Pete Sampras, The only other player in the Open Era to have won the final Grand Slam event in which he participated as a former American tennis player. Sampras appeared to be long past his prime when he came to the 2002 US Open, at least to the rest of the world.
But for one last time, the world watched in awe as Pete Sampras, the Wimbledon champion, defeated opponent after opponent on his route to winning the US Open for the fifth time. Seven of Sampras’ 14 Grand Slam singles titles came at his beloved Wimbledon, giving him an unbeatable total of 14 titles when he announced his retirement.
What Is Pete Sampras Doing Today?
Pete leads a tranquil life in Beverly Hills with his wife and kids. Pete Sampras liked playing tennis and experiencing success, but he detested the attention that came with it. He frequently declined invitations to press conferences, advertisements, sponsor parties, and other “superstar” obligations.
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Pete didn’t dislike the publicity because he was insecure or was a jerk. Todd Martin, a retired tennis player, told Sports Illustrated that despite how uncomfortable Pete would appear to be in public, he always seemed to be at ease with himself.
Pete faced his complete opposite, Andre Agassi, in his final game. Agassi adored being a public personality, so he catered his game to the audience. Agassi would frequently say,
“Pete would never want my life.” “I wouldn’t want his life at all.”
Amid the fight, Pete momentarily broke character and said, “That’s what I’m talking about!”
After winning, Pete claimed he received the biggest applause of his career from the enthralled crowd. After receiving his prize, Pete returned to typing and politely declined the media tour that had been planned for him in Manhattan.
Sampras withdrew into his Beverly Hills house and wouldn’t leave for several months. He was not alone, though, as he had wed Bridgette Wilson, an aspiring actress, in 2000. Although Elton John made an unexpected musical appearance, the low-key wedding suited Pete’s personality.
Christian, their first son, was born in 2002, and Ryan, their second son, was born in 2005. Pete is now a devoted family man who subsists on the money he made as a footballer. Sampras might play tennis in his backyard or golf at the Bel-Air Country Club after dropping his kids off at school. Ryan, his second son, seemed to be headed for great things in the sport.
His longtime coach, Paul Annacone, told Sports Illustrated,
“Every time I see him, he seems perfectly delighted.” He “does anything he wants to do” and “has a pretty wonderful perspective and attitude on being a dad and a husband.”
Pete believes he can compete with the top tennis players of the present. A teenage Roger Federer prevented Sampras from winning his sixth consecutive Wimbledon championship in July 2001.
A few months after Sampras’ retirement, Roger won his first of eight Wimbledon titles. Rafael Nadal won the French Open for the first time two years later, and Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open for the first time three years later.
Pete’s record of 14 Grand Slam victories would be surpassed by Roger, Rafael, and Novak. The “Big Three” have each achieved a career grand slam, a feat Pete has never been able to do because of his inability to grasp the clay courts of the French Open.
Pete is impressed by the trio’s accomplishments but believes that if they had played together, he could have competed with them.
Pete Sampras asserts in his autobiography, Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited, that if he had a serve-and-volley style of play, he would have won all three of these matches. There is no one living or dead with whom I feel I could play.
If he has any wounded pride from the accomplishments of the modern players, he is quite good at hiding it.
According to Annacone, who spoke to Sports Illustrated,
“He’s fairly good at checking his ego at the door… Most of all, I believe he gets the emotional fuel that it takes to consistently be in the final weekends of majors and generally come through.” He truly gives the three men credit when he sees them succeed, saying, “Well done, fellas.”
Sampras takes great pleasure in the one unbreakable record.
All but one of Pete Sampras’ records have been broken by the Big Three: Sampras’ record for the most consecutive years (six) in which a player finished first in the world rankings.
Pete was the top-ranked year-ender from 1993 to 1998. While holding the top spot for seven years, Novak Djokovic didn’t do so consecutively. One of Pete’s “greatest” accomplishments, he cited the record in a rare interview with ATP Tour:
“The perseverance, willpower, and consistency I possessed. It ranks among my greatest successes, in my opinion. I always planned my year around the main tournaments, and being first was a bonus. Novak has seven, though not consecutively. I believe it will become more difficult to break six consecutive over time.
Sampras acknowledges that while he was on his incredible run, chasing the record had a toll on him. He made up his mind to get the record, and his body paid the price. Pete continued, “I took advantage of it because I wanted it and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I made sacrifices and carried out my obligations.
Pete was so exhausted from his time in Europe in 1998 that he was unable to attend the Australian Open. Sampras believes that if he hadn’t been so intensely fixated on the No. 1 spot, he may have won more major championships:
“I was under a lot of stress, and I wasn’t getting enough sleep or eating the right things. The six years were challenging. Tennis was my life, and I do believe it needs to be something you genuinely want to do to be at No. 1 for so many years. You have to work for it, and staying there is tougher than really getting there.
Knowing that he holds one record that the Big Three can never take away allows Pete to unwind. Sampras has no regrets about making the sacrifices necessary to pursue fame. Pete stated, “I’m pleased I gave up and kind of chased it in the end, especially last year. “I’m proud of what I accomplished. It was valuable.
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