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Pete Sampras facts for kids
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| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Lake Sherwood, California, U.S. |
| Born | August 12, 1971 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Turned pro | 1988 |
| Retired | September 8, 2002 (last match) August 25, 2003 (official) |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money |
US$43,280,489
|
| Int. Tennis HOF | 2007 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 762–222 (77.44%) |
| Career titles | 64 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (April 12, 1993) |
| Grand Slam Singles 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) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999) |
| Olympic Games | 3R (1992) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 64–70 (47.76%) |
| Career titles | 2 |
| Highest ranking | No. 27 (February 12, 1990) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (1989) |
| French Open | 2R (1989) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1989) |
| US Open | 1R (1988, 1989, 1990) |
| Team Competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1992, 1995) |
Pete Sampras (born August 12, 1971 as Petros Sampras) is an American former professional tennis player. A right-handed player with a single-handed backhand, his precise and powerful serve earned him the nickname "Pistol Pete". His professional career began in 1988 and ended at the 2002 US Open, which he won, defeating rival Andre Agassi in the final.
Sampras held the all-time record of seven Wimbledon Men's Singles titles with William Renshaw until 2017 when Roger Federer won his 8th title. Sampras also won five US Open titles, a joint Open-era record shared by Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors, and two Australian Open titles. His 14 Grand Slam titles were a record, surpassed when Federer won his 15th Grand Slam title at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and later also by Rafael Nadal at the 2017 French Open and Novak Djokovic at the 2019 Australian Open. Sampras won 64 singles titles. He first reached world No. 1 in 1993, and held that position for a total of 286 weeks (second behind Federer 310 weeks as No. 1 player), including a record six consecutive year-end No. 1 rankings from 1993 to 1998. In 2007, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Personal and family life
Sampras' mother is an immigrant from Greece; his father is an American whose father was Greek and mother was Jewish. Sampras' older sister, Stella, is the women's tennis head coach at UCLA. 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.
In the late 1990s, he dated actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley.
On September 30, 2000, Sampras married American actress and former Miss Teen USA, Bridgette Wilson. On November 21, 2002, their son, Christian Charles, was born. On July 29, 2005, the couple welcomed their second son, Ryan Nikolaos. They live in Lake Sherwood, California.
Professional Awards
- ATP Player of the Year: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.
- ITF World Champion: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.
Images for kids
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Sampras in 1992
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Pete Sampras at Champions Cup Boston, in 2007