"Pete Sampras doesn't show a lot of respect" - When Pat Rafter explained why he tried to anger the American as much as possible

Pat Rafter and Pete Sampras squared off on the tennis court 16 times, but beyond the tennis, it was the duo's off-court interactions that generated greater buzz.

The tensions began around 1997 and bled into much of the late 1990s with both players taking potshots at each other, some more famous than the rest, both on and off-court.

Rafter had accused Sampras of not showing respect to his opponents after their 1999 US Open match. The Aussie, who would go on to lift the trophy, made sure his opinion was heard as he told the media that his opponent's behavior in fact fuelled his desire to anger him even more.

“Pete Sampras really does say some funny things at the wrong time. We are out there busting our guts and he doesn’t show a lot of respect at the end of the day,” he said.

“He tries to play down the reason why he lost, giving no respect to the other player," he said. "And that is what really upsets me about him and the reason I try to [anger him] as much as I can,” he added.

Rafter had earlier in 1997 said that he was not friends with Sampras and would not enjoy going out for a beer with him, hinting at an undisclosed "bit of feeling" between him and the American.

“Pete Sampras and I are not the best of mates. I wouldn’t go out for a beer with him, put it that way. I don’t know what the story is. There’s a bit of feeling,” Rafter had said after the 1997 Davis Cup semifinals.

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Pat Rafter credited Aussie trainer Brett Stephens for helping improve relationship with Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras is a former American World No. 1.

Pat Rafter, meanwhile, credited Australian rules footballer Brett Stephens, who was Pete Sampras' trainer for around the turn of the century in a 2000 interview with LA Times.

Saying that Sampras had come out of his "shell" ever since pairing up with Stephens, Rafter said he actually sat down to have chats with the American and quite enjoyed the time.

“I think Brett’s actually helping Pete come out of his shell a little bit and be very open. I’ve noticed a change this year. And we’ve actually had a few conversations, because we’ve had our differences,” he said.

“I think we’ve had more respect for each other off the court, as well as we obviously have respect for each other on the court. It’s a nice thing to have because we can actually sit down and have a chat. And I quite like the guy,” he added.

Pete Sampras leads Pat Rafter in their overall head-to-head 12-4. He won the last of their meetings at the US Open in 2001.