The 32-year-old legend said goodbye to the game he mastered at a ceremony here Monday at the US Open, 50 weeks after defeating Andre Agassi in the final here for his 14th Grand Slam crown in what was to be his last match.

"He was the best ever," Spain's Carlos Moya said.

"I don't see anyone dominating the game again as Pete did."

"There was nobody better. Ever," said American Mardy Fish, who idolised Sampras.

"It was amazing to see someone with so much confidence."

Sampras won a record 14 Slam titles, including seven at Wimbledon and five US Opens. He never captured the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam but he was year-end world number one six seasons in a row, an unprecedented feat.

"To say I'm the greatest ever, I won't say that," Sampras said.

"At times, I felt like I was playing perfect tennis. But it's hard to compare. I don't know if there is one best player of all time.

"I feel like my game will match up against anybody. I have won a number of majors. That's really the answer to everything. I stayed number one for many years, which is tough to do. I feel like when it ws a big match I was going to come through."

Fourth seed Andy Roddick, whose big-serve style is often compared to Sampras, admired the grace under pressure shown by "Pistol Pete".

"He was one of the most graceful players of all time, one of the most quietly competitive people of all time," Roddick said.

"He has to be one of the best pressure players of all time. The bigger the match, the better he played."

Jim Courier, a retired long-time Sampras rival, put Sampras with Rod Laver as the greatest to wield a racket.

"You have to give the edge record-wise to Laver, but Pete is the best player in the Open Era, no question, and a close second to Laver, in my opinion, all time," Courier said.

"Pete is certainly the greatest player of the modern era."

Andre Agassi, who lost 20 of 34 matches against Sampras including four of five Slam finals, regarded his rival as the greatest foe he ever faced.

"Pete is the best I have ever played. Of course I will miss him," Agassi said.

"After all he has done for this game, he deserves to leave on his own terms."

Sampras won his 13th Slam title in 2000 at Wimbledon, then went more than two years without a title of any kind before beating Agassi in last year's Flushing Meadows final.

"What an unbelievable ending, after everyone had written him of for two years. He's just so tough and showed everyone wrong," said women's star Lindsay Davenport.

"He has been the greatest men's player in the last I-don't-know-how-many years. His record has been amazing. All his Grand Slam titles speak volumes about what a consistent, great player he was."

John McEnroe paid homage to Sampras by saying how much every player in the game respects him, then cracked about his own fiery demeanor compared to the stoic style of Sampras.

"Pete, I tried to serve like you. I couldn't do that. I tried to hit the big forehand like you. I couldn't do that," McEnroe said.

"I tried to act like you. Needless to say, I failed at that."

Retired German legend Boris Becker lamented that Sampras cut short his own domination of Wimbledon.

"It was my house until you came along," Becker said.