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That's a great point, I just think that to most, the perception of peak matters a lot when asking who was "better". As for doubles, I don't think it's as aspect you arbitrarily "add in". As I implied to begin with, at the time they played it was still a relatively important discipline (sadly...

For sure it did. Look at clips when he's wearing denim shorts and clips from 2004 and it's night and day. For everything said, I wouldn't put him up for the "best" serve under 6ft, though. His "pitching ballgames" (God I hate the constant metaphors from other sports people insist on throwing at...

I think even between Evert and Martina - rivals, besties and equals in Slam count - it pretty clearly goes to Martina. The Wimbledon record and the perception of peak level seal it. Then there's doubles prowess, which is highly marginalized today but should matter historically, particularly...

I think you can guess. And sadly, here that is very much the case.

This is a ridiculous invention of more recent times. The sport, at the professional level, is a profession although a unique one. Players earn through their efforts and have certain obligations. If someone brings high ability along with high effort, they reap great rewards although these come...

That's all true, but his overall accomplishments still clearly pale in comparison to a group of players most would commonly consider better GOAT candidates. Fed, Nadal, Joker all blew his Slam count away and regardless of their changing importance over eras, that gap is far too large to make the...

Not really.. he was amazing, but his final resume is pretty clearly Tier 3, or 2 at the very best. If he'd been dedicated all the way through and hit the 12 or so Slams many agree he was capable of, maybe at this time he'd still be in the discussion of the very top. Wasn't at all endorsing...

I remember Tulasne being around in the middle phases of tournaments a LOT when I was growing up. Sock didn't even have that type of consistency.

I had only read that they wanted their children to be free in choosing their own paths, not be forced in any direction the way they both had been. Certainly an easier approach to take when the family's generational wealth is already secured. If your version is correct it basically amounts to...

I would frame it more as "his complete lack of discipline and therefore tour fitness". Regardless, we'll never know. GG Jack

He was, style-wise, but there's no denying the success gives him legitimacy. As for Agassi, the other suspicions aside, he can hardly be blamed for this association which was thrust upon him - unwillingly - as a youth.

AND as an aging journeyman, who thought he was a comedic superstar any time someone handed him an interview mic.

And he was frickin' annoying from the moment he started making inroads into broadcasting. That's got nothing to do with his background, and now dates back decades.

The way you feel (and even the emotions that clearly come through) do not have to be the same as the way you comport yourself. Some public figures can get away with being open sore losers; someone with Fed's image and the reasons he is loved cannot.

Agreed.. wasn't appealing to me but he absolutely made the most of what he had and the mindset had to be respected (if not enjoyed). I found his strokes quite odd, though - FH, BH, serve - they looked like no one else's and despite the reality they didn't LOOK like mechanics that would be...

How were the hits?

Mass. He leaded that frame up heavily.

I mean, that's gotta have something to do with how old the damn thing is :-D

It's true that the baseline (pun noticed and allowed) consistently trends higher over time, but that does NOT mean that the real standouts of the past wouldn't be able to match up.

Forget that, he's glossing over that Becker was also ego-driven and ****ing up plenty during his own career. This is pointless.

Prince OG is what most will think of, but I think the Head version (Head Synthetic Gut, formerly PPS) is even better. It has a livelier feel. Give it a try - I run a pair until they break, like you, but qualitatively I've come to enjoy the Head much more.

Yeah. The only explanation I can see is if he was the type of player that just didn't trust he had the consistency in him to "play backboard" for long periods of time. I can relate - I have well-developed strokes, but they still doesn't translate to long rally tolerance against truly steady...

Sampras himself spends a great deal of the backswing dipping low before beginning the upward motion.

Why? She'd certainly be in a position to know. It was an embarrassing moment for Blake to be arguing with the sideline commentary, even as he was fading as a player in real time. A Tour veteran should be well used to the conditions on court; certainly he knew by then that on the smaller ones...

It would not at all have been accepted for a player of his stature to simply blow off a GS tourney entirely - not that I think it was in Sampras' mentality to admit futility to the extent of not even showing up, anyway. But it was clear from the evolution of his game and particularly his...

Prime for prime, who wins, TT?

At the time, it was perfectly acceptable to write off RG in favor of Wimbledon - at least in U.S. tennis culture (and despite Fischer building Pete as an all-court player, it was also Fischer who planted the seed of Wimbledon being the ultimate goal). Sampras couldn't have predicted how quickly...

It's well-known that he was. He couldn't handle her being on set with "romantic interest" actors - her job. It was one of the factors in their divorce.

Guy's a gem :-D

It was a poor vanity look when Fed let Nike dress him up in those things, and even worse as Joker follows - not leads - yet again.