Could Pete Sampras Make it on the Tour Today?

In recent months, we've seen Pete Sampras emerge from retirement to play various exhibitions. The most famous of these exhibitions have been against Roger Federer. Federer and Sampras played three exhibitions in Asia last year, with Federer winning two of them. Most recently, the two played at Madison Square Garden with Federer winning 6-3, 6-7, 7-6.

Fans of Pistol Pete may watch these matches and get excited and wonder why Sampras left the game in the first place. During the match in New York, Sampras hit a forehand "would win a real point in a real match in a real tournament right now." This drew applause from the crowd with fans shouting, "You still got it!"

However, we have to look at the facts. As great as Sampras was in his prime, the game is a different story from now. Pete's been gone for five years. Some people have witnessed Pete's performance in these exhibitions with hopeful hearts. The reality is that a Sampras comeback would not end well.

First of all, we have to be mindful of the court conditions. The courts that Sampras and Federer played on are faster than anything on the tour right now. The majority of the courts around the world are slower then when Sampras was on tour. It might be funny to watch other current players compete on the court the Sampras and Federer's exhibition was played on. The speed might be too much for them.

Still, a big serve is a big serve, right? Yes, Pete's serve alone is enough to do some serious damage. However, slower courts mean more chances for opponents to get looks at serves. Especially with the new racquet technology out here nowadays, there's a reason why serve and volley players are a dying breed.