As the tennis world gears up for the 2025 grass court season, Carlos Alcaraz, the 22-year-old Spanish phenom, has stirred the pot with a bold opinion on two legends of the game: Pete Sampras and Boris Becker. Fresh off his dramatic victory over Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros, where he clinched his second French Open title in an epic five-hour battle, Alcaraz is now turning his focus to the prestigious Queen’s Club Championships. Amid the buzz surrounding his bid to reclaim the ATP 500 title he won in 2023, Alcaraz found himself in a playful yet revealing game, asked to choose between past champions of the event. When faced with the tough call of ranking Sampras against Becker, the young star didn’t hesitate, declaring Sampras the superior player—a choice that has sparked lively discussion among fans and pundits alike.
The Queen’s Club, hosting its 122nd edition in 2025, has long been a proving ground for tennis royalty, and Alcaraz’s participation adds another chapter to its storied history. As a former champion, he’s no stranger to the hallowed grass courts, though his loss to Jack Draper in the second round last year serves as a reminder of the challenges ahead. During a lighthearted pre-tournament segment, Alcaraz was tasked with ranking former Queen’s Club champions, a list that included titans like Sampras, Becker, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Murray, and others. When pitted against Becker, Alcaraz paused briefly before selecting Sampras, citing the American’s unparalleled dominance. “It’s tough, you know, but I think Pete Sampras was the better player,” Alcaraz said, his choice reflecting admiration for Sampras’s 14 Grand Slam titles and seven Wimbledon crowns.
Sampras, known as “Pistol Pete,” reigned supreme in the 1990s with a serve that was virtually unreturnable and a game built for grass. His head-to-head record against Becker, standing at 12-7, underscores his edge, including a memorable victory in the 1997 Paris Open. Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion and the youngest-ever Wimbledon winner at 17, was no slouch, particularly on fast surfaces like grass and indoor carpet, where he claimed 26 titles. Yet, Alcaraz’s nod to Sampras aligns with sentiments from Becker himself, who once declared, “The best I played was Pete Sampras. Without any doubt, he had the best serve between the players I faced and he was the best of the best.”
Interestingly, Alcaraz’s rankings didn’t stop with Sampras. In a surprising twist, he picked Lleyton Hewitt over Sampras, citing the Australian’s tenacity, before choosing Grigor Dimitrov over Hewitt. The game culminated with Alcaraz selecting five-time Queen’s Club champion Andy Murray over Dimitrov—and even over himself. “There can only be one winner,” Alcaraz laughed, humbly placing Murray at the top. This playful exercise revealed not only Alcaraz’s respect for the sport’s history but also his ability to engage fans with his charisma, a trait that sets him apart as he navigates the pressures of being tennis’s brightest young star.
Alcaraz’s meteoric rise invites comparisons to the legends he ranked. With five Grand Slam titles already, including the 2024 Channel Slam (French Open and Wimbledon in the same year), he’s outpacing the early careers of both Sampras and Becker. His 78% win rate after 150 matches surpasses Sampras’s 77.4% and Becker’s 76.9%, signaling a level of precocity that has tennis icons like John McEnroe calling him “the best 20-year-old” he’s ever seen. Yet, Alcaraz remains grounded, acknowledging the challenges of grass, where he’ll face threats like Draper, Sinner, and others at Queen’s. “It’s going to be a beautiful match to watch,” he said of his potential clash with Draper, showcasing his enthusiasm for competition.
As Alcaraz prepares for Queen’s and a potential Wimbledon three-peat, his nod to Sampras over Becker underscores his appreciation for the sport’s golden era. The Spaniard’s blend of power, finesse, and mental toughness echoes the qualities that defined Sampras’s reign, while his versatility across surfaces sets him apart. Whether he can match or surpass Sampras’s legacy remains to be seen, but for now, Alcaraz’s choice has reignited debates about tennis’s greatest, proving that the past and present are forever intertwined on the road to greatness.
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