Pete Sampras believes Milos Raonic has what it takes to win a Grand Slam title

Pete Sampras knows what it takes to win on the biggest stages in professional tennis. He also believes Milos Raonic will find that knowledge at some point.

“He does have the game to win a major [tournament], it just takes time,” Sampras said on a media conference call Monday. “It doesn’t happen overnight.”

Over his 14-year pro tennis career the 41-year-old Sampras won 14 Grand Slam titles, seven of which were at Wimbledon. Raonic, 22, has struggled at the grass-court Slam, failing to get out of the second round in each of his three appearances.

“He’s obviously competitive with everyone out there it’s just a matter of getting over that next hurdle and maybe he’s got to work a little harder,” Sampras said of Raonic, the No. 13-ranked player in the world. “Maybe he’s got to push a little more, it’s just such a physical game today.

“What I know of Milos is that he has the right attitude, the right frame of mind and it’s just a matter of getting experience. He’s still very young and it takes time to get to that next hurdle, but I feel like Milos will break through.”

Breaking through, however, is not easy while playing in what’s been referred to as the golden age of tennis. Nineteen of the last 20 Slams have been won by one of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray or Roger Federer and when those four are at the top of their games it’s tough for a player like Raonic to make his mark.

It’s also however, a large part of what makes the sport so intriguing to follow.

“I think it’s great. Anytime you can develop a rivalry I think it’s good for tennis. Obviously me and Andre Agassi we sort of transcended the sport there for a few years and now we have Murray and Djokovic . . . Just to have the rivalries and the history is very exciting, it brings a little bit more to the sport. These four guys [Djokovic, Murray, Nadal and Federer] are just so much better than the rest; as long as they’re playing they’re going to be on top of the game so it should be good the next couple of years.”

Sampras himself will get back on the court in August to face off against John McEnroe as a part of the Rogers Legends Cup in Toronto. It was nearly 23 years ago that Sampras and McEnroe met in the 1990 U.S. Open semifinal and Sampras, who was 19 at the time, defeated the 31-year-old McEnroe in four sets before going onto beat Agassi in the final to capture his first Slam title.

“At 19 I was ranked somewhere in the teens and I was just trying to find my way and [McEnroe] was more established,” Sampras said. “I didn’t think I was the favourite, I just went out and played like I did for those two weeks. I had nothing to lose and I kind of just swung away and it all clicked. I felt like I was just playing another match.

“I’ve always looked up to John and been getting to know him quite well so hopefully we play some tennis that the fans can be happy to watch.”

Though he’s been retired since 2003, Sampras has kept his foot in the door of the sport and says he plays ‘here and there.’ He‘s faced off in multiple exhibition matches including two against Federer and in 2011 he took on Raonic. The Canadian overpowered him with what Sampras referred to as a ‘monster serve.’

But for the most part Sampras’ life is outside the game and he’s just trying to enjoy retirement alongside his wife Brigette Wilson and their two sons, Christian and Ryan.

“You have your slow days but at the same time it beats traveling and playing and all the stress I put myself under so [I’m] just enjoying what I’m doing [and] getting a little balance.”