Biografia
Sampras started playing tennis at seven years old. Trainer Pete Fischer discovered him and later coached him. He turned professional in 1988. One of his sponsors was former top player Ivan Lendl. That same year, he ranked among the world's top 100 tennis players. In 1990, at 19 years old, Sampras achieved his first major victory by winning the US Open as the 19th seed, becoming the youngest champion of this Grand Slam to date. By 1992, he had risen to number three in the world rankings. In 1993, he won Wimbledon for the first time, an unofficial world championship, marking a significant milestone in his career.
During this period, he also won the US Open again plus six other tournaments. He finished the year with 83 match wins, nearly matching Ivan Lendl’s 1985 record of 84 victories. Over his career, Sampras won 14 Grand Slam titles: seven at Wimbledon (1993-1995, 1997-2000), four at the US Open (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996), and two at the Australian Open (1994, 1997). He was named ATP World Champion five times (1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999) and won the Davis Cup twice with the US team (1992, 1995). He held the number one spot in the ATP singles rankings for six consecutive seasons.
His 14 Grand Slam wins set an unprecedented record in men's tennis, though he never won the French Open. Nicknamed "Pistol Pete" for his powerful serve, Sampras reached a career-high doubles ranking of 27 but won only two doubles titles compared to 66 singles titles. His strengths included an aggressive serve-and-volley style and powerful, confident baseline shots. At Wimbledon in 2002, he suffered an early defeat to the lesser-known Swiss player Georg Bastl.
Before that tournament, his chances of winning were estimated at 60 percent. In 2002, he switched coaches from Tom Gullikson to former top player José Higueras. After claiming his 14th Grand Slam at the 2002 US Open, Sampras officially retired from professional tennis on August 26, 2003, at the US Open stadium in New York. He was also anticipating the birth of his child in November 2003. Sampras lives with his wife in Orlando, California.
