Sampras Says His Return Is Brief

The poker hand folded and golf clubs in the bag, it’s time to go back to the tools of the old day job.

On Monday, Pete Sampras will play tennis in front of a significant Southern California crowd for the first time since he retired in 2003. But don’t get any ideas that, coming on the heels of the worst U.S. performance at Wimbledon since 1911, the 34-year-old legend might be on a comeback trail.

Sampras said he will not be returning to the ATP Tour, nor is he seriously contemplating a turn on the seniors’ tour.

After Monday’s World TeamTennis match for the Newport Beach Breakers, there will be six road appearances in July. Beyond that, perhaps some one-night exhibitions. That and answering questions about the dominance of Roger Federer, or the rapidly improving grass court game of Rafael Nadal, or the fortunes of U.S. tennis in the era after Sampras, Michael Chang and Jim Courier and soon-to-be after Andre Agassi.

“It’s hard to duplicate what we had with Jim, myself, Michael and Andre,” Sampras said during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. “I think it’s unfair to Andy [Roddick] and James [Blake] and the rest to compare what happened the last 10 years to where they’re at, where they’re going.... Unfortunately for American tennis, we do have Federer-Nadal, who are really good, really kind of dominating the game at the moment. I think James and Andy really can kind of get it together and do some things at the Open.

“But knowing American fans and American media, we expect Wimbledon winners, we expect U.S. Open winners, we expect an American No. 1 in the world. Hard to do that. I think James and Andy have potential, but it takes a great player and someone that can handle it all.”

Sampras won the first of his seven Wimbledon titles in his fifth attempt. He was asked about Nadal, who in his third Wimbledon is two matches from winning the title. Should Nadal face three-time defending champion Federer in the final, Sampras picked Federer to win.

“I must admit, I’m a little surprised, just after winning Paris, his game not suited for grass,” Sampras said of Nadal. “On the other hand, he’s a great player. I think he’s mentally really positive on grass. Where I think a lot of the clay-courters kind of come into Wimbledon with a negative attitude, I think his attitude is great.

“I was going to say, since there aren’t really any true grass court players, guys that can really serve and volley, pick a baseliner apart, it’s almost like you watch Wimbledon and you’re watching the French but it’s green because everyone is staying back.”