Sampras won the 2002 US Open and retired with the record for most Grand Slam singles titles won by a player in men’s tennis history. Nadal, who won his first Grand Slam title almost three years after Sampras’ 14th, now has eight more Majors than the American legend and holds the all-time record.

During a L’Equipe recent interview, seven-time Wimbledon champion Sampras expressed surprise at Nadal’s level of dominance on clay and at the French Open, which he admits is certainly beyond his and Roger Federer’s dominance on grass and at Wimbledon.

While Sampras is convinced about who is the mentally strongest player of all time, he admitted that it was an “impossible” choice to term one among Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Federer as the greatest tennis player ever.

The 51-year-old also spoke about Djokovic’s legacy in the sport. Sampras set another big record during his time at the top of world tennis, becoming the first player to end a season as World No. 1 on six occasions. Djokovic broke that record last year by winning his 7th year-end No.1 crown.

Sampras praised Djokovic’s achievements over the years, highlighting that he now holds most of the big records except for the Grand Slam record.

When asked about his preference between Djokovic and Nadal, Sampras cheekily likened it to choosing between “a Ferrari or a Lamborghini.”

Meanwhile, the Spaniard will aim to extend his Grand Slam record at the 2022 US Open, which begins on Monday. Djokovic withdrew from the tournament as he could not enter the United States as an unvaccinated foreigner.

“I am practicing at high level of intensity” - Rafael Nadal ahead of 2022 US Open

Rafael Nadal gave his fans some good news ahead of the upcoming US Open. The Spaniard, who has recently recovered from an abdominal injury that affected his US Open preparations, admitted that he is still being careful while serving but is happy with his progress on the practice court.

He is scheduled to play his opening match on Tuesday night against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata.

The 36-year-old has played just one match since his Wimbledon withdrawal due to an abdominal injury. That match came at the Cincinnati Open last week, in which he lost a closely contested three-setter 6-7(9), 6-4, 3-6 to eventual champion Borna Coric in a Round of 32 clash.

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