Pete Sampras has dismissed suggestions current world number one and reigning Wimbledon champion Roger Federer is on the decline.
Federer, who has won 12 grand slam titles, is just two short of Sampras' all-time record but was recently well beaten by Rafael Nadal in the French Openfinal.
The Swiss remains top seed for Wimbledon next week but Nadal is widely tipped to deny him a sixth successive title at the All England Club after the Spaniard won his first title on grass at the Queen's club last weekend.
Having won Wimbledon seven times Sampras knows a thing or two about what it takes to succeed and he has no doubts about the 26-year-old Federer's enduring quality.
"He's created this monster of winning so many tournaments and so many majors and doing it with ease," the American said. "As great as Roger is, he's going to have his losses and his bad days. It's just human nature to go through some lulls.
"The media need a story and something to grab onto, like he's lost his edge. He hasn't lost his edge.
"If he goes through the next few months and he's losing a lot and he doesn't contend for tournaments then maybe, but I don't see that happening.
"I think when push comes to shove in the majors, he's still the guy that's most likely to win them.
"He's lost a couple and, if anything, that'll do him some good, it'll get him going and fired up. He'll be just fine."
Final qualifying for Wimbledon continues today, while the tournament proper begins on Monday June 23rd.