Pete Sampras Bio And Facts

Pete Sampras is a former professional tennis player who is considered to be one of the best in the sport’s history. Sampras focused his attention on tennis from a young age, and his dedication led to him being the youngest male U.S. tennis player to win the US Open in 1990, at just 19 years and one month old. This feat was just the start of his long record-breaking professional tennis career.

Pete Sampras

In his career, Sampras won 14 Grand Slams which was at the time the most wins of any male tennis player. He also holds the record for ending six seasons in a row between 1993 and 1998 at the number one spot on the ATP’s year end rankings. Pete Sampras had a storybook finish to his career as well. He retired after winning his final Grand Slam in 2002 right where he first made history in 1990; the US Open.

• Birthday: August 12th, 1971 (12-08-1971)
• Net Worth: $150 Million
• Occupation: Former Professional Tennis Player
• Height: 6’1” (1.85 m)
• Weight: 170 lbs (77 kg)
• Plays: Right-handed
• Years Active: 1988-2003
• Career Wins: 762
• Career Losses: 222
• Nicknames: Pistol Pete

Social Media

• Twitter 
• Instagram
• Facebook

Tennis Career

Pete Sampras’ major tennis training began with Peter Fischer, a pediatrician-turned-coach who helped Pete adapt from a two-handed backhand to a one-handed one. Sampras went professional at 16 in 1988 and worked his way from being ranked 893rd to the top 100. He had a slow start for the first five years of his career except for his shocking three set 1990 US Open win against Andre Agassi who was ranked fourth.

Sampras’ career peak was between 1993 and 2000, where he won 12 Grand Slam titles. In this time period, the only year he didn’t win at Wimbledon was in 1996. In addition to his seven Wimbledon titles, he also added three US Open titles in 1993, 1995, and 1996 as well as two Australian Opens in 1994 and 1997. After he won his record-setting 14th Grand Slam at the US Open against Agassi again, Sampras decided it was time to retire.

Titles and Awards

• 2x Australian Open Singles Champion (1994, 1997)
• 7x Wimbledon Singles Champion (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
• 5x US Open Singles Champion (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002)
• 5x ATP Player of the Year (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)

Throughout his incredible career, Sampras broke records and received numerous accolades that cemented his place in tennis history books. One of his impressive achievements is the fact that the ATP and ITF named him Player of the Year and World Champion for six consecutive years starting in 1993 and ending in 1998. He also received the Jim Thorpe Tennis Player of the Year Award in 1993.

In 1997, Sampras became the first tennis player to be named the US Olympic Committee’s “Sportsman of the Year.” Also in 1997, he was voted number one of the top 25 players of the last 25 years for ATP. In 2000 Sampras won the ‘Man of the Year’ Award in the Individual Athlete Category for GQ Magazine. To top off all of these other awards, Sampras was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.

Personal Life

Pete Sampras was born in DC but later moved to Southern California where he grew up. His parents, Sammy and Georgia Sampras have a strong Greek background. His older siblings were also very involved in tennis. One of his sisters is a coach at UCLA and his brother used to organize tournaments and manage his brother’s career.

Sampras had a tough loss in 1996 when his coach and best friend, Tim Gullikson, passed away from a brain tumor. As a result, Sampras got involved with the American Cancer Society’s Public Awareness Council after this and started Aces for Charity in 1997. For this cause, he donated $100 for every one of his famous aces he served. He also raised money for the Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation.

In 2000, Sampras married the actress Bridgette Wilson, and together they had two sons, Christian and Ryan.

Fun Facts

• For 11 years straight, Sampras reached at least one major title final. He and Ivan Lendl share this record.
• Throughout his career, he earned over $43 million in prize money.
• He won the celebrity long drive competition in 1996, with a drive of 332 yards.
• Sampras got his nickname ‘Pistol Pete’ due to his incredible serve. His serve averaged 2500 rpms, which made it difficult for opponents to respond to.
• He met and played against his idol Rod Laver at 11 years old.
• His mother emigrated from Sparta, Greece.
• Pete Sampras was at the match where Roger Federer broke his 14 Grand Slam title record.
• Sampras has a blood disorder that can cause mild cases of anemia.
• He competed in the 1992 Olympics but lost in the third round.
• His record was 15-8 for singles and 4-1 in doubles at the Davis Cup.

FAQ