Choking back tears, Sampras concluded an unmatched career, exiting on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court where he played his final match one year ago, this time as then walking away to a standing ovation.

"I know in my heart I'm done, 100 per cent done," Sampras said.

"I think I'm going out on my terms. It's not painful. It's emotional. It's a closed chapter. But a part of me is still out there.

"This is something that I love to do and I have been doing since I was seven. I was emotional just driving here. Saying goodbye is not easy. But I know in my heart it's time."

Sampras came full circle, having won his first Slam in Flushing Meadows at age 19 in 1990 and his last here a year ago. Tributes from John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi and Boris Becker were nearly too much for Sampras.

"This is all pretty overwhelming. I'm touched," Sampras told the crowd.

"I'm going to miss playing here. But I know in my heart it's time to say goodbye."

Sampras cradled his infant son Christian in his right arm as he walked a victory lap around the court, then disappeared into a tunnel leading to the locker rooms to a thunderous applause.

Two weeks past his 32nd birthday and happily enjoying fatherhood, Sampras vowed he will not return to the game he dominated for more than a decade.

"My time is done. I've done everything I can. I'm at peace with stopping. It's time to move on," Sampras said.

"I'm not coming back, coming out of retirement. I'm at peace with it."

Sampras broke Roy Emerson's career Slam singles mark with his 13th title at Wimbledon in 2000, then went without any other title until beating Agassi 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in last year's final here, what proved to be his last match.

"My biggest challenge was last year when I didn't win an event for two years," Sampras said.

"Once I did that, I felt I really climbed a tall mountain."

The drought was blamed in part on his marriage to actress Bridgette Wilson, a notion that rankles Sampras still.

"She has been my rock," he said.

"At a time when I was struggling, she got blamed for it, which is absolute bullshit. It wasn't easy to deal with. But she stuck with me and we got through it together."

Sampras was 20-14 against Agassi in their career rivalry, including a 4-1 mark when the two met for Grand Slam titles.

"Pete's accomplishments speak for themselves," Agassi said.

"Pete is the best I have ever played."

Sampras won 64 ATP titles, reached 88 finals, won 762 of 984 matches and took 43.3 million dollars in prize money. He spent a record 286 weeks atop the ATP rankings, including a record six seasons as the year-end world number one.

"I'm retiring because I have nothing to prove to myself," Sampras said. "I have always had challenges ahead of me, staying number one or winning majors.

"If there was something out there I wanted to achieve, I would go and do it. I'm content, 100 per cent content with everything I've done."

Sampras captured seven Wimbledon titles, part of a 53-1 run at the grass court event from 1993-2000, plus the 1994 and 1997 Australian Opens and US Open crowns in 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 and last year.

"Two months after winning here, I wasn't sure what was next," Sampras said.

"I kept pulling out of events, always thinking I might play Wimbledon again.

"Once I started doing some training for Wimbledon and my heart wasn't in it, I knew it was time to say goodbye."

Sampras said he did not quit after the US Open final because he had to come to the conclusion that he was ready to quit, a journey of self-discovery.

"It's a process, retirement. You need to go through all the emotions," Sampras said.

"I went everything I had to go through to be 100 per cent convinced I'm done. And I am.

"To say I should have retired after the final, I wasn't there yet. I am now. I'll miss playing. I'll miss competing. I'll miss finals in front of 20,000 people that rush. That excitement. Just the joy of playing the game.

"But I know what it takes to be there and I know I'm not there now. So it's time to stop."

Sampras was never able to complete a career Slam by winning the French Open, but said that was not a major regret.

"It's a disappointment not winning in Paris. But it's not something I think about much," Sampras said.

"Life goes on."

Proving he could still win a Slam made Sampras consider staying, but his heart is no longer in the game.

"It's a lot of work, a lot of focus. I've been going at it pretty hard for a very long time," Sampras said. "Either I'm going to do it all the way or I'm not going to do it at all. I'm not going to play to say goodbye.

"My heart just wasn't where it needs to be. It needs to be in your blood. After the Open, I felt like slowly it was going away. And I'm at peace. I'm really 100 per cent done."

Sampras made his decision in April when he began training for Wimbledon and found his desire to play had vanished.

"After three days, I was done. I didn't want to practice, didn't want to train, didn't want to do everything you have to do. That's when it hit me. My heart wasn't into it."

Sampras has no interest in television commentary, senior tours or Davis Cup captaincy.

"I have gotten as far away from the game as possible," Sampras said.

"To shut it out has been nice. It has been so consuming to my life for so many years. It just felt good not to pay any attention.

"As time goes on, I will follow it and be part of it in some way. I just don't know right now."