Pete Sampras news stories on Newser

No, Seriously, Federer May Be a Robot

Kevin Spak — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:33:00 CDT

The late David Foster Wallace once marveled at a Roger Federer forehand, saying, “It was impossible. It was like something out of The Matrix. ” And now that Federer has passed Pete Sampras and holds the Grand Slam record, it’s time to wonder if Wallace was on to something. “Let me...

Is Federer Now the Greatest Player Ever?

Jason Farago — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:03:46 CDT

Roger Federer has tied Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slams after his decisive victory yesterday at the French Open—a title that Sampras himself never won. And as soon as the Swiss player lifted the cup on the red clay of Roland Garros, the arguments began: Is Federer now...

US Tennis Needs More 'Insane Parents'

Harry Kimball — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:30:02 CDT

The next US tennis star will not be the product of a national training push, Huan Hsu writes for Slate, but rather of “crazy tennis parents.” The United States Tennis Association plans to spend $100 million in the next 10 years, but that’s not how it’ll find the next Andre...

Tennis Elite No Longer Sees Red Over Clay

Kevin Spak — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:39:33 CDT

Clay has long been the red-headed stepchild of the tennis world, with top pros like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, and Pete Sampras almost taking pride in never winning a French Open. The term “clay-court specialist” was a veiled insult. Now, though, world No. 1 Rafael Nadal is a clay-court wonder,...

Nadal Denies Federer, Wins Open

Katherine Thompson — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:21:48 CST

Roger Federer fell short of a record-tying 14th major title when his final shot went long, giving the game, set, match, and Australian Open title to Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard's third straight finals victory over Federer came in a tough and sometimes sloppy five sets, and marks his first Grand...

Federer's Grass Now Nadal's Shade of Green

Jonas Oransky — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:44:55 CDT

A year meant to land Roger Federer in the record books, surpassing Pete Samparas’ Grand Slam total, has instead left Sandra Harwitt, writing on ESPN.com, wondering if the 12-time winner remains the game’s top player. After their epic Wimbledon final, it’s abundantly clear Rafael Nadal “continues to have his...

Federer Four-Peats

M. Morris — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:00:20 CDT

If it's early fall, Roger Federer must be the US Open champion. As steady as a Swiss watch, he racked up his fourth straight crown this afternoon with a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 thumping of third-seeded Novak Djokovic. The victory, Federer's 12th in a grand slam final, moves him...