real power players.

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

Its so crazy how Sampras's serve was this good at the time, yet it evolved even moreso athletically in the years after. You definately saw more back torque later on with Pete tossing the serve behind his head, which may have even led to some of his back issues later in his career.

[@kingarthurusatenniscoach1415]

vic braden says Arthur Ash was a good serve and Tanner,,, Sampras had a pedophile coach

[@jgunnink3]

I know a lot of people say McEnroe was the greatest net player ever but I always make the case for Sampras. It's not just the serve that made him hard to beat in this era. He was masterful off both sides placing the ball deep for clean winners with his volleys. Also the half volleys, the stop volleys, the little cross court wrist snaps. Add to this the technical perfection of his overheads on both sides and the incredible athleticism of his trademark slam dunks and you have the most complete net player of all time in my opinion. Eventually, advances in racket and string technology would reveal the limitations of serve and volley as an full time strategy, but for this magical period, he was the master of it.

[@michaelgarza8271]

When you consider that Sampras could serve and volley so successfully against the return of Andre Agassi...I agree that an argument could be made for him. He might have been the best candidate to serve for the match with the fate of humanity on the line considering how much game he had backing up the serve. He had touch and magic and improvisational glory.

[@JimFawcette]

I'm a big fan of Sampras' game but here's a contrarian view. Aussie Pat Rafter said in a video tutorial on volleying: "Pete wasn't really a serve and volleyer. Pete didn't really volley he just did this (Gesturing with a half-volley behind the service line) back here." I guess Pat was saying that Pete didn't really get tight to the net the way he and McEnroe did, but his serve and his hands were so good he didn't have to.

[@josephballance6100]

@@michaelgarza8271 completely agree

[@josephballance6100]

@@JimFawcette no one had a half volley as good as Pete. And it's a very tough uncomfortable shot

[@michaelgarza8271]

@@JimFawcette I don't know if Rafter was joking or what. Rafter certainly had great volleys and he was one of the last players to win a Grand Slam with that sort of play. If he was saying that Pete Sampras half volleyed a lot, well, the half volley is one of the most difficult shots in tennis. Sampras did make it to the net a whole lot. His head to head with Rafter and his total Grand Slam count compared to Rafter is not that close. Maybe Sampras didn't take that much off of the serve to get to the net the way Edberg, Rafter, Becker, and McEnroe did. But it cannot be said that he wasn't a serve and volley player.

[@vCLOWNSHOESv]

Pete Sampras is easily my favorite player of all time. His serve and volley game was so amazing it was crazy watching him against another all time great serve and volley player. Sampras had bigger guns though.

[@themaster5185]

and he did it with a very heavy racket . His arm was incredibly fast. Fantastic player. It's a pity he didn't win Paris, but his Rome victory was great.

[@huzcer]

Never even made a final at RG. Djokovic is a master on every surface winning every Masters title at least twice where nobody else has done it even once. Has won all four slams at least twice also.

[@chriswells5983]

@@huzcer No one on this thread gives a rats ass to be honest, lol.

[@huzcer]

@@chriswells5983 not completing the slam set is a black mark for sampras. Especially when there was some uneven competition at RG in some of the sampras years

[@jamesbedugraham8056]

@@huzcer Not to cry especially for a man who had wealth and riches beyond what many could ever afford. He was not bad on Clay but he faced Sergei Brugera Alberto Berasetegui and other top Clay Court Specialists from Spain and Italy. He did win in Rome in 1994 a very Sweet achievement for a young man in the 1990s.

[@boke75]

Somehow I knew at 18:45 the way Pete's winding up....figured it would be a scorcher !! Wow !! Proof that it's still is the smoothest, most natural greatest serve of all time ! Poor McEnroe didn't even flinch ! LOL

[@debbied.1682]

McEnroe's forehand takes some getting used to but his overall game was very effective back then. His theatrics at the net is totally unmatched and in a league of their own. 👍

[@douglasboyd8475]

For sure! Can you imagine how many more titles he would have had if he had played more doubles?

[@dgib1694]

His forehand motion is hard to watch for sure

[@Viewfinder73]

Yeah i never really noticed before how he doesn't whip his wrist. He uses his whole arm kind of stiffly as one piece. I know the windshield wipe topspin technique wasn't really developed as heavily then, but he looks so stiff. Weird.

[@anryutenha79]

@@dgib1694 yes i dare to say the move is close to ugly and bad technique but its mc enroe, you can see how hight the level of tennis increased after them

[@bellazoe1]

He is the Aaron Rodgers of tennis. The game came easier to him than anyone I’ve ever seen.

[@luisvargasmena3140]

Mac’s hands were one in a million but that continental grip for ground strokes is almost painful to watch now

[@scottbrekken4898]

Remember the ball did not bounce as high back then.

[@stevephlyer]

I think it’s a rarity and beauty to see, unique and efficient. But agree that very hard to use against a high bouncing topspin ball. That made it become defensive rather than the aggressive hard and flat stroke it looked to be.

[@NisseOhlsen]

Macs hands were more like 1 in a Billion.

[@NisseOhlsen]

@@scottbrekken4898 Right, the courts were faster.

[@sashashaikh111]

@@scottbrekken4898 Very valid point!

[@alamsouza_]

A simplicidade de Sampras é contagiante!!! Ele foi e sempre será incrível!!!

[@quinley7877]

You don’t really see serve and volley styles these days so this is always great to watch.

[@趙溫]

yeah, they just run like hell and strike hard these days, feels great but horrible to watch

[@antonboludo8886]

@@趙溫 Yes, you should see the wear on the Wimbledon today compared to that of the previous generation of players.

[@stevephlyer]

@@趙溫 Today’s tennis is excruciatingly boring to watch.

[@tulioteles8492]

Mac’a style is very ugly

[@antonboludo8886]

@@stevephlyer Yes, you should see the wear lines on the Wimbledon grass compared to when the game was more diverse.

[@gbeachy2010]

The relexes and angles they both could hit are still remarkable.

[@justdev8965]

pfft

[@BallMarks]

It's amazing that anyone could get as good as mcenroe playing with that crazy Continental grip and ultra low tension strings.

[@briany7658]

Two of the best serve and volleyers in the history of tennis.

[@alexsdb9712]

Rafter

[@marianmaslak]

Passing shots were excellent, even in the beginnings of Pete's career.

[@vamps-howtodrawtattoocolor7683]

To this day, I’ve never seen a better serve than Sampras’s. He could ace the whole game, plus the kick on his second serve was unmatched. The ball always seemed to be kicking away from the returner. It was his greatest weapon!

[@wave1468]

Isner, Karlovic

[@HeartInitiation]

agree. certainly the best second serve ever. Probably first as well considering his height compared to giants 6 ft 5+ giants like Ivanesivic, Isner, Karlovic,

[@angelforesvaliente3968]

@@wave1468 son otro tipo de raquetas.. y aparte los jugadores que dices miden 2 metros.. tienen mucha mss ventaja. Pete sampras ha sido el mejor sacador-bolea de la historia

[@dichtran8337]

Pete was so young and so calm, they both were like from different world

[@jamesbedugraham8056]

Young talented and sweet indeed.

[@1970sugan]

Crowning moment of Sampras. I still have fond memories of watching it live. Sampras remained a gentleman on and off the court till date. Hats off…

[@sofianebenmrad5614]

John Mc Enroe reste un joueur à part, dans 50 ou 70 ans on voudra toujours regarder jouer Mc Enroe comme on regarde la Joconde, un Stradivarius ou un tableau de Gauguin.

[@sasho888prm]

McEnroe: "What the hell am I doing in the 90's?"

[@antonboludo8886]

Yes, I was thinking this too.

[@michaelgarza8271]

Reaching the semifinal of the US Open and facing the arrival of a new god. And taking a set from him.

[@antonboludo8886]

@@michaelgarza8271 Yes, he did take a set.

[@takenakajima1676]

Fun to watch this sophisticated serve & volley match, which can not be seen in the current tennis and which many tennis fans miss.

[@antonboludo8886]

@@takenakajima1676 Yes. Two serve and volleyers with different equipment and different styles. This made a good contrast. Neither one was willing to go for long points. Sampras has asthma, and McEnroe also gets tired earlier than baseliners. They both will gas out in long matches. If you look at the wear on today's Wimbledon court, it is almost all on the baseline.

[@JebsTennisJourney]

As a newcomer to the sport, it is really interesting to see the old style of play. Makes me wonder how the sport may evolve in the future.

[@antonboludo8886]

It a great sport. It takes along time to get good at it too. The game changes every decade because of the differences in the racquets and also the the playing styles and training of the different players. Today's top three have been at the top for almost 15 years. Federer is now 39 years old and still at the top. Nadal and Djokovic are also in their mid-30s. They have now had to adjust the actual playing surfaces to make them slower, in order to compensate for the faster game of the players.

[@josephballance6100]

@@antonboludo8886 if racquet technology stayed the same and courts were still fast Nadal would have a very tough time. I don't see him beating Sampras except on clay. Honestly I don't see Djokovic faring too well either. Fed would do the best. But the serve and volley skills of Sampras would be too much. And Sampras had a hell of a good overhead, half volley, running forehand. He also had a very very good baseline game, enough to beat Agassi, who was a top baseliner ever to do it

[@TheNayboy]

@@josephballance6100 100%. Tinkering with the game has made it boring. A 5 hour slog-a-thon between Nadal and Djokovic is not really progress. The game is now so homogenised. Players should be able to adapt to surfaces and styles rather than making all surfaces behave in a similar way. The previous King of Clay (Borg) managed still to win 5 Championships in a row on low-bouncing slick grass and he even played S&V.

[@SaurabhSharma-ql6xd]

@@josephballance6100 Today's great won't be able to stand up to Edberg,Becker,Ivanisevic,Krajicek, Rafter, Philipoussis..forget Sampras..he was god !

[@serenaistheb.o.a.t]

@@josephballance6100 if Agassi could have major success in the 90s then Djokovic definitely could too. Plus Djokovic always does well on the fast surface tournaments at the end of the year. Face surfaces are not an issue for him. As for Nadal people underestimate the natural talent that guy has because he plays the way he does. This is a guy who went from being bageled by Federer on grass to beating him just 2 years later.

[@benthekeeshond545]

If Pete is played into the later part of the 2000s. With better racket tech, his service game would be much more lethal. Pete may not serve the fastest or hardest but the placement of his service game got to be one of the best of all-time. It must be really tough to break Pete's serve. I wonder he must be very successful in tie-breakers.

[@soundar4270]

After few struggle against Edberg, Pete Sampras crushed the fighting spirit of Courier, Agassi, Ivanisevic, Becker, Chang between 1993-1997. These players made up thier mind for defeat before facing Sampras Sampras won majority of Grand smalams in 4 years. After, 1997, new challenge started coming from Rafter, Korda, Safin, Agassi ( resurgent), Roddick etc. Sampras could not face them except on Wimbledon. Pete Sampras said He did not have confidence & courage to face the new players. He wanted to win 2001 Wimbledon to make 14 Grand slam & retire. Federar defeated him in Wimbledon & Sampras played for another 2 years to win 1 Grand slam

[@humptydumpty505]

Such beautiful attacking tennis. From 2 serve and volley legends

[@kaustavmondal7354]

What a match! Two of the absolute greats...❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@marctravismba]

McEnroe probably had better feel and touch than anyone in the history of tennis, but Pete's game was just too big. Times were changing and McEnroe's game couldn't keep up.

[@filipina5953]

Marc Travis - Agreed 💯👏👏

[@alexsdb9712]

It was the equipment and the ITF never implementing equipment regulations.

[@jameschriss8664]

By the time McEnroe played Sampras in 1990 McEnroe had lost just a little off his serve, just enough to swing matches to Sampras. Indeed, in their head to head McEnroe never beat Sampras. A younger McEnroe would have handled Sampras pretty well and likely beaten him.

[@gingerbladebl]

Different era different play style. Thanks Pete for showing your superb style to represent modern tennis style.

[@victorsrpapacoy5602]

For me Pete is the GOAT, as a he beat up legends like Mac, Lendl and his gr8 rival Agassi in the Finals! Who did Carlos Alcaraz beat at the USOPEN 2022?!! Nobodies!!! Djokovic wasn’t allowed to play, Nadal was injured and not 100%, meanwhile the current number 1 Medvedev was upset by Kyrgios. Pete played without the hype, He let his skills and racket do the talking.

[@SapphicTwist]

Okay, but watch the Wimbleton match between Sampras and Federer in 2001. Federer was the vanguard of a new day in tennis, where ridiculous conditioning, power and shot-making would become the norm. Sampras looked old and tired going up against Federer.

[@joet7136]

Tennis like many other sports was absolutely must see tv in the 80s and moreso in the 90s. Tennis, baseball, football, basketball, the Olympics, they were all better back then!

[@eastfiftyseven]

Remember this one. Young Pete showed the head, heart and athleticism that made him a legend.

[@FINYL72]

Big Mc had the best fell for the ball of all players. he was a exceptional player it never got boring with him.

[@HermanWaldorf]

Serve and volley, I miss you so much.

[@michaelbaker5180]

Man I miss the serve and volley era.

[@ooR4]

Today is boring baseliners

[@michaelbaker5180]

@@ooR4 yeah, I don’t mind some baseline action if a player is willing to attack with a good opening. But to just back peddle every point gets pretty boring imo.

[@gavinbarnum9458]

@@michaelbaker5180 same. I like players who will come up to the net when there is a clear opportunity to. I hate when players just stick to baseline even when they could put away a volley

[@alexsdb9712]

Blame tennis not having equipment regulations.

[@michaelbaker5180]

@William Seymour Jr. That’s cool, I respect your opinion.

[@sevaraalimova4706]

Am so glad that that short motion on both McEnroe and Sampras’s forehand is different from nowadays forehands

[@tboneito]

You buy a ticket to see McEnroe play. You definitely get your money's worth. No one tries harder. He's incredible.

[@innosanto]

Nadal dies on court every time. He is the hardest "trier".

[@airkuna]

Yeah but he's shit..

[@KingCast65]

@@airkuna For your sake I sincerely hope that is the most ignorant thing you have ever said. No one player has the combination of singles and dubs victories as he does. No one player has a higher winning percentage year than he does. And the 7 majors, well I suppose that's as good as anyone else in the era. You're a tool.

[@KingCast65]

@@innosanto I would say Nadal too. And Mac always said for him it was Jimmy.

[@KingCast65]

@@airkuna Also McEnroe was no slouch off the ground either. He had his ways. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2qvdqKrnpargJY Ciao.

[@oberdot]

It’s so amazing that McEnroe came close to winning the French with those ground strokes. Speaks to his genius

[@patinho5589]

In wooden racket era or graphite racket? You couldn’t do modern ground strokes with wooden rackets with small heads, which he grew up on and developed his technique on. His forehand technique looks to me to be optimised for safety and consistency with wooden rackets.

[@republikadugave420]

His technique was suited for wooden racquets and he never evolved it to modern ones...still he plays like with wooden raquets

[@nazmulazad8793]

Even Borg played with wooden rackets.His ground strokes are pretty much the same as today’s ground strokes..Wooden rackets or modern rackets human body has remained the same since apes..

[@superdave577]

For as good as John was, Pete was that much better. Sampras was probably one of the best I ever saw play and very few were able to keep up with him.

[@SapphicTwist]

I'll take 1981 McEnroe over pretty much anybody not named Federer.

[@kuskut]

Back in the day, the crowds would really get into the match. My wife and I saw Sampras and Agassi in the 2001 quarterfinals under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium. I'm sure people heard the crowd downtown Manhattan. I've never seen such a match since.

[@BurnsTennis]

Imagine how those two guys felt when they received a standing ovation before the 4th set tiebreak. You can see from close up television pictures it affected both emotionally but they still had to try and concentrate. Amazing.

[@antonboludo8886]

@@BurnsTennis Indeed.

[@ftmb2]

One of the greatest matches of all time. Will never forget it. Neither could break the others serve throughout the whole match.

[@dp-mo5jh]

Life is crap now in comparison

[@KasusEpykMusykII]

*Classic masterpiece match. Two legends of tennis.* Serve and volley at its finest: *perfection.*

[@kaustavmondal7354]

The one handed McEnroe backhand! A thing of beauty!❤️

[@bragee]

Indeed...

[@Tennis_Fan2022]

Love the John McEnroe outburst around the ten minute mark. Legend.

[@donaldbraugh2314]

And that is when Pete, unaffected, turned up the intensity

[@Tennis_Fan2022]

@@donaldbraugh2314 watched the entire match and Pete was the better player no question about it. He was the next gen that took the game to the next level and he had his run until Roger Federer came along. Now it's Alcaraz. It's a beautiful game and constantly evolving.

[@ianwilliamson2980]

Mac was the best ever in his day.

[@drewhendley]

USA Men’s Tennis RIP 😢

[@TheRoyalHour]

It’s crazy to see the evolution of the sport. Very few serve and volley guys exist nowawdays. It’s mostly baseline power players who are extremely accurate and hit with a lot of topspin but,that mental warfare of having to hit perfect passing shots against serve and volley guys is long gone

[@andrewminty3250]

Mac’s dead fish forehands were a thing of grace..when tennis was fun to watch.

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

Arent they gorgeous? His forehands almost looked like his arm was attached to his torso with a safety pin, but man, they were beautiful in their own way.

[@morrismarshall1575]

McEnroe is still my favorite all time player, but Pete Sampras took tennis to a different level in the 1990s

[@Fraudkovic]

I cannot believe how anyone can watch such boring uncivilised tennis

[@morrismarshall1575]

@@Fraudkovic I liked McEnroe 's raw, unbridled energy. I also like Nick Kyrgios for the same reason. Call me crazy!

[@morrismarshall1575]

@@Fraudkovic I guess you're a better player than either of those guys. Lol

[@markriobr]

Mac had a short stroke mainly because how low his strings tension had . He had all around 45 up to 47 , on his forehand was like just blocking the ball.

[@Jack1843]

on the dunlop raquet it said john recommends 55 tension yeah he was a counter puncher i miss playing

[@markriobr]

@@Jack1843 I wrote down 4 instead of 5 , you're absolutely right. Have my rackets 60 up to 62 for better aim , have tried lower in the past just to see balls going over the fancy ....LoL. Never liked Mac much as a person , but his game was great , all about feeling and flair.

[@mrbungle7586]

@@Jack1843 Mac wasn't a counter puncher, that's hilarious. Regardless of what it said on the racket, Mac was well known for having his rackets strung around 45.

[@rk-jc9se]

Mac had a short stroke because he had a continental grip. Zero topspin to keep the ball down. Also harder to generate power that way.

[@HPontara1]

Great match from 2 legends!

[@miguelrodrigo3875]

Ive never thought they ever met!

[@aehmerchant]

Both serve and volley players with such distinctly different styles. I enjoy these classic clips

[@cactaceous]

Johnny Mac was only 31 here yet the generational gap made him look ancient. Fitness has improved such that at 31 players are still a long way from their sunset years.

[@david-sb2mh]

*Tennis USA* 🇺🇸 90's: Connor, Agassi, Sampras, Chang... 2020: Tiafoe. *REALLY PAINFUL*

[@francknattario329]

Courier...

[@DavidGonzalez-ip3il]

Connors McEnroe 80's Agassi Sampras Courier Chang 90's Rodick 00's ... ... ...

[@rochymatt]

Yeah but now maybe Korda and Fritz.

[@tototata9953]

@@francknattario329 todd martin Mail ai washington grand slam final

[@mikehoward9211]

you forgot serena!!

[@SobersRajakumar]

That kid was 31 and that man was 19

[@Dom-yv4nq]

Lol.

[@jonathanchen1026]

Back then 19 wasn’t next Gen...it was the now! Even tho 31 is still prime currently for our big 3... back then it was the end for them

[@antonboludo8886]

@@jonathanchen1026 Yes, you are right.

[@antonboludo8886]

People mature at different rates. Some people never actually mature.

[@youtubedick-tators1991]

@@antonboludo8886 True. Although sports longevity has increased due to advancements in strength & conditioning & rehabilitation, surgery, shoes, nutrition, etc.

[@Kedbuka]

Awesome clip. Thanks so much for posting it. McEnroe barely hanging in there against a very young Sampras.

[@carlajasmine170]

The evolution of tennis, the power and speed these days are just crazy...

[@Will-q7c]

I don’t think either of these guys wins a major in todays game

[@sinosemite]

I remember watching this match, and thinking the look in Mac's face said, "I can do my very best and yet it's still not enough." Pete was the most terrifying and awe-inspiring player I'd ever seen, wiith nearly the finesse and artistry of Mac, but packaged in the form of a Terminator.

[@marcosdoyter7460]

Really cool point: 15:00.

[@alexsdb9712]

Amazing tennis, real tennis, and amazing tennis attire.

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

I miss the collared shirts. The clothing they wear today is just ehhh.

[@pjakobsen]

Pretty amazing how far inside the court McEnroe takes Petes second serve. Great hands , great eyes.

[@Maurice181]

Love, love, love this tennis match. Two of my favorite players, and the quality of tennis played is soooo high.

[@michaelscott6113]

It was like the changing of the Guard between these two All Time Greats. Like Mike Tyson Knocking out Larry Holmes a few years before this.

[@JanitorIsBack]

straight arm forehand of McEnroe is odd to watch now

[@fundhund62]

Nothing wrong with it. It was part of his overall game, which was designed to win matches at the net. Fashions come and go. We may well see more individual stroke technique again, and after an eternity of Djokovic/ Serena clones it would be very welcome indeed!

[@JanitorIsBack]

@@fundhund62 wrong was NOT in the comment

[@beno8983]

Yeh it looks so dated next to Sampras, technology changed and so did style so the old guys and the old got guard were mostly blown away

[@stevephlyer]

Still a beauty and unique style of continental grip racquet handling.

[@jaysherman4149]

Yes. A true continental grip forehand. Nowadays Gasquet comes close with an Australian but don't know of anyone anymore hitting a true continental. He still could hit it.

[@sandeep4440]

You can watch every Sampras match rerun just for his service. I mean 🙌🏼

[@pikeflowed]

The artistry, court presence and sheer star power of McEnroe is still in evidence here, some wonderful shots but Tennis was changing with new names, new fitness tech and the end of one era passing into another, Pete had boom-boom serves and penetrating passing shots, an amazing time to thank them Both ! :)

[@sevaraalimova4706]

What a match this was. It shows how the youngsters can bring the heat.

[@cesarivanguzmanflores6453]

2 monstruos del tenis... Qué recuerdos!!!

[@sk-un5jq]

The look on Mac's face when he lost points was like "Damn. He's a younger, stronger, faster version of myself and a master of the net craft too! What the hell do I do here? I'm all out of options!"

[@BurnsTennis]

You know, you make me laugh with that description. But at the same time its kind of sad that younger players can't do that today. Federer made Sampras feel an almost similar way. Who is going to do this to Djokovic and Nadal?

[@ericw3229]

Crybaby is the look

[@robertobob6574]

La spettacolarità del tennis deve quasi tutto a McEnroe. Onore a te grande leggenda.

[@youngsuit]

people saying that they love watching serve and volley but appreciate that in the KZbin format you cut out all the downtime. back then, they would play three seconds of points and the pause for twenty so it's easier to enjoy in retrospect

[@WUDAT]

The day Pete Sampras introduced himself to the tennis world that he was for real. My grandfather told me that Sampras would win the US Open before this match. He said McEnroe only had a small chance against him.

[@scottstimson4306]

The last two great serve and volleyers!

[@twist777hz]

Sampras would fit right into today's men's game while Mac's style looks more like from the 70s.

[@juliuscepeda9655]

Once Lendl and the Becker came along with their power, training and practice regimen, Mac’s era was pretty much over. Mac had so much talent but couldn’t adjust his game. Besides some issues in his personal life, he didn’t commit to the intense training that was now needed to compete at the highest level.

[@mink186]

Yes he does fit in today’s game , becaus lot of people are inspired by him ..

[@FleagleSangria]

It is funny to see Mac get all frustrated about Pete taking it to him. We think "Dude, it is Pistol Pete Sampras, 7 time Wimbie champ and 14 GS titles! McEnroe didnt think he was actually going win against Pete Sampras did he?" But no one really knew who this kid (literally a kid) was much around this time. Plus, this was John and Jimmy's homecrowd. They were still considered the kings by many. I remember this was during the time Mac was finally getting back into shape and was making a bit of a comeback also. I was a HUGE McEnroe fan and really thought he would win this US Open possibly. One last time. By the middle of the match I was telling my mother.."Wow mom, this kid is really good. He is going to be huge." Pete was exceptional. Hadnt seen a powerful player like him ever at the time. That running forehand down the line is my favorite shot of his. And that monster serve. He really had all around great abilities. But at this point, fans were kind of blown away at just how easily he pushed Johnny Mac around the court. After this match I kind of knew Mac was in essence done. But having Pete to watch and be a fan of lessoned the blow of my tennis hero's demise.

[@halna5602]

Pete serve is so great. Holds up many decades later.

[@SauradeepBhowmick]

The difference in technique between the two generations is quite apparent.