Sampras became the youngest male singles champion at the1990 US Open at just19 years, 28 days}. He claimed his first Wimbledon title in1993, and would win the title seven times in an eight-year span. Sampras remained the best player for the rest of the decade, finishing each year as No. 1 for a record six consecutive seasons. Following a decline in form at the turn of the century, Sampras claimed his 14th and last major at the2002 US Open overlong-time rival and compatriotAndre Agassi, and retired from the sport thereafter, aged 31.
Sampras was a major practitioner of theserve-and-volley style of tennis. His precise and powerfulserve, regarded as one of the best in the sport's history, earned him the nickname "Pistol Pete". In 2007, he was inducted into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame.
Pete Sampras was born on August 12, 1971, inWashington, D.C. He is the third child of Soterios "Sammy" and Georgia (née Vroustouris) Sampras. His father was born in the United States to aGreek father, Costas "Gus" Sampras, and aPolish-Jewish mother, Sarah Steinberg.[5][6][7] His mother is also Greek; when she was 19,[8] she immigrated to the United States from the village ofSellasia inSparta.[8] Sampras attended regular services of theGreek Orthodox Church on Sundays.[9][10] At the age of 3, he discovered a tennis racket in the basement of his home and spent hours hitting balls against the wall.
In 1978, the Sampras family moved toPalos Verdes,California, and the warmer climate there allowed the seven year-old Sampras to play tennis for most of the year. From early on, his great idol wasRod Laver, and at the age of 11, Sampras met and played tennis with the legend.[11] The Sampras family joined theJack Kramer Club, and it was here that Sampras's talent became apparent. As a teenager, Sampras trained with tennis coachRobert Lansdorp. The forehand he learned from Lansdorp was the same forehand he used throughout his career. The key was an emphasis on driving through the ball and not hitting extreme topspin.[12] He was spotted byDr. Peter Fischer, a pediatrician and tennis enthusiast, who coached Sampras until 1989.[11][13] Fischer was responsible for converting Sampras's double-handed backhand tosingle-hand with the goal of being better prepared to win Wimbledon.[14][15]
Sampras turned professional in 1988, at the age of 16, and finished the year ranked world No. 97 after starting the year at No. 893.[16] His first professional match was a loss toSammy Giammalva Jr. at the FebruaryEbel U.S. Pro Indoor inPhiladelphia. However, just one week later, at theLipton International Players Championships inMiami, Sampras defeated two top-40 players, before losing to No. 18Emilio Sánchez. He did not defeat another top-40 player for almost six months, at which point he defeated No. 39Michiel Schapers at a US Open warm-up tournament inRye Brook, New York. In his first Grand Slam singles match, Sampras lost to No. 69Jaime Yzaga ofPeru in the first round of theUS Open. Sampras did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, although he did record wins over No. 79Jim Courier in their first career match-up, along with defeating No. 8Tim Mayotte.[17]
The following year, Sampras slightly improved his ranking to a year-ending No. 81.[18] He lost in the first round of the1989 Australian Open toChristian Saceanu and, at that year's French Open, won a Grand Slam singles match for the first time in his career; in the second round he lost to eventual champion and fellow American teenagerMichael Chang in their first career match-up. A few weeks later, Sampras lost in the first round of Wimbledon toTodd Woodbridge. At theUS Open, Sampras defeated defending champion and fifth-seededMats Wilander in the second round before losing to No. 13Jay Berger in the fourth round. To end the year, Sampras lost in the first round in four consecutive tournaments.[19]
At the Australian Open, Sampras upset twelfth-ranked Tim Mayotte in the first round before losing to thirteenth-rankedYannick 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-rankedAndre Agassi, eighth-ranked Mayotte, and eighteenth-rankedAndrés Gómez in the final. This title elevated his ranking into the top 20 for the first time. Sampras finished 1990 at No. 5, having started the year ranked No. 61 just prior to the start of the Australian Open.[20]
Sampras did not play in the 1990 French Open and lost in the first round of Wimbledon toChristo van Rensburg. Sampras played seven consecutive weeks during the North American summer hard-court season. He defeatedJohn 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 No. 2Stefan Edberg. He did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, losing to Chang,Richey Reneberg, andGoran Ivanišević.
In September, Sampras captured his first Grand Slam title, at theUS Open. Along the way, he defeated sixth-rankedThomas Muster in the fourth round and third-rankedIvan 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.[21] He played five more tournaments and won theGrand Slam Cup to complete his year.[22]
Sampras lost in the second round of the French Open (to Thierry Champion) and played "very inconsistently" in losing a second round match to Derrick Rostagno at Wimbledon.[23] Upon entering theUS Open as the defending champion that year, he caused controversy when, after losing in the quarterfinals toJim 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 andJimmy Connors.[24] Sampras captured the first of his five career titles at the year-endTennis Masters Cup.
Sampras reached the quarterfinals of theFrench Open for the first time, losing to Andre Agassi in straight sets.[25] He made it to theWimbledon semifinals, losing a serve dominated four set match to Goran Ivanisevic.[26] He won at Cincinnati beating Ivan Lendl in the final.[27] He was the runner-up at theUS Open toStefan 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.[28] He also played doubles withJohn McEnroe on theUS team that won theDavis Cup on home soil, beating Switzerland 3–1.
1992 was also the year when Sampras made his only competitive appearance at the Olympics. The event was played on clay, his worst surface. Nonetheless, Sampras advanced to the third round before giving up a two-set lead and losing toAndrei Cherkasov of Russia.[29]
Sampras reached the semifinals of theAustralian Open in January, losing again to Stefan Edberg. In April, Sampras attained the No. 1 ranking for the first time. His rise to the top of the rankings was controversial because he had not recently won any Grand Slam titles.[30] A few days after becoming world number one, Sampras beat world number two Jim Courier in the final at Hong Kong on a final set tie break, serving 15 aces.[31] Sampras allowed Sergi Bruguera to dictate play from the baseline and lost in four sets in the French Open quarter finals.[32] He consolidated his number one ranking in July by claiming his first of sevenWimbledon titles, beating former world No. 1 and fellow AmericanJim Courier in the final. This was followed by his secondUS Open title, where he beat Cedric Pioline in the final (Pioline made 45 unforced errors during the three set match).[33] Sampras finished the year as the clear No. 1 and set a newATP Tour record that year by becoming the first player to serve more than 1,000 aces in a season.
Sampras won the first of two Australian Open titles in 1994, defeating AmericanTodd Martin in the final. Sampras was suffering from a stomach ailment as the start of the Key Biscayne final was delayed. Andre Agassi was offered a walkover but declined. Sampras recovered and served 7 aces in his final two service games to win in three sets.[34] Sampras allowed Boris Becker a total of five games in three sets in the Italian Open final and entered the French Open trying to win his fourth consecutive Grand Slam.[35] Sampras failed to become the first man since Rod Laver to win four consecutive Grand Slam titles, losing to Jim Courier in the quarters. Courier's ranking was falling and Sampras had won his previous four matches against him but the clay surface "neutralized Sampras' serve".[36] Sampras then defended his Wimbledon in July, beating Ivanisevic in the final. Criticisms were made about the length of the points, as only three rallies contained more than five shots.[37] Sampras was suffering from fatigue and lost in five sets to Jaime Yzaga in the fourth round of the US Open.[38]
In 1995, Sampras battled for the world No. 1 ranking with compatriot Andre Agassi. Sampras experienced one of the most emotional matches of his career against Courier in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.[39] Sampras' 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 when a spectator shouted at Sampras, urging him to win it for Gullikson. Sampras nevertheless managed to defeat Courier, but lost the final to Andre Agassi in four sets.Paul Annacone took over as Sampras' full-time coach after Gullikson's illness made it impossible for him to continue coaching.[40]
Sampras defeated Agassi in the final at Indian Wells and lost to him in the Key Biscayne final on a final set tie break.[41] At the French Open, Sampras lost in five sets in round one to Gilbert Schaller, making 99 unforced errors.[42] He then won his third straight Wimbledon title overBoris Becker in a four set final in which he served 23 aces and didn't face a break point. "Unfortunately, he owns the Centre Court now. I used to own it a few years back, but it belongs to him now" said Becker afterwards.[43] Sampras lost in the final of the Canadian Masters to Agassi. Sampras faced Agassi in the final of the US Open. Agassi "knew Sampras would have to play excellent tennis to beat him. And he knew that Sampras had done exactly that." Sampras served 24 aces during his four set victory.[40]
Sampras was the key figure for champion United States in theDavis Cup, beating Russia in the final in Moscow, 3–2. Sampras was included in all of the three wins. After the opening match (a 5-set thriller against Chesnokov) Sampras was so exhausted that he collapsed and needed help to get into the locker room.
In the year's first major, the Australian Open, the top-seeded Sampras lost to the unseededMark Philippoussis in straight sets in the third round. Sampras had what would end up being his best run ever at that year's French Open, defeating two past former championsSergi Bruguera and Jim Courier (in 5 sets on both occasions and overcoming a 2–0 deficit against the latter) before losing in a semifinal match to the eventual winner,Yevgeny Kafelnikov in straight sets.
In the eight Wimbledons inclusive between 1993 and 2000, 1996 was the only year that Sampras would fail to win the tournament. Sampras lost in the quarterfinals that year to the 17th-seed and eventual championRichard Krajicek, who defeated Sampras in straight sets.
In the quarterfinals of the US Open, Sampras vomited on the court at 1–1 in the final set tiebreak (due to dehydration) while facingÀlex Corretja. At 7-6 in the tie break Corretja had match point, but Sampras saved it with a lunge volley and went on to win.[44] Sampras advanced to the finals, where he defeated No. 2Michael Chang in straight sets to defend his US Open title.
Sampras finished off the year by claiming the season-ending ATP Tour World Championship for the third time in his career beating Boris Becker in five sets in a match which Sampras said was "one of the best matches I have ever been part of".[45]
In January in the fourth round of the Australian Open on a scorching hot day, Sampras was 4-2 down in the fifth set and a point away from going a double break down againstDominik Hrbatý, before winning the fifth set.[46] He went on to beatCarlos Moyá in the final.[47] In July, he won Wimbledon for the fourth time, defeatingCédric Pioline in the final.[48] Sampras also won singles titles inSan Jose, Philadelphia,Cincinnati,Munich, andParis, and theATP Tour World Championships inHanover, Germany. He became the only player to win both theGrand Slam Cup and theATP Tour World Championships in the same year. Sampras lost in the fourth round of the US Open to Petr Korda on a fifth set tie break, despite leading 3-0 in the final set.[49]
He had a 10–1 win–loss record against top-10 opponents and was undefeated in eight singles finals. He held theNo. 1 ranking for the entire year and joinedJimmy Connors (1974–1978) as the only male players to hold the year-end No. 1 ranking for five consecutive years. His prize money earnings of US$6,498,211 for the year was a career high.
In 1998, Sampras's No. 1 ranking was challenged by Chilean playerMarcelo Ríos. Sampras failed to defend hisAustralian Open title, losing in the quarterfinals toKarol Kučera,[50] and wonWimbledon only after a hard-fought five-set victory in the final overGoran Ivanišević. This was Sampras's only Grand Slam final which went to five sets.[51]
Sampras lost in the final of the Cincinnati Masters toPatrick Rafter. Sampras faced Rafter again in the semifinals of theUS Open, losing in five sets after sustaining injury while leading the match two sets to one, and Rafter went on to win his second consecutive US Open title. Sampras lost another semifinal at the Tennis Masters Cup to eventual championÀlex Corretja. Nevertheless, Sampras finished the year as the top-ranked player for the sixth year in a row.
The year started with a withdrawal from the Australian Open due to fatigue, and Sampras failed to win a title during the early part of the season.[52] However, he then went on a 24-match winning streak encompassing theStella Artois Championships,Wimbledon (equalingRoy Emerson's record of 12 Grand Slam singles titles),Los Angeles, andCincinnati (a rematch of the previous year's final with Patrick Rafter). Sampras' straight sets victory overAndre Agassi in the Wimbledon final is often cited as one of the greatest performances in a Wimbledon final.[53] Despite this—on account of a herniated disc in his back forcing retirement at theRCA Championships and withdrawal from theUS Open—he lost his no. 1 ranking to Agassi the following day, when the ATP Tour rankings were updated.
Sampras' ranking was hurt by 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 Agassi, putting an end to Sampras' six consecutive years of finishing as 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 Agassi in theyear-end championships for the fifth and final time, enabling him to remain third in the rankings.
Sampras reached the semifinals of theAustralian Open in early 2000, falling to the eventual champion Agassi in a five-set match. He won theEricsson Open for the third time in March. After getting knocked out in the first round at the French Open, he won his seventh and final title atWimbledon, battling through tendinitis in his right shin and a painful back injury in the process equalling the then all time gentleman's singles title record of William Renshaw. In the final, Sampras was a set down and 4–1 down in the second set tie break againstPatrick Rafter, but went on to win in four sets.[54] This was his 13th Grand Slam singles title, breakingthe all-time record ofRoy Emerson that had stood for over 30 years.
In the2000 US Open, Sampras overcameRichard Krajicek in four sets at the quarterfinals (including a comeback from 2–6 down in a tiebreaker), and upcoming starLleyton Hewitt in the semi-finals, but lost the final toMarat Safin.[55] Sampras' run to the final briefly returned him to the No. 1 ranking, butGustavo Kuerten ended the year atop the rankings.[56] This would be the last time Sampras was ranked No. 1, extending his ATP record career total to 286 weeks. (The record was surpassed byRoger Federer in 2012.)
At the Australian Open, Sampras ended a six year 13 win streak against Todd Martin, losing in the fourth round in four sets.[57] Sampras' 31-match Wimbledon win streak ended in a five set loss toRoger Federer, aged 19, in thefourth round; this was the only time the two ever played against each other in an official professional match. At theUS Open, Sampras reached the final but lost in straight sets toLleyton Hewitt.[58] Overall, this season was the first in 12 years that Sampras did not win a single title, and he finished the year ranked No. 10, also his lowest since 1989.
Sampras lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Marat Safin in four sets.[59] "Muttering, slouching, slamming his racket to the ground and smacking a ball into the stands, Pete Sampras was in typical French Open form" as he lost to Andrea Gaudenzi in round one,[60] a sixth consecutive early loss at Roland Garros for Sampras. He suffered an early exit from Wimbledon too, losing in the second round to No. 145 fast-court specialistGeorge Bastl of Switzerland. After that loss, Sampras asked his former coachPaul Annacone to return and coach through the US Open.[61] Sampras had a relatively poor summer leading up to theUS Open, losing at Cincinnati to No. 70-rankedWayne Arthurs in the second round, and then was eliminated at the opening round at Long Island by No. 85.Paul-Henri Mathieu.
At theUS Open, Sampras was seeded 17th.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 andAndy Roddick in the quarterfinals. He then defeatedSjeng Schalken in the semifinals to reach his third consecutive US Open final, and eighth US Open final overall, tyingIvan Lendl's all-time record. This time, Sampras faced Agassi, whom he had met in his 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 matchedJimmy Connors' Open Era record of five US Open singles championships.[62]
Sampras did not compete in any tour events in the following 12 months, but he did not officially announce his retirement until August 2003, just prior to the US Open.[63] 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.[63] He thus became the only man in the open era to win the final Grand Slam tournament at which he competed. At the time of his retirement, many regarded Sampras as the greatest player of all time.[64][65]
On April 6, 2006, Sampras resurfaced and played his firstexhibition match in River Oaks,Houston, Texas, against 23-year-oldRobby Ginepri. Ginepri won the match in two sets. Sampras later announced that he would be playing inWorld Team Tennis events.
In 2007, Sampras played in a few events on theOutback Champions Series, a group of tournaments for former ATP players who met certain criteria during their careers.[66] Sampras won his first two events on tour, defeatingTodd Martin in both finals.[67]John McEnroe said that Sampras would be worthy of a top five seeding at Wimbledon were he to enter the tournament.[68]
On November 20, 2007, Sampras lost the first of three exhibition matches in Asia against then world #1Roger Federer in Seoul, Korea.[69] Two days later in Kuala Lumpur, Sampras again lost to Federer in two tiebreaks. However, Sampras was able to win the last match of the series, winning in two sets on fast carpet.[70]
On February 18, 2008, in an exhibition match during theSAP Open, Sampras defeated another active player, former No. 2Tommy Haas. Sampras dispatched the German in 43 minutes.[71]
On March 10, 2008, Sampras played another exhibition match againstNo. 1 Roger Federer atMadison Square Garden in New York City. Sampras lost in three tight sets, despite serving for the match.[72]
In 2009, Sampras won two Outback Champions Series titles. He beat McEnroe in the final of the Champions Cup Boston in February andPatrick Rafter in the final of The Del Mar Development Champions Cup in March.[73]
Sampras was present at the2009 Wimbledon final betweenAndy Roddick and Roger Federer to witness Federer eclipse his mark of 14 major titles and become the most successful man in Grand Slam history. His record of 14 majors had lasted for seven years.
The following year along with Federer,Andre Agassi andRafael Nadal, Sampras played an exhibition doubles match at Indian Wells to raise money for the people ofHaiti who had been affected by theearthquake.
In November 2010, Sampras reported that many of his trophies and memorabilia had been stolen from a West Los Angeles public storage facility.[74] The loss included the trophy from his first Australian Open victory,[75] two Davis Cups, an Olympic ring and six trophies for finishing top in the year-end rankings.[76] Most of the stolen items have since been recovered and returned.[77]
On November 17, 2011, Sampras lost an exhibition match againstMilos Raonic. His serve approached 200 km/h (124 mph) throughout the night.[78]
They had contrasting playing styles, with Sampras andAgassi being considered respectively the greatestserver and the greatest serve returner of their eras. Sampras led 20-14 in matches against Agassi.[79]
The1990 US Open (their first meeting in a Grand Slam final), Agassi lost to Sampras in straight sets. Their next Grand Slam meeting was at the1992 French Open, where Agassi won the quarterfinal in straight sets. Their next Grand Slam meeting was the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1993, where Agassi was the defending champion and Sampras was the newly crowned No. 1. Sampras won in five sets.
The next time Sampras and Agassi met in a Grand Slam final was at Wimbledon in 1999, where Sampras won in straight sets. They faced each other twice in the season-endingATP Tour World Championships, with Sampras losing the round-robin match, but winning the final.
They played each other once in 2000. The top-ranked Agassi defeated No. 3 Sampras in the semifinals of theAustralian Open in five sets. Sampras defeated Agassi in the2001 US Open quarterfinals in four tie break sets. There were no breaks of serve during the match.
The final of the2002 US Open was their first meeting in a US Open final since 1995. Sampras won in four sets. This was the finalATP tour singles match of Sampras's career.[80]
In 2009, inMacau Agassi and Sampras met for the first time on court since the 2002 US Open final. Sampras won the exhibition in three sets.[81] In August 2010, Sampras played an exhibition with Agassi at the indoor arenaColiseo Cubierto El Campin inBogotá, Colombia.
They had similar playing styles. They both had strong serves. They often came to the net after serving. Sampras said "when you have two guys that serve extremely big and volley pretty well, you are not going to have long rallies".[82]
Overall Sampras led 12-7 againstBecker. They had a close rivalry on indoor carpet with Becker leading 7-6. Sampras led 3-0 on grass, 2-0 on hard courts and 1-0 on clay. Sampras beat Becker 3 times at Wimbledon between 1993 and 1997 (including the 1995 final). Becker said "I can't say that this is my place anymore. I used to own it, but Pete Sampras had taken over the keys."[83]
Up to Rafter winning the 1997 US Open, Sampras led their rivalry 5–1. He beat Rafter three times in late 1997.[85] "We're not the best of mates," Rafter said of Sampras after 1997 Davis Cup semifinals, "I wouldn't go out for a beer with him, put it that way. I don't know what the story is. There's a bit of feeling."[86]
In 1998, Rafter beat Sampras in theCincinnati Masters final. Rafter's serve was called out on match point, but the umpire overruled the call to give Rafter the ace and the title. Sampras was displeased, and stood at the baseline for several seconds, making Rafter wait at the net, and then refused to shake the umpire's hand.[85] Sampras, at the time winner of 11 Grand Slams, when asked about the difference between himself and Rafter, said "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.[87][88]
The two met in the semifinals of the1998 US Open, where Sampras called for a trainer, and Rafter broke Sampras twice in the deciding fifth set.[85] Sampras's loss denied him the chance to match Jimmy Connors' five U.S. Open titles and Roy Emerson's 12 Grand Slam singles titles. Sampras cited a leg injury as the reason Rafter won, upsetting the Australian: "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", said Rafter.[86] Sampras said of Rafter (after Pat had won the US Open final), "When I see him holding the US Open trophy, it pisses me off."[89] Rafter responded by calling Sampras a "cry baby" and saying that it would be better for tennis if someone besides the American were No. 1.[85]
Sampras lost a third consecutive time against Rafter at the World Team Cup, in straight sets, just before the French Open. By the summer of 1999, having compiled a 24-match winning streak of four titles including Wimbledon, Sampras beat Rafter in theCincinnati Masters final. The two were friendly in the trophy ceremony.[85]
The next Sampras-Rafter match was the 2000 Wimbledon final. It was the first time in years their parents would see their sons play.[86] Sampras lost the first-set tiebreaker, and trailed in the second-set tiebreaker 1-4 before winning the set, then won the third and fourth sets for the Championship, as dusk fell. That victory gave Sampras his 13th Grand Slam title, breakingRoy Emerson's record. After the match ended, Sampras called Rafter "all class, on and off the court", while Rafter said he was lucky to overcome early season injuries to make the final.[85][90][91]
Sampras beat Rafter in the 2001 Indian Wells quarterfinals and Pete beat Pat again in the fourth round of the 2001 US Open.[92] This match ended Rafter's Grand Slam singles career.
Sampras was anall-court player who would oftenserve and volley. 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 achip-and-charge strategy or try to hit an offensive shot on the return and follow his return to the net.[93]
He had an accurate and powerful firstserve – widely considered among players, commentators and fans as one of the best of all time.[94] He had great disguise on both his first and second serves, and his second serve was nearly as powerful as his first. He was known for producing aces on critical points, even with his second serves.[95][96]
Sampras was able to hit winners from both his forehand and backhand from all over the court. 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 considerable pace and flat nature of the shot. This style did not help him on clay courts, according to some critics.[97]
Sampras used one racket type, theWilson Pro Staff Original,[98] 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 frame proper was a production model manufactured at a Wilson factory on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. The handles were custom-built.[99]
Post-retirement, Sampras has used a slightly modified Pro Staff Tour 90 and, from 2008, 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.[100]
Since mid-2010,[101] Sampras has been spotted at multiple exhibitions playing with a Babolat Pure Storm Tour, along with Babolat's popular RPM Blast strings.[102]
"I need a little more pop. ... I need it if I'm going to play some tennis," he said after playingGaël Monfils in an exhibition at the SAP Open.[103]
During a good part of 2011, Sampras used a racquet that was painted all black, with Tourna Grip and Tourna Damper.
In the late 1980s, Sampras signed a three-year endorsement contract withSergio Tacchini. It was extended to five years before Sampras signed withNike in 1994.[104] He wore Nike apparel and Nike Air Oscillate footwear on court.[105]
Sampras's mother was born inGreece and his father was born in the United States to a Greek father and Polish mother. His older sister,Stella Sampras Webster, is the women's tennis head coach atUCLA,[106] and his younger sister, Marion, is a teacher in Los Angeles. His older brother, Gus, has been tournament director at theScottsdale ATP event. In 2007 he became president of the firm managing Pete's business activities.[107]
On September 30, 2000, Sampras married American actress and formerMiss Teen USABridgette Wilson.[108] On November 21, 2002, their first son was born.[109] On July 29, 2005, the couple had their second son.[110] They reside inLake Sherwood, California.[111] Both Sampras and Wilson were committed to raising their children out of the public eye and both retired from their careers to focus on family life.[112]
During his tennis career Sampras won 14 major singles titles, a record when he retired in 2002. He was 14–4 in major finals and, while he never won the French Open, he dominated on grass with seven Wimbledon victories. Sampras won the US Open in 1990 as the youngest champion in history, and finished his career with his fifth US title. He won fiveyear-end championships and was world No. 1 for286 weeks and a record six consecutive years. Sampras won 64 top-level singles titles and was also a member of two champion US Davis Cup teams. Due to his achievements, Sampras is regarded by many as one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport.[a][115][116][117][118]
In particular, Sampras is remembered for his excellent technique, devastating serve, and his mastery of theserve-and-volley playstyle.[119][120] Sampras' natural attacking serve-and-volley, his quiet demeanor, and all-round game, made him the perfect foil against power-baselinerAndre Agassi, his counterpoint in style, andbiggest rival. It is considered one the sport's greatest rivalries in history.[121][122] Sampras won their head-to-head meetings 20–14, and 9–7 in finals.
In 2005,Tennis Magazine named Sampras the greatest player since 1965.[123] In 2012Tennis Channel produced the "100 Greatest of All Time" where Sampras was ranked the third greatest male player. After winning Wimbledon in 2000, AP News called Sampras the greatest of his generation.[124] Sampras himself said "In a lot of ways, I felt like I was born to win Wimbledon."[125]
Players and sportswriters have agreed that Sampras' place in tennis history is lofty. Roy Emerson, whose 12 major singles titles record Sampras broke, said "Sampras is the greatest of all time, and I have to give him a pat on the back for getting there..."[126] Former playerTony Roche and sportswriter Paul Gable have also called Sampras the greatest of all time.[127][128] And John McEnroe called Sampras the toughest opponent he ever played.[129]
Sampras (1997–2000) won four consecutive Wimbledon singles titles, equal toNovak Djokovic and second only toBjörn Borg andRoger Federer (who have five consecutive titles each).
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),Rafael Nadal (2005–08 French Open, 2010–14 French Open and 2017–20 French Open) and Djokovic (2018–2022 Wimbledon) have won at least one Grand Slam tournament four consecutive times.
Ken Rosewall, Sampras and Nadal are the only men to have won Grand Slam singles titles as a teenager, in their 20s, and in their 30s.
Sampras is the only player to win all seven Wimbledon finals he played. In terms of most finals won at a single Grand Slam tournament without losing any, he is third in the Open Era behind Nadal (who won all fourteen of his French Open finals) andNovak Djokovic (who won all ten of his Australian Open finals).
U.S. Olympic Committee "Sportsman of the Year" in 1997. He was the first tennis player to receive this award.[135]
GQ'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 ofESPN's SportsCentury (also youngest on list).
^Tennis magazine ranked Samprasthe best player of the period 1965–2005.
^This record was achieved in non-consecutive Majors. The record for most consecutive Grand Slam finals won is 4, achieved byRod Laver in 1969 (the same year he achieved theGrand Slam) andNovak Djokovic in 2015—16.
^Shifrin, Joshua (2005).101 Incredible Moments in Tennis: The Good, the Bad and the Infamous. Virtualbookworm.com Publishers. p. 229.ISBN1-58939-820-3.
^"Sampras".The Mount Airy News. January 20, 1997. RetrievedAugust 1, 2025.
^White, Derrick (January 27, 1997)."Tennis: Sampras barely breaks sweat".The Independent. London: Independent Print Limited.Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. RetrievedMay 9, 2012.
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.
World No. 1 April 12, 1993 – August 22, 1993 September 13, 1993 – April 9, 1995 November 6, 1995 – January 28, 1996 February 19, 1996 – March 10, 1996 April 15, 1996 – March 29, 1998 April 27, 1998 – August 9, 1998 August 24, 1998 – March 14, 1999 March 29, 1999 – May 2, 1999 June 14, 1999 – July 4, 1999 August 2, 1999 – September 12, 1999 September 11, 2000 – November 19, 2000
