Pete Sampras
Encyclopedia
Pete Sampras (ˈsæmprəs) is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam
singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Sampras debuted on the professional tour in 1988 and played his last top-level tournament in 2002 when he won the US Open, defeating rival Andre Agassi
in the final. He was the year-end world no. 1 for six consecutive years (1993–1998), a record for the open era. His seven Wimbledon singles championships are also an Open Era record. He spent 286 weeks at no. 1, the most of any player. His five US Open singles titles is an open-era record shared with former world no. 1 players Jimmy Connors
and Roger Federer
. Sampras is the last American male to win Wimbledon (2000) and the ATP World Tour Finals (1999).
, and is the third child of Sammy and Georgia Sampras. His mother immigrated from Sparta
, Greece
, and his father was born in the United States to a Greek father and a Jewish mother. Greek culture played a big role in his upbringing. Pete attended regular services of the Greek Orthodox Church
on Sundays.
From an early age, Sampras showed signs of outstanding athletic ability. At age 3, Sampras discovered a tennis racket in the basement of his home and spent hours hitting balls against the wall. In 1978, the Sampras family moved to Palos Verdes, California, and the warmer climate there allowed seven-year-old Pete to play more tennis. From early on, his great idol was Rod Laver
, and at 11, Sampras met and played with him. The Sampras family joined the Jack Kramer Club, and it was here that Sampras's talent became apparent. He was spotted by Peter Fischer, a pediatrician and tennis enthusiast, who coached Sampras until 1989. Fischer was responsible for converting Sampras's double-handed backhand to single-handed with the goal of being better prepared to win Wimbledon.
at the February Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor
in Philadelphia. However, just one week later at the Lipton International Players Championships in Miami
, Sampras defeated two top-40 players before losing to World No. 18 Emilio Sánchez
. He did not defeat another top-40 player for almost six months, when he defeated world no. 39 Michiel Schapers
at a US Open warm-up tournament in Rye Brook, New York
. In his first Grand Slam singles match, Sampras lost to world no. 69 Jaime Yzaga
of Peru
in the first round of the US Open, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 4-6, 5-7, 2-6. Sampras did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, although he did record wins over world no. 79 Jim Courier
in their first career match-up, and world no. 8 Tim Mayotte
.
The following year, Sampras slightly improved his ranking to a year-ending world no. 81. He lost in the first round of the 1989 Australian Open
to Christian Saceanu
and the first round of Wimbledon to Todd Woodbridge
, 5-7, 6-7(5), 7-5, 3-6. He won a Grand Slam singles match for the first time at the French Open, before losing in the second round to eventual champion, 17-year-old Michael Chang
, 1-6, 1-6, 1-6, in their first career match-up. At the US Open, Sampras defeated defending champion and fifth-seeded Mats Wilander
in the second round, 5–7, 6–3, 1–6, 6–1, 6–4, before losing to world no. 13 Jay Berger
in the fourth round. To end the year, Sampras lost in the first round of four consecutive tournaments.
Sampras finished 1990 at world no. 5, having started the year ranked world no. 61 just prior to the start of the Australian Open. He lost to Wilander in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open, Sampras upset twelfth-ranked Mayotte in the first round, 7–6(6), 6–7(5), 4–6, 7–5, 12–10, before losing to thirteenth-ranked Yannick Noah
in the fourth round in four sets. His first professional singles title came in February at the Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor in Philadelphia, where he defeated sixth-ranked Andre Agassi
, eighth-ranked Mayotte, and eighteenth-ranked Andrés Gómez
in the final. This title elevated his ranking into the top 20 for the first time. Sampras did not play the French Open and again lost in the first round of Wimbledon, this time to Christo van Rensburg
, 6-7(4), 5-7, 6-7(3). Sampras played seven consecutive weeks during the North American summer hard-court season. He defeated John McEnroe
in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, but then lost to Chang in the semifinals. He also reached the semifinals of the tournament in Los Angeles, where he lost to world no. 2 Stefan Edberg
. He did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, losing to Chang, Richey Reneberg
, and Goran Ivanišević
. In September, he captured his first Grand Slam title at the US Open. Along the way, he defeated sixth-ranked Thomas Muster
in the fourth round and third-ranked Ivan Lendl
in a five-set quarterfinal, breaking Lendl's streak of eight consecutive US Open finals. He then defeated 20th-ranked McEnroe in a four-set semifinal to set up a final with fourth-ranked Agassi. Sampras beat Agassi in straight sets to become the US Open's youngest-ever male singles champion at the age of 19 years and 28 days. He played five more tournaments and won the Grand Slam Cup
to complete his year.
. Upon entering the US Open as the defending champion that year, he caused controversy when, after losing in the quarterfinals to Jim Courier
, Sampras said that he was not disappointed and felt relieved that the pressure to defend his title was no longer on him. This led to widespread criticism, which included disparaging remarks from Courier and Jimmy Connors
.
In 1992, Sampras reached the quarterfinals of the French Open
for the first of three consecutive years, made it to the Wimbledon
semifinals, and was the runner-up at the US Open to Stefan Edberg
. Sampras later stated that his loss in the US Open final that year was a "wake-up call" and that he needed to figure out how to become the world no. 1. He also played doubles with John McEnroe
on the US team that won the Davis Cup
, duplicating the feat in 1995
.
in early 1993 and matched the previous year's quarterfinal performance at the French Open. In April 1993, Sampras attained the world no. 1 ranking for the first time. His rise to the top of the rankings spot was controversial because he had not recently won any Grand Slam titles, but he justified his ranking three months later by claiming his first Wimbledon
title, beating former world no. 1 Jim Courier
in the final. This was followed by his second US Open title. He finished the year as the clear no. 1 and set a new ATP Tour record that year by becoming the first player to serve more than 1,000 aces in a season.
Except for a loss in the 1996 quarterfinals to eventual winner Richard Krajicek
, Sampras continued to win at Wimbledon for the rest of the decade, becoming the most successful male player in Wimbledon history.
Sampras won the first of his two Australian Open titles in 1994, defeating American Todd Martin
in the final. In 1995, Sampras experienced one of the most emotional matches of his career, when he played Courier in the quarterfinals. Sampras's longtime coach and close friend, Tim Gullikson
, had mysteriously collapsed during the tournament and was forced to return to the United States. Gullikson was later diagnosed with brain cancer to which he succumbed the following year. Saddened by Gullikson's illness, Sampras began visibly weeping during the match, but managed to win. He lost the final to Agassi. Paul Annacone
took over as Sampras's full-time coach after Gullikson's illness made it impossible for him to continue coaching.
Sampras's best surface was undoubtedly the fast-playing grass courts. He was also known for his all-round game and strong competitive instinct. He won back-to-back US Open titles in 1995 and 1996, despite vomiting on the court at 1–1 in the tiebreak due to dehydration
in the 1996 quarterfinals against Àlex Corretja
. Sampras's only real weakness was on clay courts, where the slow surface tempered his natural attacking serve-and-volley game. His best performance at the French Open came in 1996, when he lost a semifinal match to the eventual winner, Yevgeny Kafelnikov
. Despite his limited success at Roland Garros, Sampras did win some significant matches on clay. He won a 1992 clay court tournament in Kitzbühel, defeating Alberto Mancini
in the final. He won the prestigious Italian Open
in 1994, defeating Boris Becker
in the final, and two singles matches in the 1995 Davis Cup final against Russians Andrei Chesnokov
and Yevgeny Kafelnikov
in Moscow. Sampras also won a 1998 clay court tournament in Atlanta, defeating Jason Stoltenberg
in the final.
in the final. In July, he won Wimbledon for the fourth time, defeating Cédric Pioline
in the final. Sampras also won singles titles in San Jose
, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Munich
, and Paris, and the ATP Tour World Championships
in Hanover
, Germany. He became the only player to win both the Grand Slam Cup
and the ATP Tour World Championships
in the same year.
He had a 10–1 win–loss record against top-10 opponents and was undefeated in eight singles finals. He held the world no. 1 ranking for the entire year and joined Jimmy Connors
(1974–1978) as the only male players to hold the year-end world no. 1 ranking for five consecutive years. His prize money earnings of US$6,498,211 for the year was a career high.
. (In 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, Sampras had dominated the ATP tour.) Sampras failed to defend his Australian Open
title, losing in the quarterfinals to Karol Kučera
, and won Wimbledon
only after a hard-fought five-set victory over Goran Ivanišević
. Sampras lost a five-set US Open semifinal to the eventual winner Patrick Rafter
, after leading the match two sets to one. He lost another semifinal at the Tennis Masters Cup to eventual champion Àlex Corretja
. Nevertheless, Sampras finished the year as the top-ranked player for the sixth year in a row.
, Wimbledon
(equaling Roy Emerson
's record of 12 Grand Slam singles titles), Los Angeles, and Cincinnati
. His victory over Agassi in the Wimbledon final is often cited as one of Sampras's greatest performances (despite this, he lost his no. 1 ranking to Agassi the following day, when ATP Tour rankings were updated). That run ended when he was forced to retire from the RCA Championships and the US Open because of a herniated disc in his back. Sampras's ranking was hurt through a combination of withdrawing from the Australian and US Opens, tournaments in which he had strong performances during the previous year, and the resurgence of longtime rival Andre Agassi
, putting an end to Sampras' six consecutive years of finishing as the world no. 1. Agassi took over the top ranking and held it for the rest of the season, but Sampras recovered and managed to beat him in the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup
for the fifth and final time, enabling Sampras to place third in the rankings.
in early 2000 (falling to the eventual champion Agassi in a five-set match) and won the Ericsson Open
in Key Biscayne, Florida
for the third time in March. He then won a record-breaking 13th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon
, battling through tendonitis in his right shin and a painful back injury in the process. This victory was his eighth consecutive win in a Grand Slam final (starting at 1995 Wimbledon), which remains a record. After this victory, Sampras did not win another title for more than two years. He lost in the finals of the 2000 and 2001 US Open to Marat Safin
and Lleyton Hewitt
, respectively, leading many to speculate that Sampras would never capture another major title. At the 2001 Wimbledon Championships
, Sampras lost to Roger Federer
, who was 19 at the time, 6–7(7), 7–5, 4–6, 7–6(2), 5–7, in the fourth round, ending Sampras's 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon. The match also marked the first and only time that the two men ever played each other on the ATP tour.
of Switzerland, whose best surface was red clay. Sampras had a relatively poor summer leading up to the US Open. Greg Rusedski
, whom Sampras had defeated in a long five-set third round match at the US Open, said that Sampras was "a step and a half slower" and predicted that Sampras would lose his next match. Sampras, however, then defeated two young stars, Tommy Haas
in the fourth round and Andy Roddick
in the quarterfinals. He then defeated Sjeng Schalken
in the semifinals to reach his third straight US Open final, and eighth US Open final overall, tying Ivan Lendl
's all-time record. This time, he faced Agassi, whom he had met in his very first Grand Slam final 12 years earlier. After a four-set battle between the two veterans, Sampras claimed a then-record 14th Grand Slam singles title and matched Jimmy Connors
's record of five US Open singles championships.
He played no tour events in the following 12 months, but did not officially announce his retirement until August 2003, just prior to the US Open. He chose not to defend his title there, but his retirement announcement was timed so that he could say farewell at a special ceremony organized for him at the Open. At the time of his retirement, many regarded Sampras as the greatest player of all time.
Sampras won 64 top-level singles titles (including 14 Grand Slam titles, 11 Super 9 / ATP Masters Series
titles, and five Tennis Masters Cup
titles) and two doubles titles. He was ranked the world no. 1 for a record 286 weeks and was year-end no. 1 for a record six consecutive years from 1993 through 1998.
The 1990 US Open was their first meeting in a Grand Slam tournament final. Agassi was favored because he was ranked world no. 4, compared to the world no. 12 ranking of Sampras and because Agassi had defeated Sampras in their only previously completed match. However, Agassi lost the final to Sampras in straight sets.
Their next meeting in a Grand Slam was at the 1992 French Open
, where they met in the quarterfinals. Although Sampras was higher ranked, Agassi prevailed in straight sets. Their next Grand Slam meeting was at the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1993, where Agassi was the defending champion and Sampras was the newly minted world no. 1. Sampras prevailed in five sets, and went on to win his first Wimbledon championship.
With both Sampras and Agassi participating, the U.S. won the Davis Cup in 1995. Notable Sampras-Agassi matches of 1995 included the finals of the Australian Open
, the Newsweek Champions Cup
, the Lipton International Players Championships, the Canadian Open
, and the US Open, with Sampras winning the Newsweek Champions Cup and the US Open.
The next time Sampras and Agassi met in a Grand Slam final was at Wimbledon in 1999, where Sampras won in straight sets. For both, it was considered a career rejuvenation, as Sampras had suffered a string of disappointments in the last year while Agassi was regaining his status as a top-ranked player after winning the French Open. Sampras forfeited the world no. 1 ranking to Agassi when injury forced Sampras to withdraw from that year's US Open. They faced each other twice in the season-ending ATP Tour World Championships
, with Sampras losing the round-robin match, but winning the final.
They played each other only once in 2000. The top-ranked Agassi defeated world no. 3 Sampras in the semifinals of the Australian Open
, 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(0), 7–6(5), 6–1.
In arguably their most memorable match, Sampras defeated Agassi in the 2001 US Open quarterfinals 6–7(7), 7–6(2), 7–6(2), 7–6(5). There were no breaks of serve during the entire match. Reruns of the match are frequently featured on television, especially during US Open rain delays.
The final of the 2002 US Open was their first meeting in a US Open final since 1995. The match also was notable because they had defeated several up-and-coming players en route to the final. Sampras had defeated world no. 3 Tommy Haas
in the fourth round and future world no. 1 Andy Roddick
in the quarterfinals, while Agassi had defeated world no. 1 and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt
in the semifinals. Sampras defeated Agassi, 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4. This was the final ATP tour singles match of Sampras's career.
On August 2010 Sampras played an exhibition game with Andre Agassi
at the indoor arena Coliseo Cubierto El Campin
in Bogotá
, Colombia.
Their rivalry began to truly develop after Rafter shocked the tennis world by winning the 1997 US Open, a tournament that many expected Sampras to win, having won in 1995 and 1996. The win catapulted Rafter to the year-end no. 2 ranking behind Sampras. Many, including seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe
believed Rafter to be a "one-slam wonder", since it was only his second career ATP title.
In 1998, after Rafter defeated Sampras in the Cincinnati Masters
final, Sampras, at the time winner of 11 Grand Slams, when asked about the difference between himself and Rafter, famously stated "Ten grand slams", that a controversial line-call cost him the match, and that a player had to come back and win another Grand Slam title in order to be considered great. The two met in the semifinals of the 1998 US Open, with Rafter winning in five sets. Sampras cited a leg injury as the reason Rafter won, an attitude that upset the generally mild-mannered Aussie: "He really does say some funny things at the wrong time", said Rafter, "We are out there busting our guts and he doesn't show a lot of respect at the end of the day. He tries to play down the reason why he lost, giving no respect to the other player, and that is what really upsets me about him and the reason I try to piss him off as much as I can."
Following his successful defense of his 1997 U.S. Open title by defeating Mark Philippoussis
in the 1998 final, when asked about Sampras' earlier comments about having to win another Grand Slam in order to be considered great, Rafter replied: "Maybe you can ask him that question, if he thinks that now. For me, I won another Slam, and it hasn't sunk in yet. It's very, very exciting for me, especially to repeat it". For his part, Sampras said about Rafter, "When I see him holding the US Open trophy, it pisses me off."
After losing for a third consecutive time against Rafter, Sampras won their final four meetings, including a four-set victory in the 2000 Wimbledon final, after being down a set and trailing in the second-set tiebreaker. The victory gave Sampras his 13th Grand Slam title, breaking the record of 12 by Roy Emerson and at that time giving Sampras the most Grand Slam titles in history, until his record was eclipsed by Roger Federer
following the 2009 Wimbledon final.
, for his entire professional career – a racket first introduced in 1983. He played with Babolat natural gut, with all his rackets re-strung before each match (used or not) at 75 lbs tension (more or less depending on conditions). His rackets had weight added to bring them close to 400 g, but the proper frame was a production model manufactured from St. Vincent, an island factory in the Caribbean. The handles were custom-built.
Post-retirement, Sampras has used the slightly modified Pro Staff Tour 90 and in 2008 had a new version of the original Pro Staff produced, with in-between head size of 88 square inches and heavier weight at 349 grams unstrung.
Since mid-2010, however, Sampras has been spotted at multiple exhibitions playing with a Babolat Pure Storm Tour, along with Babolat's popular RPM Blast strings.
"I need a little more pop...I need it if I'm going to play some tennis," he said after playing Gael Monfils in an exhibition at the SAP Open.
against 23 year old Robby Ginepri
. Ginepri won the match 6–3, 7–6(10). Sampras later announced that he would be playing in World Team Tennis
events.
2007 saw Sampras announcing that he would play in a few events on the Outback Champions Series
, a group of tournaments for former ATP players who have met certain criteria during their careers. Sampras won his first two events on tour, defeating Todd Martin
in both finals (one of which included Sampras's first trip to his ancestral homeland, Greece). Many observers noted that despite his lengthy layoff from competitive tournaments, Sampras still possessed many of the previous skills he had displayed while on the ATP tour, with tennis legend John McEnroe
going as far as to say that Sampras would be worthy of a top five seeding at Wimbledon were he to enter the tournament.
On November 20, 2007, Sampras lost the first of three exhibition matches in Asia against Roger Federer
losing 6–4, 6–3 in Seoul, Korea. Two days later in Kuala Lumpur, Sampras again lost to Federer, 7–6(6), 7–6(5). However, Sampras was able to win the last match of the series, winning 7–6(8), 6–4.
On February 18, 2008, in an exhibition match during the SAP Open
, Sampras defeated another active player, former World No. 2 Tommy Haas
. Sampras dispatched the German, 6–4, 6–2 in 43 minutes.
On March 10, 2008, Sampras played another exhibition match against World No. 1 Roger Federer at Madison Square Garden
in New York City. Sampras once again lost the match 6–3, 6–7(4), 7–6(6).
In 2009, Sampras won two Outback Champions Series titles. He defeated McEnroe in the final of the Champions Cup Boston in February and Patrick Rafter
in the final of The Del Mar Development Champions Cup in March.
Sampras was present at the 2009 Wimbledon final between Andy Roddick
and Roger Federer to witness Federer eclipse his mark of 14 major titles and become the most successful man in Grand Slam history. Sampras's record of 14 majors had lasted for seven years.
The following year, along with Federer, Andre Agassi
and Rafael Nadal
, he played an exhibition doubles match at Indian Wells to raise money for the people of Haiti
that had been affected by the earthquake
.
In November 2010, Sampras reported that many of his trophies and other memorabilia had been stolen from a West Los Angeles public storage facility. The loss included only one of his 14 Grand Slam title trophies, from his first Australian Open victory, but also included two Davis Cups, an Olympic ring and six trophies for finishing top in the year-end rankings. Most of the stolen items have since been recovered and returned.
On November 17, 2011, Sampras played an exhibition match against Milos Raonic
who won the match 7-6, 6-1. Sampras’s serve approached 200 km/h throughout the night, whereas Raonic regularly topped that mark and reached speeds up to 222 km/h.
. Possessing an all-around skill, in the early years of his career, when not serving, his strategy was to be offensive from the baseline, put opponents in a defensive position, and finish points at the net. In his later years, he became even more offensive and would either employ a chip-and-charge strategy; just chip back the return and run up to the net, waiting for a volley or try to hit an offensive shot on the return and follow his return to the net.
He was known for producing aces on critical points, even with his second serves. He had an accurate and powerful first serve
, one of the best of all time. His second serve was nearly as powerful as his first, possibly his most dangerous weapon. He had great disguise on both his first and second serves.
Sampras was able to hit winners from both his forehand and backhand wings from all over the court. He was also especially known for having arguably the best "running forehand" of all time. He was able to catch attacks wide to his forehand using his speed and hitting a forehand shot on the run. When successfully executed, he won many points outright or put opponents immediately on the defensive, due to the extreme pace and flat nature of the shot. He also popularized the jump smash, or "slam dunk", where he jumps and then hits the smash in mid-air.
Many players tried (especially late in his career) to serve a high "kicker" out to the Sampras backhand in an attempt to draw a weak return. A similar tactic was employed by many players in rallying Sampras; they would play shot after shot to the Sampras backhand, hoping to wear him down. Still, most of the time, he will handle them with either topspin or slice backhand deep to his opponent's court to change defense to attack.
ATP event, but from 2007 he became president of the firm managing Pete's business activities.
On September 30, 2000, Sampras married American actress and former Miss Teen USA
, Bridgette Wilson
. On November 21, 2002, their son Christian Charles was born. On July 29, 2005, the couple welcomed their second son, Ryan Nikolaos.
Sampras has β-thalassemia, a genetic trait that sometimes causes mild anemia
.
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Sampras debuted on the professional tour in 1988 and played his last top-level tournament in 2002 when he won the US Open, defeating rival Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
in the final. He was the year-end world no. 1 for six consecutive years (1993–1998), a record for the open era. His seven Wimbledon singles championships are also an Open Era record. He spent 286 weeks at no. 1, the most of any player. His five US Open singles titles is an open-era record shared with former world no. 1 players Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
and Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
. Sampras is the last American male to win Wimbledon (2000) and the ATP World Tour Finals (1999).
Early life and career
Pete Sampras was born in Potomac, MarylandPotomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
, and is the third child of Sammy and Georgia Sampras. His mother immigrated from Sparta
Sparti (municipality)
Sparti is a municipality of Laconia, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta. The population in 2001 was 38,079, of whom 15,828 lived in the town itself.-History:...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and his father was born in the United States to a Greek father and a Jewish mother. Greek culture played a big role in his upbringing. Pete attended regular services of the Greek Orthodox Church
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
on Sundays.
From an early age, Sampras showed signs of outstanding athletic ability. At age 3, Sampras discovered a tennis racket in the basement of his home and spent hours hitting balls against the wall. In 1978, the Sampras family moved to Palos Verdes, California, and the warmer climate there allowed seven-year-old Pete to play more tennis. From early on, his great idol was Rod Laver
Rod Laver
Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...
, and at 11, Sampras met and played with him. The Sampras family joined the Jack Kramer Club, and it was here that Sampras's talent became apparent. He was spotted by Peter Fischer, a pediatrician and tennis enthusiast, who coached Sampras until 1989. Fischer was responsible for converting Sampras's double-handed backhand to single-handed with the goal of being better prepared to win Wimbledon.
1988–1990
Sampras turned professional in 1988, at the age of 16, and finished the year ranked world no. 97 after starting the year at world no. 893. His first professional match was a loss to Sammy Giammalva, Jr.Sammy Giammalva, Jr.
Sammy Giammalva Jr. , is a former professional tennis player from the United States.During his career he won 2 singles titles and 4 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 28 in 1985 and a career-high doubles ranking of World No...
at the February Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor
U.S. Pro Indoor
The U.S. Pro Indoor is a defunct professional tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts, and indoor hard courts...
in Philadelphia. However, just one week later at the Lipton International Players Championships in Miami
Miami Masters
The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park...
, Sampras defeated two top-40 players before losing to World No. 18 Emilio Sánchez
Emilio Sánchez
Emilio Ángel Sánchez Vicario is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He won three Grand Slam doubles titles and the men's doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games...
. He did not defeat another top-40 player for almost six months, when he defeated world no. 39 Michiel Schapers
Michiel Schapers
Michiel Schapers is a former tennis player from The Netherlands.Turning professional in 1982, Schapers represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where he was defeated in quarter-finals by eventual winner Miloslav Mečíř of Slovakia.The right-hander Schapers reached his...
at a US Open warm-up tournament in Rye Brook, New York
ATP Rye Brook
The Rye Brook Open was a Grand Prix affiliated tennis tournament held in Rye Brook, New York. It was held twice, in 1987 and 1988 and held on outdoor hard courts.-Singles:-Doubles:-External links:*...
. In his first Grand Slam singles match, Sampras lost to world no. 69 Jaime Yzaga
Jaime Yzaga
Jaime Yzaga Tori is a former professional tennis player from Peru.Yzaga played on the professional tour from 1984 to 1996....
of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in the first round of the US Open, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 4-6, 5-7, 2-6. Sampras did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, although he did record wins over world no. 79 Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
in their first career match-up, and world no. 8 Tim Mayotte
Tim Mayotte
Timothy "Tim" Mayotte is a former professional tennis player from the United States.- Career :...
.
The following year, Sampras slightly improved his ranking to a year-ending world no. 81. He lost in the first round of the 1989 Australian Open
1989 Australian Open - Men's Singles
Ivan Lendl defeated Miloslav Mečíř 6–2 6–2 6–2 in the final to win the Men's Singles title at the 1989 Australian Open.See also:-Key:* Q = Qualifier* WC = Wild Card* LL = Lucky Loser* r. = retired-Final Eight:-Section 1:-Section 2:...
to Christian Saceanu
Christian Saceanu
Christian Saceanu is a tennis player from Germany, who turned professional in 1986. The right-hander won two singles titles in his career. Saceanu reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on March 7, 1988, when he became the number 60 of the world.-External links:*...
and the first round of Wimbledon to Todd Woodbridge
Todd Woodbridge
Todd Andrew Woodbridge is an Australian former tennis player. He was born in Sydney and turned professional in 1988. He is best known for his successful Doubles partnerships with Mark Woodforde and later Jonas Björkman...
, 5-7, 6-7(5), 7-5, 3-6. He won a Grand Slam singles match for the first time at the French Open, before losing in the second round to eventual champion, 17-year-old Michael Chang
Michael Chang
Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17....
, 1-6, 1-6, 1-6, in their first career match-up. At the US Open, Sampras defeated defending champion and fifth-seeded Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
in the second round, 5–7, 6–3, 1–6, 6–1, 6–4, before losing to world no. 13 Jay Berger
Jay Berger
Jay Berger is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of world # 7 in April 1990....
in the fourth round. To end the year, Sampras lost in the first round of four consecutive tournaments.
Sampras finished 1990 at world no. 5, having started the year ranked world no. 61 just prior to the start of the Australian Open. He lost to Wilander in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open, Sampras upset twelfth-ranked Mayotte in the first round, 7–6(6), 6–7(5), 4–6, 7–5, 12–10, before losing to thirteenth-ranked Yannick Noah
Yannick Noah
Yannick Noah is a former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for being the last French man to win the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams...
in the fourth round in four sets. His first professional singles title came in February at the Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor in Philadelphia, where he defeated sixth-ranked Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
, eighth-ranked Mayotte, and eighteenth-ranked Andrés Gómez
Andrés Gómez
Andrés Gómez Santos is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1990.-Career:...
in the final. This title elevated his ranking into the top 20 for the first time. Sampras did not play the French Open and again lost in the first round of Wimbledon, this time to Christo van Rensburg
Christo Van Rensburg
Christo van Rensburg is a former professional tennis player from South Africa.Van Rensburg turned professional in 1983...
, 6-7(4), 5-7, 6-7(3). Sampras played seven consecutive weeks during the North American summer hard-court season. He defeated John McEnroe
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, but then lost to Chang in the semifinals. He also reached the semifinals of the tournament in Los Angeles, where he lost to world no. 2 Stefan Edberg
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
. He did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, losing to Chang, Richey Reneberg
Richey Reneberg
Richey Reneberg was an American professional male tennis player.He attended Southern Methodist University, where he was a three-time All-American and reached the 1986 National Collegiate Athletics Association finals....
, and Goran Ivanišević
Goran Ivaniševic
Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
. In September, he captured his first Grand Slam title at the US Open. Along the way, he defeated sixth-ranked Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list...
in the fourth round and third-ranked Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
in a five-set quarterfinal, breaking Lendl's streak of eight consecutive US Open finals. He then defeated 20th-ranked McEnroe in a four-set semifinal to set up a final with fourth-ranked Agassi. Sampras beat Agassi in straight sets to become the US Open's youngest-ever male singles champion at the age of 19 years and 28 days. He played five more tournaments and won the Grand Slam Cup
Grand Slam Cup
The Grand Slam Cup was a tennis tournament held annually at the Olympiahalle in Munich in Germany from 1990 through 1999. The event was organized by the International Tennis Federation , which invited the best-performing players in the year's Grand Slam events to compete in the Grand Slam Cup.The...
to complete his year.
1991–1992
Sampras in 1991 captured the first of his five career titles at the year-end Tennis Masters Cup1991 ATP Tour World Championships
The 1991 ATP Tour World Championships was held in Frankfurt, Germany between November 12 and November 17, 1991.-Singles: Pete Sampras def...
. Upon entering the US Open as the defending champion that year, he caused controversy when, after losing in the quarterfinals to Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
, Sampras said that he was not disappointed and felt relieved that the pressure to defend his title was no longer on him. This led to widespread criticism, which included disparaging remarks from Courier and Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
.
In 1992, Sampras reached the quarterfinals of the French Open
1992 French Open
List of the 1992 French Open champions:- Men's singles : Jim Courier def. Petr Korda, 7–5, 6–2, 6–1*It was Courier's 5th title of the year, and his 9th overall. It was his 3rd career Grand Slam title, and his 2nd French Open title....
for the first of three consecutive years, made it to the Wimbledon
1992 Wimbledon Championships
The 1992 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on :grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon in London in England...
semifinals, and was the runner-up at the US Open to Stefan Edberg
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
. Sampras later stated that his loss in the US Open final that year was a "wake-up call" and that he needed to figure out how to become the world no. 1. He also played doubles with John McEnroe
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
on the US team that won the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
, duplicating the feat in 1995
1995 Davis Cup
The 1995 Davis Cup was the 84th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. A total of 115 nations participated in the tournament...
.
1993–1996
Sampras reached the semifinals of the Australian Open1994 Australian Open
The 1994 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at Flinders Park in Melbourne in Victoria in Australia...
in early 1993 and matched the previous year's quarterfinal performance at the French Open. In April 1993, Sampras attained the world no. 1 ranking for the first time. His rise to the top of the rankings spot was controversial because he had not recently won any Grand Slam titles, but he justified his ranking three months later by claiming his first Wimbledon
1993 Wimbledon Championships
The 1993 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on :grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon in London in England...
title, beating former world no. 1 Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
in the final. This was followed by his second US Open title. He finished the year as the clear no. 1 and set a new ATP Tour record that year by becoming the first player to serve more than 1,000 aces in a season.
Except for a loss in the 1996 quarterfinals to eventual winner Richard Krajicek
Richard Krajicek
Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek is a Dutch former professional tennis player. In 1996 he won the men's singles title at Wimbledon, the only Dutch player to have done so. In the quarterfinals of that tournament he defeated Pete Sampras. This was Sampras' only singles defeat at Wimbledon between...
, Sampras continued to win at Wimbledon for the rest of the decade, becoming the most successful male player in Wimbledon history.
Sampras won the first of his two Australian Open titles in 1994, defeating American Todd Martin
Todd Martin
----Todd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Playing career:...
in the final. In 1995, Sampras experienced one of the most emotional matches of his career, when he played Courier in the quarterfinals. Sampras's longtime coach and close friend, Tim Gullikson
Tim Gullikson
Timothy Ernest "Tim" Gullikson was a tennis player and coach who was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin in the United States.In 1977, he won three tour singles titles and was named the ATP's Newcomer of the Year...
, had mysteriously collapsed during the tournament and was forced to return to the United States. Gullikson was later diagnosed with brain cancer to which he succumbed the following year. Saddened by Gullikson's illness, Sampras began visibly weeping during the match, but managed to win. He lost the final to Agassi. Paul Annacone
Paul Annacone
Paul Annacone is a former touring professional tennis player and current well-known tennis coach.-As a college player:...
took over as Sampras's full-time coach after Gullikson's illness made it impossible for him to continue coaching.
Sampras's best surface was undoubtedly the fast-playing grass courts. He was also known for his all-round game and strong competitive instinct. He won back-to-back US Open titles in 1995 and 1996, despite vomiting on the court at 1–1 in the tiebreak due to dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
in the 1996 quarterfinals against Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999...
. Sampras's only real weakness was on clay courts, where the slow surface tempered his natural attacking serve-and-volley game. His best performance at the French Open came in 1996, when he lost a semifinal match to the eventual winner, Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002...
. Despite his limited success at Roland Garros, Sampras did win some significant matches on clay. He won a 1992 clay court tournament in Kitzbühel, defeating Alberto Mancini
Alberto Mancini
Alberto César Mancini is a former professional tennis player from Argentina. He turned professional in 1987. In 1988, he won his first top-level singles title at Bologna, and his first tour doubles title at St. Vincent....
in the final. He won the prestigious Italian Open
Rome Masters
The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's...
in 1994, defeating Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
in the final, and two singles matches in the 1995 Davis Cup final against Russians Andrei Chesnokov
Andrei Chesnokov
Andrei Eduardovich Chesnokov is a former professional tennis player from Russia.Chesnokov's highest singles ranking was World No. 9 in 1991. The biggest tournament victories of his career came at the Monte Carlo Open in 1990, and at the Canadian Open in 1991 .Chesnokov's best performance at a...
and Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002...
in Moscow. Sampras also won a 1998 clay court tournament in Atlanta, defeating Jason Stoltenberg
Jason Stoltenberg
Jason Stoltenberg is a former professional tennis player from Australia.Stoltenberg began playing tennis at age ten on an antbed court where his father owned a cotton farm in the Far West of New South Wales. In 1987, he won the boys' singles title at the Australian Open and was ranked the World No...
in the final.
1997
Sampras won his second and final Australian Open title in January, defeating Carlos MoyàCarlos Moyá
Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland...
in the final. In July, he won Wimbledon for the fourth time, defeating Cédric Pioline
Cédric Pioline
Cédric Pioline is a retired French professional tennis player who played on the professional tour from 1989 to 2002. He reached the men's singles final at the 1993 US Open and at Wimbledon in 1997...
in the final. Sampras also won singles titles in San Jose
SAP Open
The SAP Open is a men's tennis tournament held annually in San Jose, California. It is the second-oldest tennis tournament in the United States, which is still played. It is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour...
, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Munich
Grand Slam Cup
The Grand Slam Cup was a tennis tournament held annually at the Olympiahalle in Munich in Germany from 1990 through 1999. The event was organized by the International Tennis Federation , which invited the best-performing players in the year's Grand Slam events to compete in the Grand Slam Cup.The...
, and Paris, and the ATP Tour World Championships
Tennis Masters Cup
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings....
in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Germany. He became the only player to win both the Grand Slam Cup
Grand Slam Cup
The Grand Slam Cup was a tennis tournament held annually at the Olympiahalle in Munich in Germany from 1990 through 1999. The event was organized by the International Tennis Federation , which invited the best-performing players in the year's Grand Slam events to compete in the Grand Slam Cup.The...
and the ATP Tour World Championships
Tennis Masters Cup
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings....
in the same year.
He had a 10–1 win–loss record against top-10 opponents and was undefeated in eight singles finals. He held the world no. 1 ranking for the entire year and joined Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
(1974–1978) as the only male players to hold the year-end world no. 1 ranking for five consecutive years. His prize money earnings of US$6,498,211 for the year was a career high.
1998
In 1998, Sampras's no. 1 ranking was challenged by Chilean player Marcelo RíosMarcelo Ríos
Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No...
. (In 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, Sampras had dominated the ATP tour.) Sampras failed to defend his Australian Open
1998 Australian Open
The 1998 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at Melbourne Park in Melbourne in Victoria in Australia. It was the 86th edition of the Australian Open and was held from 19 January through 1 February 1998.-Men's Singles:...
title, losing in the quarterfinals to Karol Kučera
Karol Kucera
Karol Kučera is a retired ATP professional male tennis player from Slovakia. He is a former top 10 player and has been ranked as high as World No. 6.-Tennis career:...
, and won Wimbledon
1998 Wimbledon Championships
The 1998 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on :grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon in London in England...
only after a hard-fought five-set victory over Goran Ivanišević
Goran Ivaniševic
Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
. Sampras lost a five-set US Open semifinal to the eventual winner Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
, after leading the match two sets to one. He lost another semifinal at the Tennis Masters Cup to eventual champion Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999...
. Nevertheless, Sampras finished the year as the top-ranked player for the sixth year in a row.
1999
1999 also started out disappointingly, as Sampras withdrew from the Australian Open and failed to win a title during the early part of the season. However, he then went on a 24-match winning streak, including the Stella Artois ChampionshipsQueen's Club Championships
The Queen's Club Championships is an annual tournament for male tennis players, held on grass courts at the Queen's Club in West Kensington, London. Between 1970 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit. The event is now an ATP World Tour 250 series tournament on the Association of...
, Wimbledon
1999 Wimbledon Championships
The 1999 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon in London in England...
(equaling Roy Emerson
Roy Emerson
Roy Stanley Emerson is an Australian former tennis player who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He is the only male player to have won singles and doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments. His 28 Grand Slam titles are an all-time record for a male...
's record of 12 Grand Slam singles titles), Los Angeles, and Cincinnati
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
. His victory over Agassi in the Wimbledon final is often cited as one of Sampras's greatest performances (despite this, he lost his no. 1 ranking to Agassi the following day, when ATP Tour rankings were updated). That run ended when he was forced to retire from the RCA Championships and the US Open because of a herniated disc in his back. Sampras's ranking was hurt through a combination of withdrawing from the Australian and US Opens, tournaments in which he had strong performances during the previous year, and the resurgence of longtime rival Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
, putting an end to Sampras' six consecutive years of finishing as the world no. 1. Agassi took over the top ranking and held it for the rest of the season, but Sampras recovered and managed to beat him in the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup
1999 ATP Tour World Championships
The 1999 ATP Tour World Championships was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. The surface was called "GreenSet On Wood" which had a wood base coated in synthetic material and provided a medium-pace surface...
for the fifth and final time, enabling Sampras to place third in the rankings.
2000s
Sampras reached the semifinals of the Australian Open2000 Australian Open
The 2000 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts from 17 through to 30 January.-Singles players:Men's SinglesWomen's Singles-Former champions:...
in early 2000 (falling to the eventual champion Agassi in a five-set match) and won the Ericsson Open
Miami Masters
The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park...
in Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324....
for the third time in March. He then won a record-breaking 13th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon
2000 Wimbledon Championships
List of the 2000 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's Singles:* Men's Singles-Men's singles: Pete Sampras def. Patrick Rafter, 6–7, 7–6, 6–4, 6–2...
, battling through tendonitis in his right shin and a painful back injury in the process. This victory was his eighth consecutive win in a Grand Slam final (starting at 1995 Wimbledon), which remains a record. After this victory, Sampras did not win another title for more than two years. He lost in the finals of the 2000 and 2001 US Open to Marat Safin
Marat Safin
Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken...
and Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20...
, respectively, leading many to speculate that Sampras would never capture another major title. At the 2001 Wimbledon Championships
2001 Wimbledon Championships
The 2001 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom the event was part of the 2001 ATP Tour and 2001 WTA Tour. The tournament was held from June 25 to July 9, 2001...
, Sampras lost to Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
, who was 19 at the time, 6–7(7), 7–5, 4–6, 7–6(2), 5–7, in the fourth round, ending Sampras's 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon. The match also marked the first and only time that the two men ever played each other on the ATP tour.
2002
In 2002, Sampras suffered an early exit from Wimbledon, losing in the second round to no. 145 George BastlGeorge Bastl
George Edward Bastl is a professional tennis player from Switzerland. He is ranked at World No. 845 as of August 22, 2011.He has reached one singles final in his career – at Tashkent in 1999.-Tennis career:...
of Switzerland, whose best surface was red clay. Sampras had a relatively poor summer leading up to the US Open. Greg Rusedski
Greg Rusedski
Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33...
, whom Sampras had defeated in a long five-set third round match at the US Open, said that Sampras was "a step and a half slower" and predicted that Sampras would lose his next match. Sampras, however, then defeated two young stars, Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas is a German and recently naturalized American professional tennis player. He has competed on the ATP Tour since 1996. After breaking into the world top 100 in 1997, and reaching a career-high ranking of world no...
in the fourth round and Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
in the quarterfinals. He then defeated Sjeng Schalken
Sjeng Schalken
Sjeng Schalken is a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands.-Playing style:A right-handed baseliner with a single-handed backhand, Schalken's game is characterised by his consistency of both wings and his continental technique on both the forehand and backhand...
in the semifinals to reach his third straight US Open final, and eighth US Open final overall, tying Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
's all-time record. This time, he faced Agassi, whom he had met in his very first Grand Slam final 12 years earlier. After a four-set battle between the two veterans, Sampras claimed a then-record 14th Grand Slam singles title and matched Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
's record of five US Open singles championships.
He played no tour events in the following 12 months, but did not officially announce his retirement until August 2003, just prior to the US Open. He chose not to defend his title there, but his retirement announcement was timed so that he could say farewell at a special ceremony organized for him at the Open. At the time of his retirement, many regarded Sampras as the greatest player of all time.
Sampras won 64 top-level singles titles (including 14 Grand Slam titles, 11 Super 9 / ATP Masters Series
ATP Masters Series
The ATP Masters Series was a series of nine tennis tournaments that formed part of the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, held annually throughout the year in Europe, North America...
titles, and five Tennis Masters Cup
Tennis Masters Cup
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings....
titles) and two doubles titles. He was ranked the world no. 1 for a record 286 weeks and was year-end no. 1 for a record six consecutive years from 1993 through 1998.
Rivalry with Andre Agassi
Sampras won 20 of the 34 matches he played against Agassi.The 1990 US Open was their first meeting in a Grand Slam tournament final. Agassi was favored because he was ranked world no. 4, compared to the world no. 12 ranking of Sampras and because Agassi had defeated Sampras in their only previously completed match. However, Agassi lost the final to Sampras in straight sets.
Their next meeting in a Grand Slam was at the 1992 French Open
1992 French Open
List of the 1992 French Open champions:- Men's singles : Jim Courier def. Petr Korda, 7–5, 6–2, 6–1*It was Courier's 5th title of the year, and his 9th overall. It was his 3rd career Grand Slam title, and his 2nd French Open title....
, where they met in the quarterfinals. Although Sampras was higher ranked, Agassi prevailed in straight sets. Their next Grand Slam meeting was at the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1993, where Agassi was the defending champion and Sampras was the newly minted world no. 1. Sampras prevailed in five sets, and went on to win his first Wimbledon championship.
With both Sampras and Agassi participating, the U.S. won the Davis Cup in 1995. Notable Sampras-Agassi matches of 1995 included the finals of the Australian Open
1995 Australian Open
The 1995 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at Flinders Park in Melbourne in Victoria in Australia. It was the 83rd edition of the Australian Open and was held from 16 through 29 January 1995.-Men's Singles:...
, the Newsweek Champions Cup
Indian Wells Masters
The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California....
, the Lipton International Players Championships, the Canadian Open
Canada Masters
The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
, and the US Open, with Sampras winning the Newsweek Champions Cup and the US Open.
The next time Sampras and Agassi met in a Grand Slam final was at Wimbledon in 1999, where Sampras won in straight sets. For both, it was considered a career rejuvenation, as Sampras had suffered a string of disappointments in the last year while Agassi was regaining his status as a top-ranked player after winning the French Open. Sampras forfeited the world no. 1 ranking to Agassi when injury forced Sampras to withdraw from that year's US Open. They faced each other twice in the season-ending ATP Tour World Championships
Tennis Masters Cup
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings....
, with Sampras losing the round-robin match, but winning the final.
They played each other only once in 2000. The top-ranked Agassi defeated world no. 3 Sampras in the semifinals of the Australian Open
2000 Australian Open
The 2000 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts from 17 through to 30 January.-Singles players:Men's SinglesWomen's Singles-Former champions:...
, 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(0), 7–6(5), 6–1.
In arguably their most memorable match, Sampras defeated Agassi in the 2001 US Open quarterfinals 6–7(7), 7–6(2), 7–6(2), 7–6(5). There were no breaks of serve during the entire match. Reruns of the match are frequently featured on television, especially during US Open rain delays.
The final of the 2002 US Open was their first meeting in a US Open final since 1995. The match also was notable because they had defeated several up-and-coming players en route to the final. Sampras had defeated world no. 3 Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas is a German and recently naturalized American professional tennis player. He has competed on the ATP Tour since 1996. After breaking into the world top 100 in 1997, and reaching a career-high ranking of world no...
in the fourth round and future world no. 1 Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
in the quarterfinals, while Agassi had defeated world no. 1 and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20...
in the semifinals. Sampras defeated Agassi, 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4. This was the final ATP tour singles match of Sampras's career.
On August 2010 Sampras played an exhibition game with Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
at the indoor arena Coliseo Cubierto El Campin
Coliseo Cubierto El Campín
Coliseo Cubierto El Campín is an indoor sporting arena located in Bogotá, Colombia. It was built in 1973.The capacity of the arena is 13,000 and is used mostly for basketball, tennis and concerts. The arena is the venue of many concerts in Bogotá, even though is criticized for lack of acoustic...
in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia.
Rivalry with Patrick Rafter
Sampras won 12 of the 16 matches he played against Rafter, including eight of their first nine.Their rivalry began to truly develop after Rafter shocked the tennis world by winning the 1997 US Open, a tournament that many expected Sampras to win, having won in 1995 and 1996. The win catapulted Rafter to the year-end no. 2 ranking behind Sampras. Many, including seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
believed Rafter to be a "one-slam wonder", since it was only his second career ATP title.
In 1998, after Rafter defeated Sampras in the Cincinnati Masters
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
final, Sampras, at the time winner of 11 Grand Slams, when asked about the difference between himself and Rafter, famously stated "Ten grand slams", that a controversial line-call cost him the match, and that a player had to come back and win another Grand Slam title in order to be considered great. The two met in the semifinals of the 1998 US Open, with Rafter winning in five sets. Sampras cited a leg injury as the reason Rafter won, an attitude that upset the generally mild-mannered Aussie: "He really does say some funny things at the wrong time", said Rafter, "We are out there busting our guts and he doesn't show a lot of respect at the end of the day. He tries to play down the reason why he lost, giving no respect to the other player, and that is what really upsets me about him and the reason I try to piss him off as much as I can."
Following his successful defense of his 1997 U.S. Open title by defeating Mark Philippoussis
Mark Philippoussis
Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry....
in the 1998 final, when asked about Sampras' earlier comments about having to win another Grand Slam in order to be considered great, Rafter replied: "Maybe you can ask him that question, if he thinks that now. For me, I won another Slam, and it hasn't sunk in yet. It's very, very exciting for me, especially to repeat it". For his part, Sampras said about Rafter, "When I see him holding the US Open trophy, it pisses me off."
After losing for a third consecutive time against Rafter, Sampras won their final four meetings, including a four-set victory in the 2000 Wimbledon final, after being down a set and trailing in the second-set tiebreaker. The victory gave Sampras his 13th Grand Slam title, breaking the record of 12 by Roy Emerson and at that time giving Sampras the most Grand Slam titles in history, until his record was eclipsed by Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
following the 2009 Wimbledon final.
Equipment
Sampras used one racket type, the Wilson Pro Staff OriginalWilson ProStaff Original 6.0
The Wilson Pro Staff Original, first introduced in 1983 is most known for being the model of racket used by Pete Sampras.-History:Originally manufactured in Chicago, Illinois and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Pro Staff line was Wilson's answer to the Prince Graphite, Yonex Rex series, and...
, for his entire professional career – a racket first introduced in 1983. He played with Babolat natural gut, with all his rackets re-strung before each match (used or not) at 75 lbs tension (more or less depending on conditions). His rackets had weight added to bring them close to 400 g, but the proper frame was a production model manufactured from St. Vincent, an island factory in the Caribbean. The handles were custom-built.
Post-retirement, Sampras has used the slightly modified Pro Staff Tour 90 and in 2008 had a new version of the original Pro Staff produced, with in-between head size of 88 square inches and heavier weight at 349 grams unstrung.
Since mid-2010, however, Sampras has been spotted at multiple exhibitions playing with a Babolat Pure Storm Tour, along with Babolat's popular RPM Blast strings.
"I need a little more pop...I need it if I'm going to play some tennis," he said after playing Gael Monfils in an exhibition at the SAP Open.
Post-retirement activity
On April 6, 2006, three and a half years after his retirement, Sampras resurfaced and played his first exhibition match in River Oaks, Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
against 23 year old Robby Ginepri
Robby Ginepri
Robert Louis Ginepri is an American professional tennis player.-Early life:Robby Ginepri is of Luxembourgish ancestry....
. Ginepri won the match 6–3, 7–6(10). Sampras later announced that he would be playing in World Team Tennis
World Team Tennis
World TeamTennis is a coed professional tennis league played with a unique team format in the United States. Each match consists of five sets. Each set features a different configuration . Coaches, before the match, decide the order in which the sets will be played...
events.
2007 saw Sampras announcing that he would play in a few events on the Outback Champions Series
Outback Champions Series
The Outback Champions Series is a series of tennis tournaments designed for former members of the ATP tour. The Outback Champions Series consists of tournaments played in select markets where legends of the sport compete in a highly competitive, fan friendly, round robin format with a champion...
, a group of tournaments for former ATP players who have met certain criteria during their careers. Sampras won his first two events on tour, defeating Todd Martin
Todd Martin
----Todd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Playing career:...
in both finals (one of which included Sampras's first trip to his ancestral homeland, Greece). Many observers noted that despite his lengthy layoff from competitive tournaments, Sampras still possessed many of the previous skills he had displayed while on the ATP tour, with tennis legend John McEnroe
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
going as far as to say that Sampras would be worthy of a top five seeding at Wimbledon were he to enter the tournament.
On November 20, 2007, Sampras lost the first of three exhibition matches in Asia against Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
losing 6–4, 6–3 in Seoul, Korea. Two days later in Kuala Lumpur, Sampras again lost to Federer, 7–6(6), 7–6(5). However, Sampras was able to win the last match of the series, winning 7–6(8), 6–4.
On February 18, 2008, in an exhibition match during the SAP Open
SAP Open
The SAP Open is a men's tennis tournament held annually in San Jose, California. It is the second-oldest tennis tournament in the United States, which is still played. It is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour...
, Sampras defeated another active player, former World No. 2 Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas is a German and recently naturalized American professional tennis player. He has competed on the ATP Tour since 1996. After breaking into the world top 100 in 1997, and reaching a career-high ranking of world no...
. Sampras dispatched the German, 6–4, 6–2 in 43 minutes.
On March 10, 2008, Sampras played another exhibition match against World No. 1 Roger Federer at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City. Sampras once again lost the match 6–3, 6–7(4), 7–6(6).
In 2009, Sampras won two Outback Champions Series titles. He defeated McEnroe in the final of the Champions Cup Boston in February and Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
in the final of The Del Mar Development Champions Cup in March.
Sampras was present at the 2009 Wimbledon final between Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
and Roger Federer to witness Federer eclipse his mark of 14 major titles and become the most successful man in Grand Slam history. Sampras's record of 14 majors had lasted for seven years.
The following year, along with Federer, Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
and Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
, he played an exhibition doubles match at Indian Wells to raise money for the people of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
that had been affected by the earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
.
In November 2010, Sampras reported that many of his trophies and other memorabilia had been stolen from a West Los Angeles public storage facility. The loss included only one of his 14 Grand Slam title trophies, from his first Australian Open victory, but also included two Davis Cups, an Olympic ring and six trophies for finishing top in the year-end rankings. Most of the stolen items have since been recovered and returned.
On November 17, 2011, Sampras played an exhibition match against Milos Raonic
Milos Raonic
Milos Raonic is a Canadian professional tennis player from Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.Born in what is now Podgorica, Montenegro, Raonic moved to Canada with his family at the age of 3. Raonic is Canada's highest ATP ranked male singles player and the country's highest ever ranked player since...
who won the match 7-6, 6-1. Sampras’s serve approached 200 km/h throughout the night, whereas Raonic regularly topped that mark and reached speeds up to 222 km/h.
Playing style
Sampras was an all-court player who would often serve and volleyServe and volley
Serve and volley is a style of play in tennis where the player serving moves quickly towards the net after hitting a serve. The server then attempts to hit a volley , as opposed to the baseline style, where the server would stay back following the serve and attempt to hit a groundstroke Serve and...
. Possessing an all-around skill, in the early years of his career, when not serving, his strategy was to be offensive from the baseline, put opponents in a defensive position, and finish points at the net. In his later years, he became even more offensive and would either employ a chip-and-charge strategy; just chip back the return and run up to the net, waiting for a volley or try to hit an offensive shot on the return and follow his return to the net.
He was known for producing aces on critical points, even with his second serves. He had an accurate and powerful first serve
Serve (tennis)
A serve in tennis is a shot to start a point. A player begins a serve by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it into the diagonally opposite backside box without being stopped by the net. The ball can only touch the net on a return and will be considered good if it falls on the opposite side...
, one of the best of all time. His second serve was nearly as powerful as his first, possibly his most dangerous weapon. He had great disguise on both his first and second serves.
Sampras was able to hit winners from both his forehand and backhand wings from all over the court. He was also especially known for having arguably the best "running forehand" of all time. He was able to catch attacks wide to his forehand using his speed and hitting a forehand shot on the run. When successfully executed, he won many points outright or put opponents immediately on the defensive, due to the extreme pace and flat nature of the shot. He also popularized the jump smash, or "slam dunk", where he jumps and then hits the smash in mid-air.
Many players tried (especially late in his career) to serve a high "kicker" out to the Sampras backhand in an attempt to draw a weak return. A similar tactic was employed by many players in rallying Sampras; they would play shot after shot to the Sampras backhand, hoping to wear him down. Still, most of the time, he will handle them with either topspin or slice backhand deep to his opponent's court to change defense to attack.
Personal and family life
Sampras's older sister Stella is the women's tennis head coach at UCLA, and his younger sister, Marion, is a teacher in Los Angeles. His older brother, Gus, has been tournament director at the ScottsdaleTennis Channel Open
The Tennis Channel Open was a tennis tournament on the ATP International Series which was held for the first time in Las Vegas, Nevada from February 27 to March 5, 2006. In the men's singles final, James Blake defeated Lleyton Hewitt 7–5, 2–6, 6–3...
ATP event, but from 2007 he became president of the firm managing Pete's business activities.
On September 30, 2000, Sampras married American actress and former Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
, Bridgette Wilson
Bridgette Wilson
Bridgette Leann Wilson-Sampras is an American actress, singer and model. A Miss Teen USA in 1990, Wilson holds several acting roles in television and movies, including the role of Veronica Vaughn in the movie Billy Madison, the role of Elsa Shivers in the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer, and...
. On November 21, 2002, their son Christian Charles was born. On July 29, 2005, the couple welcomed their second son, Ryan Nikolaos.
Sampras has β-thalassemia, a genetic trait that sometimes causes mild anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
.
Records
- These records were attained in Open EraOpen eraOpen era or Open Era may refer to:* Open Era , the period since 1968 where professionals can compete in Grand Slams* Glasnost era, the increased openness in the Soviet Union from the mid-1980s...
of tennis. - ^ Denotes consecutive streak.
Championship Years Record accomplished |Player tied Grand Slam 1995–2000 8 consecutive wins in Grand Slam finals Stands alone Grand Slam 1993–2000 8 consecutive years with a victory in a slam Björn Borg Björn BorgBjörn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
Roger FedererRoger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...Wimbledon 1993–2000 7 wins overall Stands alone Wimbledon 1993–2000 7 finals overall Boris Becker Boris BeckerBoris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
Roger Federer^US Open 1990–2002 5 wins overall Jimmy Connors Jimmy ConnorsJames Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
Roger Federer^US Open 1990–2002 8 finals overall Ivan Lendl Ivan LendlIvan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
^
- Sampras finished the year ranked World No. 1 by the Association of Tennis ProfessionalsAssociation of Tennis ProfessionalsThe Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
(ATP) for a record six (consecutive) years (1993–98). - Sampras was ranked World No. 1 by the ATP for a record 286 weeks.
- William RenshawWilliam RenshawWilliam "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time...
and Sampras share the record for most Wimbledon men's singles titles won, with seven titles each. Sampras never lost a Wimbledon final. - Sampras is the only male player to win the same Grand Slams (Wimbledon) 7 times in the span of 8 years).
- Sampras is the only male player to have won at least three consecutive Wimbledon singles titles twice (1993–95 and 1997–2000).
- Sampras is the only male player in the history of tennis to win his first and last Grand Slam 12 non calender years apart and 13 calender years apart(1990 & 2002 US Open).
- Sampras is the first player to win combination of 7 Wimbledon and 5 US Open. Nobody else matched or surpassed this combination of Grand Slam wins.
- Only Sampras (1997–2000), Federer (2003–07), and Borg (1976–80) have won at least four consecutive Wimbledon singles titles. During the open era, only Borg (1978–81 French Open and 1976–80 Wimbledon), Sampras (1997–2000 Wimbledon), Federer (2003–07 Wimbledon and 2004–08 US Open), and Rafael NadalRafael NadalRafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
(2005–08 French Open) have won at least one Grand Slam tournament four consecutive times. - Sampras appeared in at least one Grand Slam final for 11 consecutive years (1992–2002), a record shared with Lendl (1981–91).
- Sampras won at least one Grand Slam final for eight consecutive years (1993–2000), a record shared with Borg (1974–81) and Federer (2003–10).
- Ken RosewallKen RosewallKenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam...
and Sampras are the only men to have won Grand Slam singles titles as a teenager, in their 20s, and in their 30s. - Sampras was the youngest US Open men's singles champion at 19 years, 28 days in 1990.
- Sampras won 40 of the 42 singles matches he played on Wimbledon's Centre CourtCentre CourtCentre Court is the main court at the Wimbledon Championship, the 3rd annual Grand Slam event of the tennis calendar. It is situated adjacent to Aorangi Terrace and is home to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Its only regular use is for the two weeks a year that the Championships take...
and 63 of the 70 singles matches he played at the All England Club. - Sampras is the only male player during the open era who played in at least seven singles finals at two different Grand Slam tournaments (8 US Open and 7 Wimbledon).
- Sampras is the only male player to have won the same Grand Slam singles tournament 7 times (Wimbledon).
- Only Sampras and Lendl have appeared in 8 finals of the same Grand Slam (US Open).
- Sampras is the only Greek American to win a grand slam
Achievements
- Sampras has won 14 Grand Slam titles, second only to Federer's 16.
- Sampras is the first male player to win more than 12 Grand Slams, surpassing the old record of 12 Grand Slams by Roy Emerson.
- Only Sampras (2000–02), Federer (2004–09), Lendl (1982–89) and McEnroe (1979–81) have appeared in 3 or more consecutive US Open finals.
- Only Sampras (1997–2000), Becker (1988–91), Federer (2003–09), McEnroe (1980–84) and Borg (1976–81) have appeared in 4 or more consecutive Wimbledon Finals.
Awards
Summary of professional awards.- Association of Tennis ProfessionalsAssociation of Tennis ProfessionalsThe Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
(ATP) Player of the Year for six consecutive years from 1993 through 1998. - International Tennis FederationInternational Tennis FederationThe International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
World Champion for six consecutive years from 1993 through 1998. - U.S. Olympic Committee "Sportsman of the Year" in 1997. He was the first tennis player to receive this award.
- GQ Magazine's Individual Athlete Award for Man of the Year in 2000.
- Selected the No. 1 player (of 25 players) in the past 25 years by a panel of 100 current and past players, journalists, and tournament directors to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ATP in 1997.
- Voted 48th athlete of Top 50 Greatest North American Athletes of ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's SportsCentury (also youngest on list). - In 2005, TENNIS MagazineTENNIS MagazineTennis Magazine is an American sports magazine owned by the Miller Publishing Group, LLC. It is a monthly magazine which covers news from the world of tennis.-History:...
named Sampras the greatest tennis player for the period 1965 through 2005, from its list, "The 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS Era".
Video
- Wimbledon Classic Match: Federer vs Sampras (2001) Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006, Run Time: 233 minutes, ASIN: B000ICLR98.
- Legends of Wimbledon – Pete Sampras (2006) Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006, Run Time: 60 minutes, ASIN: B000ICLR84.
- The Netjets Showdown: Pete Sampras vs. Roger Federer (2008) Arts Alliance Amer, DVD Release Date: April 22, 2008, Run Time: 180 minutes, ASIN: B0013PVGN6.