It
all started when a small kid from California
found an old tennis racquet in his basement
and started hitting a tennis ball off of a
garage door. When the shots began to make
dents in the door, they all knew this kid was
something special.
Pete Sampras started
playing tennis young and makes no plans to stop anytime soon.
The man who has a calm demeanor, boyish shyness and the looks
of a star proves again and again what so many players, critics
and fans can't deny: he can win, and always does. In 1990, when
Sampras was only 19 years old and seeded twelfth in the U.S. Open,
he slammed his way into the finals and became the youngest man
to win the tournament. And we all knew after that first Grand
Slam victory there would be no looking back. Over the years, the
quiet giant has gone on to win 13 more Grand Slams: 7
Wimbledons, four more U.S. Opens, and two Australian Opens. Sampras's
most beloved titles have come on the grasses of the All England
Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. In 1993, he won his first Wimbledon
title, and since that year up to 2000, has gotten to and won in
every final, except for a quarterfinal defeat by Richard Krajicek
in 1996. He is the winningest man at Wimbledon in the Open Era,
tying the all time record of seven titles that was set in the
late 1800's. The historic grounds of Wimbledon and the intimate
Centre Court has become a home to Sampras, a "cathedral"
as he once said. His undeniably flawless grass-court tennis game
has made him the best tennis player of his time, and he will undoubtedly
go down in the history books as the greatest.
Pete
Sampras is one of the last classic
serve-volley players, possesses the most
effective and powerful serves on tour, and
handles himself in a way that could only be
described as gentlemanly and reserved. On the
court, he lets his racquet do the talking. He
does his job. He goes on the court to win a
match, not to impress the crowds. He enters
tournaments to win them. And when he wins
them, as he so often does, his posture gets a
little straighter, his eyes get a little
brighter and a shy, timid smile of pleasure
spreads across his face. It is a truly
beautiful moment to watch history be made.
And with every new win, every new
championship title, history books are being
rewritten to tell the story of one Pete
Sampras.
C A R E E R
H I G H L I G H T S
Presenting the yearly highlights in Pete's career, from the time
he turned professional in 1988 to 2001
when he broke the record and claimed his 13th Grand Slam title.(Special
thanks to Niloufer Randeria for her collaboration in this section
and to Dalia King for compiling the information for 2000 and 2001.)
Grand slam titles, year end
rankings and tennis awards. Find out about
Pete's outstanding
achievements.
Inside
the Great Mind of Pete Sampras - An
in-depth interview with Pete, wherein he
discussed his career, childhood and family
(Published October 2000).
