Pete Sampras Retires

By Steve Pratt

Aug. 26, 2003 12 AM PT

* Most Grand Slams: 14

* Most Weeks at No. 1: 286

* Highest Career Earnings: $43 million

* Wimbledon Greatness: 7 titles, 63-7 record (.900)

The Memorable Moments

1. WIMBLEDON 2000

Sampras’ parents, Sam and Georgia, had never seen him win a major. Until now. It was 8:57 p.m. in London with light fading when Sampras claimed his record 13th Grand Slam after two rain delays. Tears followed his 6-7 (10), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Patrick Rafter. It’s been called his grittiest effort at a Grand Slam. Tendinitis in his left shin and foot meant injections before his final five matches.

2. U.S. OPEN 2002

He had gone 33 tournaments without a title, longest such streak in his career. Seeded 17th, Sampras wasn’t given much of a chance. In the final he faced his biggest rival, Andre Agassi, owner of the game’s best return of serve. At 5-4, 30-0, ahead two sets to one, Sampras unleashed a 119-mph second-serve ace, his 33rd of the match, a personal record in a major final. It would be his last match: 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

3. 1996 U.S. OPEN

In a fifth-set tiebreaker against Alex Corretja, a dehydrated Sampras vomited twice. From Times’ sports editor Bill Dwyre: “... This one will stand the test of time as a match for the ages. All the other cliches work too. ... The true tennis buffs will be telling their kids someday where they were the day Sampras threw up between serves and still won his quarterfinal match in the U.S. Open.” The score: 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7).

4. 1995 AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Grief-stricken over coach Tim Gullikson’s terminal cancer and down by two sets against Jim Courier, Sampras wept openly after a fan shouted, “Do it for your coach,” at the start of the final set. After losing tiebreakers in the first two sets, he stormed to take the last three, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, and the match. He beat Michael Chang in the semifinals and lost to Agassi in the final.

5. WIMBLEDON 1999

In their fourth Grand Slam final and playing “probably the best I have ever played,” Sampras beat the resurgent Agassi, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, to join Australian Roy Emerson as the only male player to win 12 Grand Slam singles titles. Agassi had dominated in his previous six matches. “I ran into a bus today,” he said. Added Sampras: “Andre just brings out the best in me.”

-- Steve Pratt

Grand Slam singles titles*:

1. PETE SAMPRAS... 14

2. Roy Emerson ...12

3. Rod Laver... 11

4. Bjorn Borg ...11

5. Bill Tilden... 10

Men’s career singles titles**:

1. Jimmy Connors ...109

2. Ivan Lendl ...94

3. John McEnroe ...77

4. PETE SAMPRAS ...64

5. Bjorn Borg/Guillermo Vilas ...62

Weeks at No. 1**:

1. PETE SAMPRAS... 286

2. Ivan Lendl...270

3. Jimmy Connors...268

4. John McEnroe...170

5. Bjorn Borg...109

Years at No. 1**:

1. PETE SAMPRAS...6

2. Jimmy Connors...5

3T. Ivan Lendl...4

3T.John McEnroe...4

5. Three tied with...2

Career prize money*:

1. PETE SAMPRAS...$43 million

2. Ane Agassi...$27 million

3. Boris Becker...$25 million

4. Yevgeny Kafelnikov...$23 million

5. Ivan Lendl...$21 million

Years in Top 10**:

1. Jimmy Connors...16

2T. Ane Agassi...13

2T. Ivan Lendl ...13

4. PETE SAMPRAS...12

5. Boris Becker...11

Year-end championships**:

1T. PETE SAMPRAS...5

1T. Ivan Lendl...5

3. Ilie Nastase...4

4. John McEnroe...3

5. Three tied with...2

Master Series titles***

1. Ane Agassi...16

2. PETE SAMPRAS ...11

3. Thomas Muster...8

4. Michael Chang...7

5. Four tied with ...5

Titles by surface

Hard... 36

Carpet ...15

Grass ...10

Clay... 3

* -- All-Time ** -- Open Era (since 1968)

*** -- Since 1990

The Opponents

Pete Sampras compiled a 762-222 record, winning more than 77% of the matches he played in 15 years. A look of his record against selected opponents:

Sampras has a winning record head-to-head against his U.S. peer group:

Andre Agassi ...20-14

Michael Chang... 12-8

Jim Courier ...16-4

Todd Martin ...18-4

He has a losing record against the new guard:

Lleyton Hewitt...4-5

Marat Safin ...3-4

Andy Roddick ...1-2

Roger Federer ...0-1

Against 1980s greats:

Ivan Lendl ...5-3

Boris Becker ...12-7

Stefan Edberg...8-6

Against McEnroe brothers (6-0):

John McEnroe ...3-0

Patrick McEnroe...3-0

Against British players (15-2)

Greg Rusedski ...9-1

Tim Henman ...6-1

Against others:

Cedric Pioline...9-0

MaliVai Washington...7-0

Goran Ivanisevic ...12-6

Patrick Rafter ...12-4

Yevgeny Kafelnikov...11-2

The Personal File

* Birth date: Aug. 12, 1971.

* Birthplace: Washington, D.C.

* Reared: Palos Verdes.

* Residence: Beverly Hills.

* Height: 6-1.

* Weight: 195 pounds.

* Plays: Right-handed.

* Turned Pro: 1988.

* Married: To actress Bridgette Wilson, Sept. 30, 2000.

* Children: Christian Charles, born Nov. 21, 2002

* Shoes: Nike Air Oscillate II.

* Racket: Wilson ProStaff Tour 90.

* Starting out: At age 7 taught himself to play tennis by hitting balls against a wall with a wood racket found in basement.

* At a loss: Cried after losing his first tournament match, 6-0, 6-0.

* First coach: At 9 began working with Pete Fischer, a physician and amateur player who changed Sampras’ backhand from two-handed to one-handed.

* Idol: Hit balls with Rod Laver at age 11.

* Turned pro: Age 16.

* Favorite NBA team: Lakers.

* Favorite NFL team: Dallas Cowboys.

* Siblings in tennis: Brother Gus is tournament director of WTA Carson and ATP Scotsdale event; sister Stella is the women’s tennis coach at UCLA.

* Web sites: www.atptennis.com has an exhaustive special tribute section detailing the 14 Slam titles; www.samprasfanz.com gives a frame-by-frame look at Sampras’ appearance on “The Simpsons” Feb. 11, 2001.

* Charities: Among others, the Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation (board member), Kid’s Stuff Foundation, Vitus Gerulaitis Youth Foundation, American Cancer Society.

* Selected: No. 1 player of previous 25 years by panel of current and past players and journalists to commemorate 25th anniversary of ATP in 1997.

ATP Tour player of the year in 1993-94-95-96-97 and Jim Thorpe tennis player of the year in 1993.

In 1997, named U.S. Olympic Committee “sportsman of the year,” the first tennis player to receive the award.

No. 2 (behind Laver) in Associated Press men’s player of the century rankings.

Voted 48th athlete of top 50 Greatest North American athletes of ESPN’s SportsCentury.

The Quotes

“I play for history. That is my motivation.”

Sampras

“Pete makes it look too easy. People watch him and think, ‘That doesn’t look too hard.’ ”

Paul Annacone, Sampras’ coach

“I could be a jerk and get a lot more publicity, but that’s not who I am.”

Sampras

“If they could have played each other in their prime, I’ve no doubt Sampras would have won more often.”

John McEnroe, On Sampras andAussie Great Rod Laver

“From the very beginning, the competition was always Laver.”

Sampras

“There wasn’t an American that I really idolized. Sure, I respected [John] McEnroe’s talent and [Jimmy] Connors’ intensity, but the Aussies, those guys were great guys.”

Sampras

The Grand Slams

1990 U.S. OPEN

Def. Andre Agassi, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

Youngest U.S. Open champion (19 years, 28 days).

1993 WIMBLEDON

Def. Jim Courier, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-3

Three years later, back in the winner’s circle.

1993 U.S. OPEN

Def. Cedric Pioline, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3

On his way to first year-end No. 1.

1994 AUSTRALIAN OPEN