Don't Miss

ENG

Cricket
Football
NDTV Podcast
Formula 1
Tennis
Golf
Badminton
- Kabaddi
- Boxing
- Athletics
- Chess
- Swimming
- Shooting
- Wrestling
- Table tennis
- Othersports
- NFL
- NBA
- NHL
- US Streamers
- MMA
- WWE

Dark / Light mode

Oct 10,2026 10:40 AM IST

Federer can tie Sampras, complete career Slam

facebook

twitter

Settings

Change Font Size

A A
Change Language

हिंदी | Hindi
Focus on Story

Select Language

Languages
हिंदी | Hindi

Dark / Light mode

Featured Links
Featured Sports
- Cricket
- Football
- Formula 1
- Tennis
- Hockey
- Golf
- Badminton
More Sports
- Kabaddi
- Boxing
- Athletics
- Chess
- Swimming
- Shooting
- Wrestling
- Table tennis
- Othersports
More from NDTV
- NDTV
- Business
- Hindi
- Movies
- Cricket
- Health
- Food
- Tech
- Auto
- Apps
- Trains

Tennis

News
Features
Blogs
Photos
Videos
Players
Grand Slams

arrow-down reddit snapchat twitter facebook comments email printer search bell top-nav reddit-fill snapchat-fill twitter-fill facebook-fill share whatsapp-fill bookmark arrow-rgt arrow-next arrow-up refresh close link cog star book zap cricket football tennis formula-1 badminton hockey golf boxing ndtv-n check left-arrow right-arrow

Live Cricket Matches

Cricket Matches
Football Matches
All Matches

India Matches

IPL 2026

Football Matches

Cricket Matches
Football Matches
All Matches

ISL

EPL

All Matches

Cricket Matches
Football Matches
All Matches

India Matches

EPL

1st Test, Australia in South Africa, 3 Test Series, 2026 at Durban, Oct 9, 2026

Day 1 Stumps

notify

South Africa

Yet To Bat

Australia

187/6 (65.2)

Australia elected to bat

CRR: 2.87
One-off Test, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in UAE, One-off Test, 2026 at Abu Dhabi, Oct 9, 2026

Day 1 Stumps

notify

Afghanistan

Yet To Bat

Bangladesh

317/8 (84.0)

Bangladesh elected to bat

CRR: 3.77
English Premier League, 2026/27

Match 51 , at London, Oct 10, 2026

Arsenal

Leeds United AFC

Sat, Oct 10, 2026 - 5:00 PM IST
Indian Super League, 2026-27

Match 1 , at Bengaluru, Oct 10, 2026

Bengaluru FC

Sporting Club Delhi

Sat, Oct 10, 2026 - 5:00 PM IST
English Premier League, 2026/27

Match 52 , at Birmingham, Oct 10, 2026

Aston Villa

Brentford

Sat, Oct 10, 2026 - 7:30 PM IST
Match 132, ICC CWC League 2, 2023-27 at Dallas, Oct 9, 2026

Namibia

135/2 (26.0)

United Arab Emirates

134 (37.3)

Namibia beat United Arab Emirates by 8 wickets
2nd T20I, West Indies in India, 5 T20I Series, 2026 at Ranchi, Oct 9, 2026

India

249/5 (20.0)

West Indies

252/4 (18.3)

West Indies beat India by 6 wickets
1st T20I, Sri Lanka in Pakistan, 3 T20I Series, 2026 at Rawalpindi, Oct 9, 2026

Pakistan

187/6 (18.5)

Sri Lanka

182/8 (20.0)

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets

Sports Home Tennis News Federer can tie Sampras complete career Slam

Story ProgressBack to home

Federer can tie Sampras, complete career Slam

All of Roger Federer's bad memories from past French Open finals could be wiped away on Sunday.

Written by Associated Press
Updated: June 07, 2009 08:54 am IST

Read Time: 4 min

Paris:

All of Roger Federer's bad memories from past French Open finals could be wiped away on Sunday.

All of those so-close-yet-so-far bids to win the only Grand Slam title to elude him could fade with just one victory.

If he beats 23rd-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden in the final at Roland Garros, Federer will tie Pete Sampras' record of 14 major championships and complete a career Grand Slam _ at least one trophy from each of tennis' four most prestigious tournaments.

Profiles: Roger Federer | Robin Soderling

"On the court, I never felt there was any place to go with him," said Andre Agassi, an eight-time major champion who played 11 matches against Federer and 34 against Sampras before retiring in 2006. "It was something I had never felt against anybody."

As much as Federer already has done, one French Open championship could forever alter the Swiss star's place in history. No one knows that better than Agassi, whose 1999 French Open title made him the fifth _ and most recent _ man with a career Grand Slam, changing the way he and others view his career.

"Every surface, every condition, demands something different from you, and also rewards you differently, as well, from the physical challenges that exist, to the mental challenges. It's highlighted by the fact that it doesn't get done too often," Agassi said during an appearance at Roland Garros with his wife, Steffi Graf, to promote their charitable foundations.

"I'm pulling for Roger tomorrow," Agassi added, "because I think he's earned this opportunity. I think, in many respects, he deserves it."

Federer's influence in the sport extends beyond the court: The winner of the French Open women's championship Saturday, Svetlana Kuznetsova, pointed to a conversation with him during last year's Beijing Olympics as a pivotal moment for her.

Kuznetsova was down in the dumps after losing at the Summer Games and was trying to decide whether to keep training in Spain or return home to Russia. Some friends pushed her to ask Federer to pose for a photo, and Kuznetsova wound up speaking to him at length for the first time.

"He say, 'Look, you can only depend on yourself. You can control it. If you can concentrate and live in Moscow, do this. If you cannot, only you can judge,'" she related after beating Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 for her first French Open title.

Kuznetsova, like many players, is pulling for Federer to get his first. They all know how near he's come, losing to Rafael Nadal in the past three French Open finals and the 2005 semifinals.

"If it wasn't for one sort of freak of nature from Mallorca," Agassi said, "he would have won this tournament, probably, already a handful of times."

It must have come as something of a relief for Federer when Soderling upset Nadal in the fourth round last weekend. Forget about Federer's 9-0 record against Soderling: Playing anyone other than Nadal on the last Sunday in Paris is a welcome difference.

"Look, there's no easy Grand Slam finals," said Federer, who is in his record-tying 19th such match, while Soderling is appearing in his first. "I cannot, obviously, underestimate Robin ... but obviously it's nice to see someone else, for a change."

This might be the 27-year-old Federer's best chance in France, but he is quick to point out that he does not consider this his last opportunity.

"I'm not going to say, 'OK, if I don't win this year, I'm never going to win,'" Federer said after gutting out a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 comeback victory over No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in the semifinals.

"I've always done my best here at Roland Garros. I have all my chances in the future, as well," he said. "So what I'll try and do is focus on the match. I'll do my best, play my best tennis on clay, and I hope that I can win the trophy."

Soderling said Federer should be a factor at the French Open in the future, "even if I can beat him tomorrow."

Either way, Federer long ago placed himself squarely in any discussion about the greatest tennis players ever, alongside men such as Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg and Sampras.

He was ranked No. 1 for a record 237 consecutive weeks, until Nadal overtook him last season. He won Wimbledon (played on grass) and the U.S. Open (hard courts) five straight times apiece, and the Australian Open (hard courts) three times.

He has reached the semifinals at 20 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, twice as long as the second-best streak.

All that's left is to add "French Open champion" to his resume.

"Nobody underestimates where he deserves to fit in this game, but this is going to mean so much to him," Agassi said. "To have that hole sort of filled is something that I think he's going to earn tomorrow, and I think it'll change his life."