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  • July 23, 2008 04:59 PM ET

Best American tennis player who turned pro since 1980?

Good-Man: Steel Curtain (49-28-18) vs You want to play a game? (895-264-55)
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RULES:
Please post fast as possible

I pick Sampras.

Sampras was probably one of the best American athletes ever, but that's not what we are debating...I'm just saying.

He won 762 professional matches, and only lost 222.

He turned pro when he was 16.

He won 64 career singles titles, and had acheived the world #1 ranking for a period of 6 consecutive years.

He was the last true serve and volley player that America has seen.

He won 5 US Open's, 7 Wimbledons, and 2 Aussie Open's.

He holds the record for most grand slams won!

Sampras and Borg are the only 2 players IN TENNIS HISTORY to win 2 grand slams at least 5 times.


Venus Williams

Williams has16 Grand Slam titles

5 Wimbledon Wins
2 US Opens

3 Wimbledon Doubles wins
1 French OPen Doubles win
1 US Open Doubles Win
2 Aus Open Doubles win

and US Open Mixed doubles win
and a French OPen win


Plus 2 Gold Medals


WOW, Venus Williams...now that's a good pick! However, I think Sampras is more deserving, and here is why:

Sampras won 11 Masters Series trophies.

At that time, the Masters Series tournament was as big if not bigger than the Grand Slams. He beat Ivan Lendl, Agassi twice, Boris Becker twice, Jonas Bjorkman, and Gustavo Kuertin. He won the Masters Series title a total of 7 times, and was a runner up 8 times!

He won Grand Slams 78% of the time he entered them. Overall, he had a career winning percentage of 77! He held the #1 world ranking for a record 286 weeks, and he is one of ONLY 2 players in history to win a Grand Slam in their teens, 20's, and 30's. He lost only 2 times in Wimbledon, and he was the YOUNGEST player to win Wimbledon at age 19, 28 days old.

Now, to argue Venus:

Venus wasn't even #1 for a whole year, let alone 286 consecutive weeks.
Yes, she is a great Grand Slam player, but she doesn't have the consistency to be a dominant #1 like Henin was.

Venus is also a bit injury ridden. She missed 2 straight GS, with the 2006 US, and the 2007 Aussie Opens. She has won little more than half the career titles as Sampras, and she has less overall wins.


The WHOLE Masters cup is irrelevant - considering it matches the top 8 MEN in the World

It would be like calling out Jordan for not winning the WNBA finals

"Overall, he had a career winning percentage of 77! "
(that would be 203???38)

Good Job Venus is 62-6 for a Winning % of 91.


Pete PLayed 15 years- and won 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles
VEnus turned full time in 1997 and in the 11 years has won 16 Grand Slam titles

in 4 LESS years she has TWO more titles

Pete NEVER won a doubles title.

You claim Venus is injury Prone-

Who between the two went TWO FULL YEARS without winning a tournament? That would be Pete there.

Venus is ONLY 28- she has PLENTY of time to amass more titles

at 28 Sampras was DONE- only won ONE more Slam after that age.


Whoah, no hold up a minute.

"Overall, he had a career winning percentage of 77!
(that would be 203???38)
Good Job Venus is 62-6 for a Winning % of 91."

NO, Venus is 496-117! That is definitely not 91%. I said CAREER winning %.

She does not have a winning percent higher than 77 either.

Back then, Masters Cup was the biggest tournament of the year! The top 8 players got to mix it up! How does that not prove anything?

Venus is a Grand Slam player, and she is too inconsistent out of them, there is no way she is the best American tennis player ever! Pete was so much better even out of GS events!

There is no way to compare venus to Sampras anyways seeing as they are not the same gender


Back then, Masters Cup was the biggest tournament of the year! The top 8 players got to mix it up! How does that not prove anything?

There are NO WOMENS CUP-

how can you claim that it matters when it is NOT POSSIBLE for both the compete in the Event?

You are penalizing Venus for not winning a tourney that for her gender- DOES NOT EXIST

it would be as if we made the Walla Walla Washington Open a Grand Slam- and some guy won 10 of them and we claimed he was better than Pete beacuse he has 10 Walla Walla titles and Pete has zero.

Venus has 48 Titles in her 11 year career- only 16 are Slams

How can you claim she stinks other than the Slams?

Let me Settle this

In GRAND SLAM EVENTS

PETE IS 203 wins 38 losses - 84%

VENUS is 173-35 in Singles 62-6 in doubles (that was above-my error)
Total of 235-41 for a 85% Winning Percentage

HIGHER Winning % in GRAND SLAMS

Her OVERALL winning SINGLES PERCENTAGE is 81%

(doubles career % only lists Grand Slams)

She is BETTER as a SINGLE 81-77
She is BETTER as a DOUBLE (pete only has 2 minor tourney wins)

She HAS a GOLD MEDAL (and men ARE in that Tourney)

And has MORE Grand Slam Titles!

Comments (23) Add A Comment

July 23, 2008  05:18 PM ET
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good luck

July 23, 2008  05:22 PM ET
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U2

July 23, 2008  05:39 PM ET
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I ran out of room. I will just wait til my next argument to explain.

July 23, 2008  05:42 PM ET
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nice pick NC

July 23, 2008  05:49 PM ET
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I keyed the wrong thing. He won masters 11 times, and runner up 8 times. Sorry for all the comments.

July 23, 2008  05:58 PM ET
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Thoughtful choice David, however this is like arguing that the Pope is not Catholic or that Baseball is interesting.
Hence why I do not think I will even partake in voting.

July 23, 2008  06:10 PM ET
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MMMM this is a good one. I'll be watching and reading intensely before I vote.

July 23, 2008  06:13 PM ET
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Vote right for now. Due to the fact that Good-Man made the "sexy" pick, I'm giving credit to David. There were really two options Venus or Aggasi.

July 23, 2008  06:18 PM ET
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I don't think Sampras is the "sexy" pick at all. It's the obvious and LOGICAL pick. He dominated. Period.

July 23, 2008  06:24 PM ET
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That chick who is playboy this month... she is easily the best i have seen in awhile :)

July 23, 2008  06:40 PM ET
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1200 DING

July 23, 2008  06:50 PM ET
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What's up with the discrepancies in Venus' career record?

July 23, 2008  07:21 PM ET
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Ironic, a pimp is defending a women and defending her rights....I LOVE AMERICA

July 23, 2008  07:37 PM ET
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What's up with the discrepancies in Venus' career record?

The Pitt Panther Strikes Again |


Read the 3rd arguement there

Geez and I'm the Newbie

July 23, 2008  07:44 PM ET
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I used to periodically watch tennis & i never heard them mention the masters cup...but grand slam...yes!

July 24, 2008  12:40 AM ET
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Steffi Graf. She won more Grand Slams then Sampras and Venus combined.

July 24, 2008  08:04 AM ET
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^^Graf isn't american!

July 24, 2008  08:18 AM ET
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Really well argued both sides.

I suppose I lean Sampras because I have to discount Venus' doubles titles a little (as they are also partially dependent on partner).

I lean Sampras as well because the men's grand slams are more gruelling than the women's (men's grand slams are 5 setters, women's are 3 setters)

July 24, 2008  08:28 AM ET
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I think Sampras had tougher competition also, and the matches are tougher! Voting left

 
July 24, 2008  09:23 AM ET
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SEXISM ON DAGOBAH!

ALERT STONE PHILLIPS

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