On April 21, 1992, a young Pete Sampras, destined to become world No. 1, made his inaugural appearance at the Monte-Carlo Open. His debut was short-lived as he was unexpectedly defeated in the first round by Germany’s Carl-Uwe Steeb, then ranked world No. 40. The match scores were 6-3, 6-4 in favor of Steeb.
Throughout his career, Sampras would only participate in the Monte-Carlo tournament four times. His overall performance there was less than stellar, with his sole victory coming in 1998 against his longtime rival, Andre Agassi. Carl-Uwe Steeb, born in 1967, turned professional in 1986.
