"We'd reach out to one another to get together, have our kids play" - When Pete Sampras spoke about surprise evolution of friendship with Andre Agassi

Pete Sampras once discussed the evolution of his friendship with his arch-rival Andre Agassi.

Sampras and Agassi were fierce rivals on the tennis court, but unlike players from earlier generations, they managed to maintain a friendly and healthy relationship off it.

The pair met an impressive 34 times on the ATP Tour, their rivalry spanning from 1990 for over a decade. Sampras held a commanding 24-10 lead in their head-to-head matchups. Among these encounters, five were Grand Slam finals, with the 52-year-old emerging victorious in each.

In a 2007 interview with Sports Illustrated, Pete Sampras opened up about his connection with Andre Agassi, revealing that their friendship deepened as they continued to face off on the court.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion also mentioned that whenever one of them was in the other's hometown, they would make it a point to get in touch and arrange for their kids to spend time together.

"I would [describe us as friends today]," Sampras said. "Not anything where we stay in touch week to week, but if he were ever in L.A. or I were in Las Vegas, I think we would reach out to one another just to get together or have our kids play."

"The great thing that happened with us is that everything we went through, completing for Major titles, I think we came out better friends than when we went into it. It’s a credit to who we are and what we represent," he added.

Sampras and his wife Bridgette Wilson have two sons named Christian and Ryan, whereas Agassi and his wife, fellow tennis legend Steffi Graf, have a son named Jaden and a daughter named Jaz.

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Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slams while Andre Agassi won 8

Andre Agassi (L) and Pete Sampras pictured at the 2011 BNP Paribas Showdown

Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slam titles throughout his career while Andre Agassi could collect eight under his belt.

Sampras excelled on grass and won seven Wimbledon titles (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000). He also found success at his home Slam — the US Open — lifting the trophy five times (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002) and the Australian Open, which he won twice (1994, 1997). Although he never won the French Open, he reached the semifinals once in 1996.

Meanwhile, Agassi has four Melbourne Slam titles (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003) coupled with two New York Major titles (1994, 1999) and one title each at Roland-Garros (1999) and SW19 (1992).