August 2007
Pete Sampras: Reflection on a Champion
By Nick Bolletieri
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Pete Sampras is his quiet demeanor. His laid-back attitude combined with a competitive spirit made for one heck of a great tennis player. To best understand Pete, you must first consider his early development as a player, Particularly the time he spent with Dr. Peter Fisher.
Pete's passion for the sport began when he found a tennis racket in his basement. He would hit the ball at the wall for hours and hours just learning to feel the ball and master the basic strokes. By the time he was 11 years old he already had a pretty good serve and volley game, which would become his trademark. When his family moved from Washington, D.C., to California, Pete was spotted by Dr. Fisher, a tennis enthusiast, and this really is where his career began.
Dr. Fisher became Pete's mentor for many years. He supervised Pete's progress and arranged for his coaches. Sometimes in various sports a player flourishes under a coach who has a different personality type than the player, but Pete preferred coaches with the easy personality similar to his own.
Pete surrounded himself with several great coaches over the years, such as Tim Gullikson, Paul Annacone, Jose Higueras, and Larry Stefanki. Dr. Fisher also was very instrumental in changing Pete's two-handed backhand to one-handed. This was done deliberately so Pete would have a better chance of winning wimbledon. As you know, it worked!
When Pete turned professional in 1988 at the age of 17, no one could have predicted that this scrawny boy was going to become what many people consider to be one of the best players in the history of tennis. Pete won his first title in 1990 at Philadelphia, and never looked back. He went to win his first of 14 Grand Slam titles later that year at the U.S. Open, where he defeated John McEnroe in the semifinal and Andre Agassi in the final. He became the youngest man to win the singles championships at 19 years and 28 days old.
It was also the first time Sampras and Agassi met in a Grand Slam. Prior to that meeting they had met twice, with each plyer winning once. This eventually blossomed into the dominant tennis rivalry throughout the 1990s. At the end of their careers, they had faced each other 34 times, with Sampras winning 20 of these matches. Fans knew they were in for a great match any time these two met.
Like many players, it took Sampras a few years before he would win another major. Pete began his dominating run in 1993 and achieved No. 1 world ranking. He won Wimbledon three times in a row (1993 to 1995), but in 1996 bowed out in the quarterfinals. However, he quickly bounced back to win four consecutive titles from 1997 to 2000. During that time Pete also won the Australian Open in 1994 and 1997, and the U.S. Open in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 2002. What a run!
His only weakness appeared to be finding his comfort zone in media dealings. He was more at ease on court than in the interview chair.
Throughout his time Pete developed a huge fan base from all over the world. He was tall, good looking and a true champion. Pete always has had a kind heart. Like several of his fellow athletes, Pete founded the Aces for Charity program and supports the Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation, The Kid's Stuff Foundation, and The Vitas Gerulaitis Youth Foundation, in addition helping the fight against breast cancer.
It's important to note that Pete's parents always were very supportive of him. They were not overbearing and didn't put a lot of pressure on Pete to win. In fact, they did not see him win a major title in person until he his Wimbledon victory in 2000. Their constant love and encouragement for Pete helped him to become the man he is today.
When Pete was about 16, he came to train at my academy. Jokingly, I used to give him a hard time about what would become his trademark slumped shoulders with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Pete would always laugh with me in his quiet way and, sure enough, that tongue kept hanging!
Pete had a significant advantage over most players because he had the uncanny ability to internalize his emotions and maintain the same court presence whether he had just won a point or lost it. To play someone who shows little to no change of emotion can be quite unsettling. In fact, this skill would have made Pete one heck of a great poker player.
Pete Sampras is such a unique individual, I don't think there will ever be another player quite like him...and, I guess in the whole scheme of things, that's the way it should be.