Sampras won the majority of his titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, picking up 12 Majors between 1990 and 2002.

Many thought his Grand Slam record would stand the test of time, before the emergence of the ‘big three’ in the 2000s.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic all remarkably broke through the 20 Slam barrier, with the latter clinching a record-extending 24th Major in 2023.

Speaking just a few years earlier, Sampras revealed the one shot he would’ve loved to have taken from Djokovic’s game.

Pete Sampras picked Novak Djokovic’s ‘return of serve’ as the shot he would’ve wanted to take from him

Ahead of the 2020 ATP Finals, Sampras was asked to pick the Djokovic shot he would most like to have taken and added to his own game.

“I want that return of serve, give me that return of serve,” said Sampras.

“Everyone asks me who would give me a hard time if I was playing today, it would be Novak [Djokovic], because of his return.

“Andre [Agassi] I could always get by him if I was picking my spots, but Novak it would be tough to get by him because of his stretch, so I would take Novak’s return, and I would take some of his speed, I wouldn’t mind some of his speed.”

Djokovic jokingly agreed to exchange his return of serve with Sampras for one of the American’s most dangerous weapons.

“I wouldn’t mind exchanging my return and speed for your serve and volley game, I think I would take that,” he said.

“It would be lovely to experience that kind of matchup.”

The Serb was full of praise for Sampras, as he explained what the 14-time Major champion did that he ‘loved.’

“I’ve said it many times, I looked up to Pete [Sampras], he was definitely my role model and idol in tennis,” said Djokovic.

“I cannot say I was copying Pete, because my game is probably completely different from his but I just loved the way he dealt with pressure and played his best when he needed it the most.

“Always found the first serve, always held his nerves.”

Comparing Novak Djokovic and Pete Sampras’ tennis careers

Djokovic may have idolized Sampras as a youngster, but how much more has he achieved than the American during his time as a professional?

Winning ten more Major titles than Sampras, the Serb stormed ahead in recent years, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

Djokovic won his 15th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2019, overtaking Sampras on the all-time list.

The 37-year-old beat one of his greatest rivals, Nadal, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, to lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for a seventh time.

There is one statistic where Sampras holds the edge over Djokovic, however, having enjoyed more success at the Davis Cup.

Sampras won the title with the United States in 1992, and 1995, taking down Switzerland and Russia in the respective finals.

Djokovic’s sole victory at the event came in 2010, as he, Nenad Zimonjic, Janko Tipsarevic, and Viktor Troicki secured victory over a Gael Monfils-led French side in Belgrade.

It remains to be seen if the Serb can add to his Davis Cup tally during the remainder of his career, although he’ll first switch his attentions to the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event in California.