| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Sampras was the third son of Greek immigrants, Sam and Georgia Sampras. From an early age, Pete showed signs of outstanding athletic ability. The young Pete discovered a tennis racquet in the basement 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. The Sampras family joined the Peninsula Racquet Club, where they played a great deal of tennis together. It was here that Pete's ability became apparent. At the age of 11 he had already learned the solid serve and volley tactic that has become the hallmark of his game.
On September 30, 2001, Sampras married American actress Bridgette Wilson .
Sampras has thalassemia minor, a mild form of an inherited disease that causes anemia. Sampras' older sister Stella is head coach at UCLA and his younger sister, Marion, is a teacher in Los Angeles. His older brother, Gus, is tournament director at ScottsdaleScottsdale is the name of several places: Scottsdale, Tasmania, Australia Scottsdale, Arizona, United States of America. ATP event.
Sampras's pro career began in 19881988 is a leap year starting on Friday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 2 Georgia celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 9 Connecticut celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 26 Australia celebrates its bicentennial day. at the age of 16. His first victory in a Grand SlamGrand Slam is a general sports term applied when achieving something special. Most common uses: In tennis, winning the Grand Slam is holding the following titles at the same time: Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open. Those tournaments are t tournament came at the US OpenThe US Open is the fourth and final event of the Grand Slam in tennis''. It is held annually in August/ September and the main tournament consists of five championships: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles, with addition in 1990Events January January 3 Former leader of Panama Manuel Noriega surrenders to American forces. January 7 The Leaning Tower of Pisa is closed to the public due to safety concerns. January 9 Lt Gen Bazilio Olara Okello The man who led the coup aginst Dr Apo, when he defeated, among others, Ivan LendlIvan Lendl (born March 7, 1960) is a former ATP tennis player, and for several years the world's best tennis player according to ATP rankings. Born into a tennis family in Ostrava, in the Czech part of Czechoslovakia, Lendl turned professional in 1978., John McEnroeJohn McEnroe (born February 16, 1959 in Wiesbaden, Germany) was a top ranked professional tennis player and was No. 1 player in the world four times between 1981 and 1984. He was famous for his epic matches against rivals Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and Iva, and in the final, an up-and-coming young player named Andre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) is a American professional tennis player ( 1986-). As of 2004, he has won over $25 million in prize money and achieved a number 1 ranking on the ATP tour. Agassi, an ethnic Armenian, was born. At only 19 years 28 days, Pete Sampras was the youngest tennis player ever to win the US Open Men's title. The rivalry between Agassi and Sampras lasted throughout the 1990s. Sampras dominated Wimbledon for much of the 1990s, taking the title there in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. In 1991 Pete won the IBM World Championship and in 1992 played on the team that won the Davis Cup. Pete set a new ATP Tour record in 1993 when he became the first player to serve over 1000 aces in a season.
Whereas the grass courts of Wimbledon played to Sampras's strengths, his only real weakness was on clay, where the slow surface tended to negate his natural attacking serve-and-volley game, and he never progressed beyond the semi-final stage at the French Open. His businesslike attitude during play and cautious handling of the press led critics to bemoan his lack of charisma, but his natural talent and work ethic meant that Sampras was always able to let his results speak for themselves.
He was known for his good all-round game and a strong competitive instinct. He holds the record for the most wins in Grand Slam men's singles events, having won a total of 14 (7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open, and 2 Australian Open). Sampras led the world tennis rankings for six consecutive years, from 1993 to 1998. After a period of time during which he, by his own admission, lacked the drive and hunger needed to remain at the top, Sampras officially retired on August 25, 2003.