Pete Sampras

Nickname(s)	Pistol Pete, King of Swing
Country	United States
Residence	Los Angeles, California, USA
Date of birth	August 12, 1971 (1971-08-12) (age 36)
Place of birth	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg)[citation needed]
Turned pro	1988
Retired	2002
Plays	Right-handed; one-handed backhand
Career prize money	US$43,280,489 (1st in all-time rankings)
Singles
Career record:	762–222
Career titles:	64
Highest ranking:	No. 1 (April 12, 1993)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open	W (1994, 1997)
French Open	SF (1996)
Wimbledon	W (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
US Open	W (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002)
Doubles
Career record:	64–70
Career titles:	2
Highest ranking:	No. 27 (February 12, 1990)
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Petros “Pete” Sampras (born 12 August 1971), is a former World No. 1 American tennis player. During his 15-year career, he won a record 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles in 52 appearances. Sampras finished as World No. 1 on the ATP rankings for six consecutive years, a record for the open era and tied for third all-time. Sampras won the singles title at Wimbledon seven times, a record shared with William Renshaw. He also won five singles titles at the U.S. Open, an open era record shared with Jimmy Connors. Bud Collins has named Sampras as one of the top five men's tennis players of all-time,^[1] and TENNIS Magazine has named him the greatest player from 1965 through 2005.^[2] On July 17, 2007, Sampras was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.^[3] is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... The ATP Rankings is the Association of Tennis Professionals historical objective merit-based method used for determining entry and seeding in mens tennis tournaments. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... In tennis, a singles player or doubles team that wins all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is said to have achieved the Grand Slam or a Calendar Year Grand Slam. ... The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was formed in 1972 to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. ... The Open Era in tennis began in 1968, when the Grand Slam events such as the Wimbledon Championships abandoned the longstanding rules of amateurism and allowed professionals to compete. ... Wimbledon logo The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as simply Wimbledon, is the oldest and arguably most prestigious event in the sport of tennis. ... William Charles Renshaw (January 3, 1861 - August 12, 1904) was one of the greatest British male tennis players ever. ... For other uses, see U.S. Open. ... James Scott (Jimmy) Connors (born September 2, 1952 in East St. ... Arthur Bud Collins (b. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit tennis hall of fame and museum at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. // The International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit institution dedicated to preserving the history of tennis, inspiring and encouraging junior tennis development, enshrining...

Tennis career

Early life and career

Pete Sampras was born in Washington, D.C., and is the third son of Sammy and Georgia Sampras. His mother is a Greek immigrant,^[4] and his father is half Greek and half Jewish.^[5] Greek culture played a big role in his upbringing, and Sampras attended Greek Orthodox Church on Sundays.^[6] For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... The Church of Greece (Greek: Ekklēsía tês Helládos, IPA: /eklisia tis elaðos/) is one of the fifteen autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches which make up the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ...

From an early age, Sampras showed signs of outstanding athletic ability. The young Sampras discovered a tennis racquet 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 his idol.^[7] The Sampras family joined the Peninsula Racquet 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.^[8][7] Fischer was responsible for converting Sampras's two-handed backhand to one-handed intending to increase Sampras' chances of winning Wimbledon.^[9] Palos Verdes is often used to refer to a group of coastal cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the Los Angeles/South Bay area of California. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For the arena in Melbourne Park used for show matches in the Australian Open, see Rod Laver Arena Rodney George (Rod) Laver MBE (born August 9, 1938, in Rockhampton, Australia) is a former tennis player from Australia who was the World No. ... The Championships, Wimbledon (commonly referred to as Wimbledon) is the oldest tennis championship in the world. ...

Sampras turned professional in 1988, at the age of 16. He reached the fourth round of the 1989 U.S. Open, stunning defending champion Mats Wilander in a five-set second round match. His first top-level singles title came in February 1990, at Philadelphia. In September of that year, he captured his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open. Along the way, he defeated Ivan Lendl in a five-set quarterfinal, breaking Lendl's streak of eight consecutive U.S. Open finals. He then defeated John McEnroe in a four-set semifinal to set up a final with another up-and-coming American player, Andre Agassi. Sampras beat Agassi in straight sets to become the U.S. Open's youngest-ever male singles champion at the age of 19 years and 28 days.^[10] The rivalry between Agassi and Sampras became a dominant rivalry in tennis in the 1990s,^[11] with Sampras winning 20 of the 34 matches they played. List of the 1989 US Open Champions: Main article: 1989 US Open - Mens Singles Boris Becker def. ... Mats Wilander (born August 22, 1964, in Vaxjo, Sweden) is a former World No. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... In tennis, a singles player or doubles team that wins all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is said to have achieved the Grand Slam or a Calendar Year Grand Slam. ... List of the 1990 US Open Champions: // Main article: 1990 US Open - Mens Singles Pete Sampras def. ... Ivan Lendl (IPA: ) (born March 7, 1960, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)) is a former World No. ... John Patrick McEnroe Jr. ... Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a former World No. ...

1990s

1991 saw Sampras capture the first of five career titles at the year-end Tennis Masters Cup. However, upon entering the U.S. Open as the defending champion that year, he caused controversy when, having lost 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.^[12] In 1992, he reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first of three consecutive times, made it to the Wimbledon semifinals, and finished runner-up at the U.S. Open to Stefan Edberg. Sampras later stated that his loss in the U.S. Open final that year was a "wake-up call" needed to figure out how to become the World No. 1.^[13] He also played on the U.S. team that won the Davis Cup, duplicating the feat in 1995. The 1991 ATP Tour World Championships was held in Frankfurt, Germany between November 12 and November 17, 1991. ... List of the 1991 US Open Champions: Seniors Mens singles Main article: 1991 US Open - Mens Singles Stefan Edberg (SWE) def. ... James Spencer Jim Courier, Jr. ... James Scott (Jimmy) Connors (born September 2, 1952 in East St. ... List of the 1992 French Open champions: Mens Singles Jim Courier (USA) d. ... List of the 1992 Wimbledon Champions:: // Seniors Mens Singles Andre Agassi (USA) def. ... List of the 1992 US Open Champions: Seniors Mens singles Main article: 1992 US Open - Mens Singles Stefan Edberg (SWE) def. ... Stefan Bengt Edberg (born January 19, 1966 in Västervik, Sweden) is a former World No. ... The United States Davis Cup Team represents the United States in Davis Cup tennis competition, and is governed by the United States Tennis Association. ... The great Australians Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall with the Cup in 1953 The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in mens tennis. ... The 1995 Davis Cup was the 84th edition of the most important tournament between nations in mens tennis. ...

Sampras reached the semifinals of the Australian Open 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 No. 1 spot was controversial because he had not recently won any Grand Slam titles. But he justified the ranking three months later by claiming his first Wimbledon title, beating former World No. 1 Jim Courier in the final. This was swiftly followed by his second U.S. 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. List of the 1993 Australian Open Champions: Seniors Mens singles Main article: 1993 Australian Open - Mens Singles Jim Courier (USA) def. ... List of the 1993 Wimbledon Champions:: // Seniors Mens Singles Pete Sampras (USA) def. ... List of the 1993 US Open Champions: Seniors Mens singles Main article: 1993 US Open - Mens Singles Pete Sampras (USA) def. ... The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was formed in 1972 to protect the interests of male professional Tennis players. ...

Sampras dominated Wimbledon for the rest of the decade, and won three consecutive titles from 1993 through 1995. He lost a 1996 quarterfinal match to Richard Krajicek, who won the title that year. Sampras, however, then won four consecutive titles from 1997 through 2000 to become the most successful male player in Wimbledon history. His victory in 2000 also broke Roy Emerson's record of 12 Grand Slam men's singles titles. Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek (born December 6, 1971) is a Dutch former professional tennis player. ... Roy Stanley Emerson (born November 3, 1936) is a former champion Australian tennis player. ...

Sampras won two Australian Open titles. In 1994, he defeated American Todd Martin in the final, and in 1997, he defeated Carlos Moyà of Spain in the final. One of Sampras's most memorable matches there came in 1995 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. Gullickson was later diagnosed with brain cancer to which he succumbed the following year. Saddened by Gullickson's illness, Sampras began visibly weeping during the match, but somehow managed to win. Sampras then lost the final to Agassi. Paul Annacone took over as Sampras's full time coach after Gullickson's illness made it impossible for him to continue coaching. The Australian Open is held each January at Melbourne Park. ... Todd Christopher Martin (born July 8, 1970, in Hinsdale, Illinois) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. ... Carlos Moyà Llompart (born August 27, 1976), also known as Carles Moyà, Carlos Moyá or Carlos Moya, is a former World No. ... Tim Gullikson (September 8, 1951-May 3, 1996) was a tennis player and coach from the United States. ... Paul Annacone (born March 20, 1963 in Southampton, New York) was a touring professional tennis player who is now a well-known tennis coach. ...

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 U.S. Open titles in 1995 and 1996. 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 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 Kafelnikov in Moscow. Sampras also won a 1998 clay court tournament in Atlanta, defeating Jason Stoltenberg in the final. Grass courts are the fastest kind of tennis courts, next to cement courts or hard courts. ... Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris during the 2006 French Open. ... This article is about the tennis tournament. ... Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov (born 18 February 1974; Russian: , yev-GHE-neey KAH-fill-nee-coff) is a former World No. ... The Rome Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. ... Boris Franz Becker (born November 22, 1967, in Leimen, West Germany) is a former World No. ... Andrei Chesnokov (February 2, 1966, Moscow, Soviet Union) is a former professional tennis player from Russia. ... Jason Stoltenberg (born April 4, 1970, in Narrabri, Australia) is a former professional tennis player from Australia. ...

In 1998, Sampras's number-one ranking was challenged by Chilean player Marcelo Ríos. (In 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1997, Sampras had dominated the ATP tour.) Sampras failed to defend his Australian Open title, losing in the quarterfinals, and won Wimbledon only after a hard fought five-set victory over Goran Ivanišević. Sampras lost a five-set U.S. Open semifinal to the eventual winner Patrick Rafter after suffering a leg injury in the third set while leading the match. He lost another semifinal at the Tennis Masters Cup. Nevertheless, Sampras finished the year as the top ranked player for the sixth year in a row. Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga (born December 26, 1975) is a former world number one tennis player from Chile. ... List of the 1998 Australian Open Champions: Mens Singles Petr Korda (CZE) d. ... List of the 1998 Wimbledon Champions: // Mens Singles Pete Sampras (USA) d. ... Goran Å imun IvaniÅ¡ević (pronounced ; born in Split, September 13, 1971) is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. ... List of the 1998 US Open Champions: Seniors Mens singles Main article: 1998 US Open - Mens Singles Patrick Rafter (AUS) def. ... Patrick Michael Rafter (born 28 December 1972) is an Australian former World No. ...

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 Championships, Wimbledon (equaling Roy Emerson's record of 12 Grand Slam singles titles), Los Angeles, and Cincinnati. That run ended when he was forced to retire from the RCA Championships and the U.S. Open because of a herniated disc in his back. Sampras's ranking was hurt through a combination of withdrawing from the Australian and U.S. 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 3rd in the rankings. Goran Ivanisevic and Mario Ancic playing doubles during the 2004 Queens Club Championships The Queens Club Championships is an annual tournament for male tennis players, held on grass courts at the Queens Club in London. ... List of the 1999 Wimbledon Champions: // Seniors Mens singles Main article: 1999 Wimbledon Championships - Mens Singles Pete Sampras (USA) def. ... Roy Stanley Emerson (born November 3, 1936) is a former champion Australian tennis player. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Mercedes-Benz Cup. ... The Cincinnati Masters is an annual tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is today the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city. ... The RCA Championships is an annual mens tennis tournament played in Indianapolis as part of the ATP Tour. ... Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a former World No. ... The 1999 ATP Tour World Championships were held in Hannover, Germany between 23 November and 28 November 1999. ...

2000s

Sampras reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in early 2000 (falling to the eventual champion Agassi in a five-set match), and won the Miami Masters tournament for the third time in March. He then won a record-breaking 13th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, battling through a painful shin injury in the process.^[14] After this victory, Sampras did not win another title for two years. He lost in the final of the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Open to Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt, respectively, leading many to speculate that Sampras would never capture another major title. At Wimbledon in 2001, Sampras lost to Roger Federer 7–6(7), 5–7, 6–4, 6–7(2), 7–5 in the fourth round. The upset ended Sampras's 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon. The match also marked the only time that the two men, both of whom are widely regarded as the best players of their respective generations, would ever play one another on the ATP tour. In 2002, Sampras suffered another early exit from Wimbledon, losing in the second round to 145th ranked George Bastl of Switzerland, whose best surface was red clay. List of the 2000 Australian Open Champions: Mens Singles Andre Agassi (USA) d. ... The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held at Key Biscayne, in Miami, Florida. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Tennis statistics. ... List of the 2000 Wimbledon Champions: // Mens Singles Pete Sampras1 (USA) d. ... List of the 2000 US Open Champions: // Main article: 2000 US Open - Mens Singles Marat Safin (RUS) def. ... List of the 2001 US Open Champions: // Main article: 2001 US Open - Mens Singles Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. ... Marat Mikhailovich Safin (Tatar: ; Russian: ; b. ... Lleyton Glynn Hewitt (IPA: [1]) (born 24 February 1981) is a former World No. ... List of the 2001 Wimbledon Champions: // Seniors Mens singles Main article: 2001 Wimbledon Championships - Mens Singles Goran Ivanisevic (CRO) def. ... Federer redirects here. ... George Bastl (b. ...

Sampras had a relatively poor summer leading up to the U.S. Open. Greg Rusedski, whom Sampras had defeated in a long five-set third round match at the U.S. 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 and upcoming stars of the game, 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 U.S. Open final. 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 record 14th Grand Slam singles title and matched Jimmy Connors's record of five U.S. Open singles championships. The tournament was the last of Sampras's career. (Redirected from 2002 US Open) The 2002 tennis US Open suffered numerous delays from rain in the first week and a half. ... Gregory Greg Rusedski (born September 6, 1973, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a former British tennis player who turned professional in 1991, and played until his retirement on April 7, 2007 at the age of 33. ... Thomas Mario Haas (born April 3, 1978 in Hamburg) is a German tennis player who plays right handed. ... Andrew Stephen Andy Roddick (born August 30, 1982) is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. ... Sjeng Schalken (born September 8, 1976) is a professional male tennis player from the Netherlands. ... James Scott (Jimmy) Connors (born September 2, 1952 in East St. ...

Although he played no tour events in the following 12 months, Sampras did not officially announce his retirement until August 2003, just prior to the U.S. Open. Sampras chose not to defend his title, but his retirement announcement was timed so that he could say farewell at a special ceremony organized for him at the open. After retirement, many regarded Sampras to be the greatest player of all time.

During his career, Sampras won 64 top-level singles titles (including 14 Grand Slams, 11 ATP Masters Series events, 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. Current ATP Masters Series logo The ATP Masters Series is a series of nine tennis tournaments that are part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour, held annually throughout the year in Europe and North America. ... The Tennis Masters Cup is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the mens tennis world rankings. ... The ATP Rankings is the Association of Tennis Professionals historical objective merit-based method used for determining entry and seeding in mens tennis tournaments. ...

Rivalry with Agassi

Andre Agassi was perhaps Sampras's greatest rival, and the rivalry often brought out the best in both players' games. Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a former World No. ...

The 1990 U.S. Open was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final. Agassi was favored, having achieved a top-three season ending ranking and had last beaten Sampras 6–1 6–1. Sampras had dispatched veterans Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe to reach the final, two opponents that Agassi was glad not to face. However, Agassi lost to Sampras in straight sets. Ivan Lendl (IPA: ) (born March 7, 1960, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)) is a former World No. ... John Patrick McEnroe Jr. ...

The Sampras-Agassi rivalry reached its height in 1995. The two players traded the number one ranking several times that year, and each player agreed to participate in the Davis Cup only if the other also played. They were concerned that if one played while the other rested during the weeks leading up to the French Open, the one who rested would have a competitive advantage heading into the year's second Grand Slam event. Both ended up playing, and the U.S. won the Davis Cup that year. Notable Sampras-Agassi matches of 1995 included the finals of the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Canadian Open, and U.S. Open, with Sampras winning at Indian Wells and the U.S. Open. The 1995 U.S. Open men's singles final between Sampras and Agassi was the highest-rated match among U.S. television audiences, as Agassi declared that it would decide the number one ranking (Agassi also had a much publicized relationship with actress Brooke Shields). The 1995 Davis Cup was the 84th edition of the most important tournament between nations in mens tennis. ... List of the 1995 French Open Champions: Mens Singles Thomas Muster1 (AUT) d. ... In tennis, a singles player or doubles team that wins all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is said to have achieved the Grand Slam or a Calendar Year Grand Slam. ... The United States Davis Cup Team represents the United States in Davis Cup tennis competition, and is governed by the United States Tennis Association. ... List of the 1995 Australian Open Champions: // Seniors Mens singles Main article: 1995 Australian Open - Mens Singles Andre Agassi (USA) def. ... The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in the small city of Indian Wells, California. ... The Canada Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. ... List of the 1995 US Open Champions: Seniors Mens singles Main article: 1995 US Open - Mens Singles Pete Sampras (USA) def. ... Brooke Christa Camille Shields[1] (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and supermodel. ...

The next time Sampras and Agassi met in a Grand Slam final was at the 1999 Wimbledon, 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 number one ranking to Agassi, after pulling out of that year's U.S. Open with injury. They faced each other twice in the season-ending ATP World Championships, with Sampras losing the round robin match but winning the final to capture the title. They then faced off in the semi-finals of the 2000 Australian Open, with Agassi prevailing in a five-set match.

The second highest-rated match of their rivalry was the final of the 2002 U.S. Open. It was the first Sampras-Agassi meeting in a U.S. Open final since 1995. It was also notable because both had defeated several up-and-coming players enroute to the final. Several commentators described the 2002 meeting as a symbolic way to close out their rivalry which had been ignited in the 1990 U.S. Open final over a decade earlier. Sampras did not play any further competitive matches after his 2002 triumph.

However maybe the most memorable Sampras-Agassi match came in a 2001 U.S. Open quarterfinal. Sampras battled to a 6–7(7), 7–6(2), 7–6(2), 7–6(5) victory. There were no breaks of serve during the entire match. Reruns of the match are frequently featured on television, especially during U.S. Open rain delays. List of the 2001 US Open Champions: // Seniors Mens Singles Main article: 2001 US Open - Mens Singles Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. ...

The Sampras versus Agassi rivalry goes all the way back to their childhoods when they played against each other in a 1979 junior tournament in Northridge, California at ages eight and nine respectively. Northridge is the name of some places in the United States of America: the Northridge community of Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley Northridge, Ohio This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Post-retirement activity

Sampras played the first exhibition match since his retirement on April 6, 2006, in Houston, Texas against Robby Ginepri. Ginepri won the match 6–3, 7–6. is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Houston redirects here. ... Robby Ginepri (born October 7, 1982) is an American tennis player who turned professional in 2001. ...

In 2006, Sampras announced 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.^[15] 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).^[16] Many observers noted that despite his lengthy layoff from competitive tournaments, Sampras still possessed many of the previous skills he had once displayed on the ATP tour, with John McEnroe going as far as to say that Sampras would be worthy of a top five seed at Wimbledon if he were to enter the tournament.^[17] World Team Tennis is a league of team tennis in the United States. ... Todd Christopher Martin (born July 8, 1970, in Hinsdale, Illinois) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. ... John Patrick McEnroe Jr. ... The Championships, Wimbledon (commonly referred to as Wimbledon) is the oldest tennis championship in the world. ...

On November 20, 2007, Sampras lost the first of three exhibition matches in Asia against Roger Federer 6–4, 6–3 in Seoul, Korea.^[18] Two days later, Sampras again lost to Federer 7–6, 7–6. However, Sampras won the last match of the series 7–6(6), 6–4, though his stated goal was to just win a set.^[19] is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Federer redirects here. ...

On February 18, 2008, in an exhibition match during the SAP Open, Sampras defeated another active player, former World No. 2 Tommy Haas, 6–4, 6–2 in 43 minutes.^[20] is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... The SAP Open is a tennis tournament held each year in San Jose, California. ... Thomas Mario Haas (born April 3, 1978 in Hamburg) is a German tennis player who plays right handed. ...

On March 10, 2008, Sampras played an exhibition match against World No. 1 Federer at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Sampras lost the match 6–3, 6–7(4), 7–6(6).^[21] is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... The ATP Rankings is the Association of Tennis Professionals historical objective merit-based method used for determining entry and seeding in mens tennis tournaments. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Sampras is expected to play two events on the BlackRock Tour of Champions in 2008, including the BlackRock Masters in London in December 2008.^[22] This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Playing style

Sampras preparing to serve.

Sampras was an all-court player who often would serve-and-volley. He was known for several facets in his game, in particular: Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (956x1358, 92 KB) Photo cropped by User:Quadzilla99 {{cc-by-sa-2. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (956x1358, 92 KB) Photo cropped by User:Quadzilla99 {{cc-by-sa-2. ... Serve and volley is a strategy used in lawn tennis (and rarely in real tennis)Not many players bother to try to serve and volley in this time of tennis due to the hard hitting players we have these days in the game. ...

• an accurate and powerful first serve, one of the best of all time;^[23]
• a second serve nearly as powerful as his first, possibly his most dangerous weapon;
• great disguise on both his first and second serves;
• his athleticism, footspeed, and court coverage;
• classic, almost throwback form on most of his strokes, including a classic eastern grip forehand and similar grip on the backhand;
• his forehand, and in particular his "running forehand" (a forehand hit on the run), was considered the best in the world;
• a reliable one-handed backhand^[24], which he could hit with topspin or slice deep;
• his net game - Sampras' volleys were excellent, and he arguably possessed the best overhead smash in the history of the men's game;
• his mental focus, allowing him to play his best at decisive moments, such as hitting second serve aces at break point down.
• his perseverance, most notably demonstrated in his 1996 U.S. Open quarterfinal match against Alex Corretja. After vomiting on the court,^[12] Sampras came back to hit a second serve ace and eventually won the match.

Sampras's classically smooth service motion gave him many easy points on aces or service winners. Overall, his serve had great disguise,^{[citation needed]} very quick racquet-head speed,^{[citation needed]} great knee,^{[citation needed]} powerful leg-drive^{[citation needed]} and racquet drop,^{[citation needed]} facilitated by his incredibly flexible shoulder.^{[citation needed]} The speed of his serves was frequently 120-140 mph on 1st^{[citation needed]} and 100–120 mph on second serves.^{[citation needed]} Sampras is considered by many to have had the best second serve in history.^{[citation needed]} He was known for producing aces on critical points, even with his second serves.^{[citation needed]} The Australian Frank Sedgman was one of the great serve-and-volleyers A serve (or, more formally, a service) in tennis is a shot to start a point. ... For information on the forehand of a horse, see forehand (horse) A forehand. ... Justine Henin has one of the best one-handed backhands in todays tennis The backhand in tennis is a stroke hit by swinging the racquet away from ones body in the direction of where the player wants the ball to go. ... In sports, in particular racquet sports, topspin is a property of a shot where the ball rotates as if rolling in the same direction as it is moving. ... Slice may refer to: // A portion of bread, cake, or meat that is cut flat and thin, sliced bread Slice (soft drink), a line of fruit-flavored drinks Vanilla slice, a dessert Backspin, also known as slice or underspin Kimbo Slice (1976- ), a street fighter Slice (TV channel), a Canadian... Arguably the best volleyer in the game now, Tim Henman is well-known around the tennis community for his excellent touch. A volley in tennis is a shot that is hit before the ball bounces on the ground. ... Álex Corretja (born April 11, 1974) is a professional mens tennis player, who is currently ranked number 91 by the ATP. His highest singles rank was 2 on February 1, 1999. ...

Opponents frequently played to his backhand, which was considered to be his weaker side. To counter this, Sampras often camped on the backhand side while rallying from the baseline and often baited opponents for his great running forehand. Later on in his career, as his foot speed slightly declined, Sampras was forced to play closer to the center of the court.

His style changed dramatically between the early 1990s and the time he retired. Sampras excelled on hard courts. He served and volleyed on his first serve and frequently stayed back on his second serve. Towards the latter part of his career on hard courts, Sampras played a serve and volley game on both his first and second serves. On grass courts, Sampras served and volleyed on both serves throughout his career. When not serving in the early years of his career, his strategy was to be aggressive from the baseline, put opponents in a defensive position, and finish points at the net. In tennis, a player uses different strategies that both enhance his own strengths and exploit his opponents weaknesses in order to gain the advantage and win more points. ... Serve and volley is a strategy used in lawn tennis (and rarely in real tennis)Not many players bother to try to serve and volley in this time of tennis due to the hard hitting players we have these days in the game. ...

In his later years, he became even more aggressive 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. Sampras's aggressive strategies worked best on fast surfaces—like hardcourts and, in particular, grass— but were weaker on slow surfaces like clay. As a result, he dominated Wimbledon (played on grass) but never won the French Open (played on clay). This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Personal and family life

Sampras's older sister Stella is the women's tennis head coach at UCLA,^[25] and his younger sister, Marion, is a teacher in Los Angeles. His older brother, Gus, has been tournament director at the Scottsdale ATP event, but from 2007 he became president of the firm managing Pete's business activities.^[26] Binomial name Ucla xenogrammus Holleman, 1993 The largemouth triplefin, Ucla xenogrammus, is a fish of the family Tripterygiidae and only member of the genus Ucla, found in the Pacific Ocean from Viet Nam, the Philippines, Palau and the Caroline Islands to Papua New Guinea, Australia (including Christmas Island), and the... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... The Tennis Channel Open is 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. ...

On September 30, 2000, Sampras married American actress and former Miss Teen USA Bridgette Wilson.^[27] On November 21, 2002, their son Christian Charles was born.^[28] On July 29, 2005, the couple welcomed their second son, Ryan Nikolaos.^[29] is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 15-19. ... Bridgette Leann Wilson (born September 25, 1973), also known as Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, is an American actress. ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sampras has thalassemia minor, a genetic trait that sometimes causes a mild anemia.^[30] However, the effects of Thalassemia minor are not significant and, while some suggest that this condition limits physical and athletic endurance, this has not been studied and confirmed.^{[citation needed]} Thalassemia (British spelling, thalassaemia) is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease. ... This article discusses the medical condition. ... Thalassemia (British spelling, thalassaemia) is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease. ...

Head-to-head

Christo Van Rensburg (1–2), Andy Roddick (1–2), Max Mirnyi (1–2), Marat Safin (3–4), Lleyton Hewitt (4–5), Paul Haarhuis (1–3), Richard Krajicek (4–6), Sergi Bruguera (2–3), Michael Stich (4–5), and Derrick Rostagno (1–2) were the only players who finished with a winning record against Sampras (minimum three matches). Against former World or U.S. No. 1 players, he was 20–14 versus Andre Agassi, 12–7 versus Boris Becker, 12–8 versus Michael Chang, 2–0 versus Jimmy Connors, 16–4 versus Jim Courier, 8–6 versus Stefan Edberg, 5–3 versus Ivan Lendl, 3–0 versus John McEnroe, 2–1 versus Mats Wilander, and 12–4 versus Patrick Rafter. Christo van Rensburg (born October 23, 1962 in Uitenhage, South Africa) is a former professional tennis player from South Africa. ... Andrew Stephen Andy Roddick (born August 30, 1982) is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. ... Max Mirnyi (nicknamed The Beast) (Belarusian: Максім Мірны, Maksim Mirny; born July 6, 1977) is a tennis player from Belarus. ... Marat Mikhailovich Safin (Tatar: ; Russian: ; b. ... Lleyton Glynn Hewitt (IPA: [1]) (born 24 February 1981) is a former World No. ... Paul Vincent Nicholas Haarhuis (born February 19, 1966) is a Dutch former professional tennis player. ... Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek (born December 6, 1971) is a Dutch former professional tennis player. ... Sergi Bruguera Torner (born on January 16, 1971, in Barcelona, Spain) is a retired professional tennis player from Spain. ... Michael Stich (born October 18, 1968 in Pinneberg, Germany) is a former professional tennis player from Germany. ... Derrick Rostagno (born October 25, 1965, in Hollywood, California) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. ... Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a former World No. ... Boris Franz Becker (born November 22, 1967, in Leimen, West Germany) is a former World No. ... Michael Te-Pei Chang (張德培; Pinyin: Zhāng Dépéi; born February 22, 1972, in Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.) is an American former professional tennis player. ... James Scott (Jimmy) Connors (born September 2, 1952 in East St. ... James Spencer Jim Courier, Jr. ... Stefan Bengt Edberg (born January 19, 1966 in Västervik, Sweden) is a former World No. ... Ivan Lendl (IPA: ) (born March 7, 1960, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)) is a former World No. ... John Patrick McEnroe Jr. ... Mats Wilander (born August 22, 1964, in Vaxjo, Sweden) is a former World No. ... Patrick Michael Rafter (born 28 December 1972) is an Australian former World No. ...

Career statistics

Grand Slam finals

Singles

Wins (14)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1990	U.S. Open (1st)	Andre Agassi	6–4, 6–3, 6–2
1993	Wimbledon (1st)	Jim Courier	7–6, 7–6, 3–6, 6–3
1993	U.S. Open (2nd)	Cédric Pioline	6–4, 6–4, 6–3
1994	Australian Open (1st)	Todd Martin	7–6, 6–4, 6–4
1994	Wimbledon (2nd)	Goran Ivanišević	7–6, 7–6, 6–0
1995	Wimbledon (3rd)	Boris Becker	6–7, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2
1995	U.S. Open (3rd)	Andre Agassi	6–4, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5
1996	U.S. Open (4th)	Michael Chang	6–1, 6–4, 7–6
1997	Australian Open (2nd)	Carlos Moyá	6–2, 6–3, 6–3
1997	Wimbledon (4th)	Cédric Pioline	6–4, 6–2, 6–4
1998	Wimbledon (5th)	Goran Ivanišević	6–7, 7–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1999	Wimbledon (6th)	Andre Agassi	6–3, 6–4, 7–5
2000	Wimbledon (7th)	Patrick Rafter	6–7, 7–6, 6–4, 6–2
2002	U.S. Open (5th)	Andre Agassi	6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4

This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see U.S. Open. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a former World No. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... The Championships, Wimbledon (commonly referred to as Wimbledon) is the oldest tennis championship in the world. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... James Spencer Jim Courier, Jr. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Cédric Pioline (born 15 June 1969 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) is a retired French tennis player. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... The Australian Open is held each January at Melbourne Park. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Todd Christopher Martin (born July 8, 1970, in Hinsdale, Illinois) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Croatia. ... Goran Šimun Ivanišević (pronounced ; born in Split, September 13, 1971) is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Boris Franz Becker (born November 22, 1967, in Leimen, West Germany) is a former World No. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Michael Te-Pei Chang (張德培; Pinyin: Zhāng Dépéi; born February 22, 1972, in Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.) is an American former professional tennis player. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Carlos Moyá Llompart (born August 27, 1976, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain) (also known as Carles Moyá, Carlos Moyá or Carlos Moya) is a former world number-1 ranked Spanish tennis player. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Croatia. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Patrick Michael Rafter (born 28 December 1972) is an Australian former World No. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

Runner-ups (4)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1992	U.S. Open (1)	Stefan Edberg	3–6, 6–4, 7–6, 6–2
1995	Australian Open (1)	Andre Agassi	4–6, 6–1, 7–6, 6–4
2000	U.S. Open (2)	Marat Safin	6–4, 6–3, 6–3
2001	U.S. Open (3)	Lleyton Hewitt	7–6, 6–1, 6–1

Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see U.S. Open. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Stefan Bengt Edberg (born January 19, 1966 in Västervik, Sweden) is a former World No. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... The Australian Open is held each January at Melbourne Park. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a former World No. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Marat Mikhailovich Safin (Tatar: ; Russian: ; b. ... This article is about the year. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Lleyton Glynn Hewitt (IPA: [1]) (born 24 February 1981) is a former World No. ...

Masters Series finals

Singles

Wins (11)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1992	Cincinnati	Ivan Lendl	6–3, 3–6, 6–3
1993	Miami	MaliVai Washington	6–3, 6–2
1994	Indian Wells	Petr Korda	4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
1994	Miami (2nd)	Andre Agassi	5–7, 6–3, 6–3
1994	Rome	Boris Becker	6–1, 6–2, 6–2
1995	Indian Wells (2nd)	Andre Agassi	7–5, 6–3, 7–5
1995	Paris	Boris Becker	7–6, 6–4, 6–4
1997	Cincinnati (2nd)	Thomas Muster	6