INDIAN WELLS, CA – Two former tennis greats filled a charity event with some awkward tension!
Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are two of the greatest ever to have played the sport of tennis. Throughout their career, the two shared an intense rivalry that was spotlighted in numerous matches. On Friday night, the two joined Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for a charity event that took a turn for the worse.
Sampras and Agassi exchanged some verbal volleys during the match that turned the fun-filed atmosphere into an awkward and tense one. The event was to raise money for earthquake relief in Haiti and all four players were wearing headsets so the crowd could heart them talking – which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
“You alway have to get serious, huh Pete?” Agassi said.
Sampras quickly responded by mimicking Agassi’s infamous pigeon-toed walk which set Agassi off and he went in for the kill.
Agassi countered by pulling out his empty pockets which was a reference to an assertion in his book Open that Sampras was a notoriously bad tipper, once tipping a valet $1.
The mood changed there and one could tell that Sampras was slightly disturbed. “Andre, you got personal,” he exclaimed. To which Agassi replied, “No, no. Everybody knows already. That aint personal.”
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March 15th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Remember, Sampras started this by ridiculing a physical condition of Andre's. In the past, Andre has immitated Pete's serving posture and then Pete has responded by walking pigeon-toed. Anyone with intelligence knows that a physical condition is not amusing. Pete should be condemned for his action.
March 15th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Stop whining. Andre was over the line and brought up lines he wrote in his book when he took clear shots at Sampras. Just becouse he feel compelled to lay his life out there does not give him license to take shots at other people. Andre has never said anything to this effect of his signature walk. I saw an exibition between the two several years ago and they both made fun of their individual quirks such as Andre's walk and Pete's service motion and tongue sticking out and in was all in good fun, but not shot's that Sampras was clearly irratated about before this match. He was over the line. Get over it.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
I don't think it was the fact that Pete imitated Agassi..it was when he went further and said "SAY SOMETHING"…didn't need to add that. It seems like all the news on this event is making Agassi out to be the bad guy..when it was obviously a two way street.
March 15th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Andre was making fun of Sampras for being to serious and not relaxing. Then when Sampras tries to be funny by imitating andre's walk and playing with his shirt, andre takes the low road and looks petty mocky sampras for tipping a valet $1, as if anyone cared. Ironically, it was andre who ended up losing his sense of humor and wouldn't get off the stupid tipping thing.
March 16th, 2010 at 12:53 am
Good point! It's Pete's fault
March 31st, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Mocking someone’s physical “disadvantage” is not a very nice thing to do. It was pete who started out by mocking andre’s physical appearance,so I think it’s pete’s fault