Why did Pete Sampras never win the French Open? Looking into the American legend's unfortunate history at Roland Garros

Pete Sampras is arguably the best-ever player to never win the Career Grand Slam. The American superstar won 14 Majors throughout his career but could never pass the test at the French Open. Despite his greatness on the hard courts of America and the grass at Wimbledon, Sampras couldn't convert that success into trophies at Roland Garros.

Winning on the red dirt is different from winning anywhere else as the European clay offers a lot of different challenges that can weigh too heavy on some. Despite having a decent record on clay, Sampras could not get on the podium at the French Open.

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Pete Sampras' record at the French Open

Pete Sampras has a poor record at the French Open, with his best finish at the tournament coming in 1996 when he reached the semifinals. Surprisingly, Sampras made it to the second week of the French Open only four times in 13 attempts.

He was knocked out in the second round on five occasions while losing in the first round three times. The American only managed to go past the fourth round on four occasions, losing at the quarterfinal stage three times. These were shocking results considering Sampras' domination at the three other Majors.

While his record at the French Open was poor, his overall record on clay was not that bad as some believed he had a game that suited the clay court. Sampras used his big serves as a weapon and was agile on the court. He even had an effective single-hand backhand that could win him a point out of nowhere.

Sampras had a 66.06% win rate on clay courts. After years of struggle, the American finally got his reward when he won the Italian Open in 1994, but could not replicate that form at the French Open. He announced his retirement in 2002, ending his professional career without a French Open title.

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Why did Pete Sampras fail at the French Open?

Pete Sampras retired at the age of 32 while being on top of the men's game. The American ace won 14 Grand Slam titles, a record only beaten by the "Big 3" in tennis. However, despite his success, Sampras is often associated with his failure at Roland Garros.

The pressure of expectation weighed heavily on his shoulders as all eyes were on him to get that elusive French Open title and complete a Career Grand Slam. Unfortunately, that never happened.

Once Sampras started losing his French Open matches, it was always going to be tough for him to rediscover his form. Even the greats of the game like Roger Federer and Andre Agassi have only managed to win the French Open once, further indicating that clay is a difficult surface to master.

Regardless of his struggles on the European clay courts, Pete Sampras will go down as one of the best players of all time.