Pete Sampras on tennis

Tennis legend Pete Sampras met with his fellow Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, who is the host of CNN's Open Court show.

The American gave an exclusive interview about his life, career and the state of tennis.

Now 40, Sampras has been retired for almost a decade and spends most of his time with his family and playing golf.

He came out of retirement in 2006 to play in exhibition matches, setting the scene for high-profile clashes with Roger Federer the following year and in 2008. Federer would go on to break Sampras' record of 14 grand slam titles.

"Pistol Pete" was the king of the serve and volley game, and is disappointed that it has gone out of style.

Big-serving young Canadian Milos Raonic has been widely tipped as the closest thing to the next Sampras, having won three titles already in less than two years on the ATP Tour.

Sampras won his 14th grand slam in front of his home crowd, in his final tournament -- the 2002 U.S. Open.

He won his 13th major title at Wimbledon in 2000, passing the previous leading total held by Australia's Roy Emerson.

Samparas says he is a "big fan" of the modern game's top men's players -- Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray.

Federer won his 15th grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2009, and is only one away from matching Sampras' Open-era record of seven crowns at the grass-court major.

Sampras has two boys, aged nine and six, with his actress wife Bridgette Wilson. He is encouraging his sons to play both golf and tennis.

The Sampras clan: (L-R) sisters Marion and Stella, father Sammy, mother Georgia, son Ryan, wife Bridgette, son Christian and brother Gus. Pete was honored at the LA Tennis Open in 2009.