The Times
May 16, 2003
Sampras at break point as he turns back on Wimbledon
By Neil Harman, Tennis Correspondent
WIMBLEDON may well have seen the last of Pete Sampras, the greatest
grass-court player that lived. The 31-year-old American revealed last
night he will not play in this year's championships, ending a 14-year
sequence of glorious achievement at the All England Club, in which
time he won the singles title seven times.
Sampras, who has not played a competitive match since winning the US
Open title in scintillating fashion last September -- the fourteenth
grand-slam crown of his career -- has decided to skip the French
Open, the Stella Artois Championships at Queen's Club, for which he
had asked for a wild card to be kept for him, and, most revealingly,
Wimbledon itself.
The message will be transmitted today to officials, who will greet
the decision with extreme sadness, fearing that their famous lawns
will not be graced again by the last great serve-and-volley champion.
Sampras has not said "never" and is not injured, but his reluctance
to put himself on the line this year suggests that he has lost his
appetite for tennis where it really matters to him.
No one would have been surprised by him abandoning the French Open, a
championship that has eluded him in 13 attempts -- his best
performance was to reach the semi- finals in 1996 -- but to walk away
from a surface that has afforded him the greatest moments of his
career is a decision that will have caused him considerable
heartache.
Sampras, who became a father for the first time last year, made his
decision yesterday and Paul Annacone, his coach, who left a senior
position at the United States Tennis Association after the US Open to
resume working with him, said: "For Pete not to play Wimbledon is a
huge challenge, believe me. He doesn't know yet what he wants to do
with the rest of his life. He doesn't really want to retire and when
Wimbledon comes and goes, he may find the fire has been
rekindled."
"He is just not ready right now for seven matches in a grand-slam
championship and if he is not ready, he is not going to put himself
through the trial. Nothing is for ever, though, and if there is a 10
per cent chance he will come back, then we have to go with that."
"He just needs to give himself a little bit more time. He is still in
good shape, he is working out with his trainer every day, heÕs
hitting balls from time to time, but he knows that isn't enough for
an event like Wimbledon."
Sampras has not been beyond the fourth round of the championships in
the past two years, losing to Roger Federer in the fourth round in
2001 and to George Bastl, another Swiss and a "lucky loser", on No 2
Court last year. He was grievously hurt that afternoon, but no more
than he has been making a decision that suggests Wimbledon will never
see him play again.