And Sampras is looking forward to playing in the UK for the first time since Wimbledon in 2002 and is eager to show he can still produce high-quality tennis.

"It's still fun for me to compete, it's still a challenge and I still want to hold that trophy up at the end," said the American.

"I still want to play well and still want to win. But now I'm a little more relaxed.

"People do want to see competitive tennis. The crowd still want to see me serve and volley the way I used to and pull off my shots, but with a slightly lighter atmosphere."

Sampras won a total of 14 Grand Slam titles in his career and returns to the sport in May in the Grand Champions Brasil tournament, in Sao Paulo.