Seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras picks his friend Roger Federer to win the prestigious crown and tie him with the most titles.
"When Wimbledon comes around, you have to put Roger as the man to beat on that surface," Sampras told ESPN.com. “He played extremely well in the French Open final and lost to one of the greats of all time on clay [Rafael Nadal]. I see him oozing with confidence…Roger is trying to be a little more aggressive, take the ball earlier, which is obviously tougher to do against Rafa on clay. And I like what I see. He wants to improve, and he still enjoys it. I think [his coach] Paul [Annacone] has helped him with the mental side, just talking about strategy. Paul knows what it's like, he knows what a great player goes through, and it's really helped Roger in my mind."
Sampras also gives defending champion Rafael Nadal a chance to pull off a third French Open-Wimbledon double.
"Whenever Wimbledon comes around and you look at Rafa's game, you might find him a little bit vulnerable. But year in, year out, he comes out with great results. He beats the guys he should, and before you know it, he's in the second week playing great. He saw what he had to do a couple of years back to play well at Wimbledon, and he's improved those areas. He's a machine. He feels he has to put in the time ahead of Wimbledon, and I respect that, but there's a part of you that has to give the mind and body a break. It might be a blessing in disguise he went down early [at Queen's], just to regroup and enjoy Paris a little bit. He's just one of those athletes that come once every 25 years."
Sampras also praised No. 2 Novak Djokovic for developing into a great player and added that he has no holes in his game. The American can also see Andy Murray going far, but wouldn't put him in the same class as Nadal, Djokovic and Federer.
"He's dealing with a lot more than the other guys, in terms of the pressure of the country and the media on every move and on everything he says. It's tough enough playing these guys, then you add all that. It's nothing that any other player has experienced…I do see him get agitated sometimes. Every now and again, you see him yelling at his box. He's an emotional guy, and that's what makes him tough—he's in every point. But you'd like to see him recover a bit quicker and potentially chill, into something more positive."