July 2004
Pete Sampras: Made Man (extended version)
By Peter Bodo
Photographs by Art Streiber
Shortly after winning the 2002 U.S. Open, Pete Sampras happily dropped
off the game's radar screen. No, he's not making a comeback.
But he's ready to talk about those last agonizing and, ultimately,
triumphant moments of his career,
as well as life beyond the sport he dominated.
When Pete Sampras opened the heavy wooden door of his home in Los Angeles' Benedict Canyon, I was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't, as I'd heard, put on 20 pounds. Nor did he look like a man who'd been sleeping 14 hours a day or neglecting basic grooming habits like trimming the toenails poking out of his shower slippers.
If anything, Sampras, 32, looked a lot like the lanky, happy-go-lucky 19-year-old who rocked tennis in 1990 when he won the U.S. Open with a game that appeared to be crafted in Grand Slam heaven. Same conspiratorial grin. Same slouching presence. Same jock uniform: baggy black shorts and loose white T-shirt. Different life.
Sampras' ranch-style home, once an elegant repository of heavy, masculine furniture and replicas of his most prized trophies, reflects the changes in his life. Sampras and his wife, actress Bridgette Wilson, have a 20-month-old son, Christian, and were living out of boxes while waiting for the renovations to be completed on a new home nearby.
Plopping down into a plush white sofa, Sampras looked utterly comfortable, and fully realized. The great battle was over. He has become what he spent most of his early life wanting to be -- a champion for the ages. He holds a record 14 Grand Slam singles titles, and he finished No. 1 in the ATP rankings for an unprecedented six straight years, from 1993 to 1998.
Sampras hasn't talked very much since that New York evening in September of 2002, when he held aloft a newly earned Grand Slam trophy for the last time. This day, though, he opened up with his familiar combination of modesty, caution, and pride.
This is a man who, accomplishments notwithstanding, has a marked aversion to taking stands, to giving what he repeatedly calls "unsolicited advice," to making pronouncements, even to using the word "I" -- he prefers the second person, even when talking about his own opinions and feelings. If there's one true thing about Sampras, it's the essence of his own charmingly modest assertion: "I'm just an athlete. I never wanted to walk around like I was more important than anyone else."
Are you going to line up your Wimbledon trophies on top of the TV and watch the tournament?
As you can see, I don't have them out. I've never been a big watcher. The only tennis I've seen for the past year was [Roger] Federer playing [Marat] Safin in the final in Australia, just to see what Federer was playing like, and I was pretty impressed. But to watch a three-of-five match takes a long time. I follow some results, see who's doing what. But it's interesting, when you've been in a sport for so many years you look forward to getting as far from the game as possible, and that's kind of what I've done since the Open in 2002.
Wimbledon starts very early here. I'm not going to be like a 12-year-old, setting my alarm clock so I can watch it at 6:00 in the morning. Slowly, that's dissipated. If there's ever a day I want to get back to the sport, I'll become more of a fan. Right now, I've shut it down, in a lot of ways.
Why do so many champions -- Steffi Graf comes to mind -- turn away from the game as if they're in denial about having been players?
When it's been your life, you can kind of resent it. The misery, the stress, that life being on top of the game, everything that tennis reminds you of. You enjoyed a lot of it, but a lot of it came with a pretty big sacrifice. That's part of me a little bit, but not a lot. I feel like... I've done my tennis, kind of moved on to other things, like having a family. I look back at it and think of the good times and good memories, and also remind myself of the pressure and stress. In that sense, it's been nice to get away.
Does it feel like a big transition to you?
It's a huge transition, having different focuses. It's always been about me and my tennis and my traveling, and now I'm doing a lot of other things, taking care of my son, trying to be a better husband, doing things I haven't had a chance to do -- travel, play some golf tournaments. It's like going from 100 miles an hour to basically stopping. It was weird for me. I mean, I've enjoyed it. But it's like I'd wake up in the morning and for 30 years I always had something to do, training or practicing. Now it's a different priority. I understand more now why players come out of retirement, for the limelight, because they're bored. But that really hasn't hit me.
I miss hitting tennis balls. I miss playing the majors. That's the rush of our sport and there's a sense that when the Slams come around I'm interested -- it kind of gets my juices going. But it also reminds me, man there's a lot of stress! People ask if you really enjoy it. I don't know if "enjoying" is the right word, you almost more accept it. The stress of Tiger Woods playing the Masters -- is he really enjoying it?
Like when I was playing the Open -- was I enjoying it? I enjoyed winning, and the aftermath of putting in the work and getting the result. But you just kind of accept it, especially when you raise the bar so high.
What have you learned about yourself since retiring?
I've learned that I didn't play for the limelight. I played to win, played because I enjoyed playing. I don't miss that part, the stage. I don't know what else have I learned about myself? I like a pretty simple life. I like just being home, just being with my family. I love just having some friends, playing some golf, doing normal things. I've always enjoyed that, but the fact that I'm not playing anymore just gives me more time to do that.
I've been so goal-oriented all my life, there are days when I feel like I want to do a little more than play golf. But I haven't figured that out yet. It might happen in five years or 10 years, or it may never happen. But I realize that there's something more I want to do, but in what fashion I don't know yet.
It's a tough transition, going from being so focused to the opposite. And it wasn't a gradual thing, like if you've worked for 30 years, and you're 60 years old and planning on retiring and traveling. This is like, OK, your life stopped. You're a tennis pro, you stopped, what are you going to do to fill your day? It's a shock, but then you get in a rhythm, focus on other things. So it's been fine.
Is there an urge there, to be commissioner of tennis, or something like that?
I was never one to walk around like I was more important than anyone else. I was a really good tennis player; I don't care to be in politics of any sort. I'm an athlete. I still get to go to good restaurants and I play great golf courses and at some level that's all I really want. I never really expected tennis to open doors to anything else.
Having had an entourage, is it tough having to do most practical things for yourself?
You kind of have to have a team around you when you're playing: the stringer, the trainer, the coach. You pay them to cater to you. Not to kiss your ass, but just to take care of stuff so you focus 100 percent on tennis. Obviously, I don't need that now. My wife takes care of me, that's all I really need. I have a really simple life and I enjoy my retirement so far.
You said before that you wanted to be a better husband. Was your career putting a strain on your marriage?
A tennis player is the type of athlete where it really is all about you, your schedule, when to practice, when to leave, when to play the next tournament. You have to be with someone who's selfless. Fortunately, my wife was willing to put her career on hold, travel with me, be all about me. That's priceless. It would have been tough if we had two separate lives, she doing her thing, me doing mine -- that's when you get in trouble.
She understood what I was trying to do, what we were trying to do. I wanted to win another major. And she was willing to give up her life a little bit to support me through a tough time. And now that it's done, I can get up at 6 in the morning and take care of my son. It's not about me, it's about us. I can be more giving, I have the energy to be more giving than when I was playing.
Do you ever feel guilty or look back thinking, I was selfish?
When you're in it, you're just so into your matches and winning that you focus on that. But when I look back on it, yeah, it was about me. That's pretty much the way I was as an athlete. I knew I had to do A, B, and C, and I just did them. I didn't want to compromise that. We both look back now and feel it was worth it, we got through a tough time when my tennis was still important to me and I was struggling a bit. That's why it was such a great ending.
Can you talk about that ending a little bit, it was kind of surprising. Were you able to appreciate what you did right away?
I think it was the happiest I've ever been. Hell yeah. I enjoyed other majors and there were great moments but this meant more because of where I came from. After Wimbledon of that year, I was as low as I've ever been [Sampras had lost in the second round]. I had no continuity with my coaching, people were blaming my marriage, even my wife.
It was a burden on our marriage. I got back from Wimbledon and was talking to Bridgette, and said, "Maybe it's just time to stop." I wasn't having fun, I'm dealing with all this negative energy around me. And Bridgette just said, "You know, I'm not going to say anything, just promise me one thing: When you stop, it'll be on your terms. Don't stop based on what the media or people in tennis think, do it on your own terms."
I needed to hear that. I got back together with Paul, and he reminded me who I am and helped me with confidence. You know, you get a little older, struggle with your confidence a bit, get a little less secure. You start believing some of the things you're reading. I felt like I had some more left in me. I wanted most importantly to prove one more thing to myself. I'd done a lot, the way I've always been, I've set goals in my head. I said, I want to win one more, and I won't stop until I do.
I surprised a lot of people. I felt vindication. It seemed that every interview or press conference was about stopping. I feel like all the time I've been around the game, people still didn't get to know me. I remember at the Hamlet [before the 2002 U.S. Open], I was struggling. I said, "I'm going to win the Open." And I could see that the reporters were just smirking. I felt I shut that all up in two weeks. And I really felt that final versus Andre was the best I ever played. The first two sets, if you compare it to the '95 final we played, I was a 10 times better player.
Do you miss the applause?
You miss the hype, you miss walking out and seeing 20,000 people, ready to see this clash. You make a great shot, you get an ovation, that's great. But even more, I miss [moments like when] it's 1:30 before the 2 o'clock final at Wimbledon, and you kind of miss that nervous, you-want-to-throw-up feeling.
I miss being at Wimbledon and playing in the final. I miss that more than I miss the others because it suited who I am. I'm a full-blown American and I love the Open. But Wimbledon always has had a special place in my heart. It makes me emotional, to think what I've done there. I feel that's our Super Bowl. The whole world's watching. I miss that.
Wimbledon is the most unique event in the world. Actually, I got to more finals at the Open, even though I haven't won as many. I always enjoyed the Open but always felt a little stressed out by the city. I didn't get the same sense of history you get at Wimbledon. I walked out at Wimbledon knowing it hasn't changed much since [Rod] Laver was here or Pancho Gonzalez or Fred Perry. It reminded me of the legends.
I was asked to go this year. They wanted me to come back on the middle Saturday and sit in the Royal Box. I declined. It's too soon to go back there. I just want to take a step away. Maybe when my boy's a little older, 5 or 7 or 10. If I were sitting there now I'd probably want to pull on some tennis shoes and jump down on the court, thinking I can still beat some of those guys: "Hey, I still got it! I still got the arm!"
Were you a competition junkie, and do you miss it?
I'm pretty competitive only on a tennis court. I don't need to win every golf bet. That's not in my nature. I've always left it on the court. And in a lot of ways, only a few players made me feel competitive, as opposed to just wanting to win.
I mean, [Jim] Courier, Andre, Boris [Becker], I knew them, we had rivalries, it made me even more competitive than if I was playing some journeyman. You know how Michael Jordan talks about how he's got to win at everything? I'm nowhere near that.
You're a poker player?
[Laughs] Yeah, you know, [former pro] Alex O'Brien lives over here. Every now and then we get together and have a little poker game. We have like five, six guys, and we play three-on-three basketball once a week. So I'm trying to stay in shape a little bit. But basically, I haven't done a thing fitness-wise, and I enjoy not doing it. Eventually, I'll have to get into a gym, but I really don't want to. I don't want a reminder of what I did for 25 years.
A lot of guys bust loose, live the high life after they retire. Do you?
I've probably had more drinks in the last year than my whole career because... because I can. But it's never out of control, nothing too crazy. I still enjoy that low-key life, home with my wife and kid. But also, I worked hard for lots of years to do some things, so we do them. We've gone to Mexico a few times, the Bahamas. Just to have some fun, lay on the beach, hang out, play a little golf.
Do you get recognized or hassled?
We stay in areas that are pretty private, where we get left alone. But I'm still recognized. When you're in your sport, you're not out in the public a lot. It's hotel, arena, airport. Now that I'm out there more, I get an appreciation that people saw what I did. People recognize you, you know you made it onto their radar screen.
I play golf four or five times a week, it's been kind of a passion. I've made friends -- you've got to, so you put yourself out more. I met Mark McGwire, not to drop names, but I met a bunch of athletes up at Lake Tahoe. McGwire's kind of in the same boat, he just retired. He's come out here to play golf.
My family is here in L.A., too. Long-time friends as well. I never really had any friends on the tour -- just a couple, maybe. Now that I'm in L.A., I see more people, make more of an effort. Also, we bought a home in Palm Springs. We met people there.
The mentality is so different from when I was playing, it was almost like you didn't have time for people. I was so focused on what I was doing. I'd come to L.A. or Florida [Sampras lived near Tampa early in his career] for three or four days, go off again for three or four weeks. I couldn't have someone come visit me on the road, hang out, and go out to dinner. I wanted to go with my coach to the same restaurant -- that was my formula for success. And that was a sacrifice. It wasn't a normal life. It was pretty single-minded. And that's what you have to be, I believe, to be great.
What do you see when you look in Christian's eyes?
I see he's looking at me like he needs me, needs me for comfort, for when he's hungry, when he needs to be changed. He looks up like he needs you. I see innocence.
How do you want your child to grow up?
I've talked about that with Bridgette. We're in this area of Beverly Hills, which means private school. It's like 20 grand to get into a private school and there's a year's wait. I didn't grow up that way; I went to public school. I didn't have a cellphone until I was 28. Christian will grow up very comfortable, but I also want to instill some humility. That's my worry, being in this area of L.A. I mean, there are very good people here, but it's just a concern. I want him to grow up the way I grew up, not getting too consumed with money, because he's going to have that.
This private school here, it's at the top of a building. It's nice, but I want my kid when he has recess to be able to run around in the grass. It's a different mentality from how we grew up. My wife is from Gold Beach [Ore.], a town of 2,000 with one high school. We want to be hands-on parents. You see that a lot around here, kids get shipped out to a nanny or school for eight hours a day. I love seeing my kid grow up, want to be part of that.
What are your concerns about the future and the kind of world Christian grows up in?
Well, I hope this is a much safer place. How we're getting there, it isn't for me to say. It's an interesting time, with the emotion of 9/11 and all that. You want to set the record straight and hope you have the right leadership doing that. How we're doing that now, I'm not sure it's working. I feel we're on our way, but it's a tricky time.
This stuff is always tricky. I always thought those were the two things you don't talk about, religion and politics. It's not my place to make political stands or religious stands. I do think about it. My parents raised me in a pretty conservative way. That's kind of my direction.
Do you vote?
I don't vote. I haven't voted. I don't think I'm even registered to vote. I just haven't really made it a priority.
Do you talk to Andre?
I talked to him a few times last year after Wimbledon. There was the possibility that we would play [Jimmy] Connors and Mac [McEnroe] in Vegas. He called to ask if I was training -- he didn't want to lose to those guys!
We haven't spoken since then, but it's pretty remarkable what he's been doing. He has so much on his side, so much experience, and that's priceless. After 15 years, he knows what to do out there. He's still in good shape, and he has his life in an area where he can have that single-minded focus. I think Steffi [Graf, Andre's wife] has had a pretty good influence that way. He probably sees how she did it, how focused she was, and maybe that rubbed off on him. He's not so much about the other things, the way he was earlier in his career. We need him to kind of last awhile.
By the same token, it's tougher. He has a couple of kids now, and as you get older you have to work harder just to stay at the same level as a 21-year old. I still think he can win another major. I think there's still some destiny left. It does get tougher. Things have to fall into place a little more, but it can happen.
I hold him in great regard. He was my rival over the years, and he brought out the best in me.
Federer's young, but he's being touted by some as the next Pete Sampras. Is the comparison valid?
I was impressed by Federer in Australia. It's nice to see somebody with a complete game, but he stayed back more than I thought. Did you see that? It was interesting. I was like, Wow, he doesn't serve and volley. I think he has everything. He's clearly the best player in the world, I think. It becomes a question of how much he's willing to sacrifice to win those majors. You know, you get to a point where it's about different levels -- winning majors, defending majors, then being really great, it being your life. That's kind of what happened to me.
He's got all the tools, no question he's got a great game. It's nice to watch him, he's a smooth player, pleasant to watch, easy on the eyes.
It seems like he wants it, kind of like I did. One of the misconceptions was that I wasn't competitive, I wasn't "mean." But I just showed it in a different way, and I think he has some of that in him, too. Roger's got that mentality, that even keel. He doesn't get too high or too low. That helps when you want to be the best player in the world, no doubt.
Have you ever talked tennis with him?
No, I didn't really know him that well, and I haven't talked with anyone about him. It's interesting, I was talking to McGwire. I asked him, "Anyone you talk to in baseball anymore?" And he goes, "Nope." He asked me the same question about tennis. The only guy I've seen is [Tim] Henman, who was over in Palm Springs during Indian Wells for a few days. It's funny, you do tend to move on -- oh, James Blake is someone I stay in touch with, he sent me a nice email after Wimbledon and we've kind of stayed in touch.
Is getting through the day -- or night -- easier now?
Absolutely. I sleep like a rock compared to when I was on the road, having to take a sleeping pill to fall asleep because I was jet-lagged. I'm more relaxed, I'm not worried about things or looking over my shoulder, afraid somebody is going to knock me off, or dealing with injuries.
My career all changed in one match, that Open-final loss [to Edberg in 1992]. It changed my attitude toward wanting to be No. 1, to breaking the Grand Slam record.
I just turned a corner and held myself to things I wanted to do. No matter what it took, I would do it -- deal with an ulcer, play through everything. I did everything I wanted except win the French. The 2002 Open was the last thing I really wanted to do -- and when I did it, that's when I knew for sure I was gone.
What things do you miss the least about your playing days?
The international travel, going from L.A. or Florida to Europe and having to play in three or four days. That first morning, you're in an absolute coma.
I don't miss the focus, the stress, I don't miss waking up in the morning and feeling the soreness and pain and stiffness, and playing through it. I'm on a roll here, want me to go on? I don't miss the pressure, the pressure I put on myself.
Would it make you proud if Christian took to tennis?
If he's into it, I'm all for it, but if he's not, I'm all for that. It would be difficult for him to play tennis, not be as good, have the comparisons. People always reminding him who I was. But if he's into it, I'm more than willing to help him. Maybe it's an area he wants to stay away from, or maybe it's something that he'll be interested in and want to hit some balls with me, which I look forward to doing.
He does walk around a lot with a golf club in his hand. Maybe that will be his sport. But it'll be up to him. What I would like is for him to have a focus. Growing up in Palos Verdes, tennis and sports was a great way to stay out of trouble, stay out of drugs and parties and getting into the wrong crowd. If it's sports or acting or whatever it is he wants to do, I don't want him to lose track and be in the wrong crowd. That's something about this area too, go down Sunset Boulevard, 10 minutes away, and I mean there you go...
Do you have any sense that Christian has athletic genes, and would it make you happy if he did?
He kicks righty, but I don't know yet. I want him to be an athlete, no question. That's the other thing, you look to see how coordinated he is. My dad said he knew I was going to be an athlete at age 1 or 2. He saw I could kick or throw a ball straight. So I looked for that in Christian too. Yeah, just like Dad. You know, you're just protective. You want the best for your child and you don't understand that feeling until you have a child. I appreciate my parents more, what they went through -- the bad decisions, what a jerk I was. I look back, what a jerk I could be, what that must have done to them!
You're going to be able to do activities with Christian soon, is that exciting for you?
That's just the main thing. You look forward to going out, throwing a ball around, golf, fishing.
The rhythm of your life is different now, as you've said. Do you do things like go down to the Starbucks, read the paper?
You know, Bridgette and I kind of trade off who gets up early. I enjoy when Christian gets up that early, like 6:30 or 7:00, and I'm feeding him, there's no phones ringing or anything, that's our time together. That's the kind of ritual I enjoy.
And I play a ton of golf. I've gotten a little better , it's a challenge. I'm down to about a 6 [handicap] now. When you have time you try different clubs or balls, you have fun with it, you spend a little money on all that stuff. It's really a way to be somewhat competitive, play for a little money, get out there for three or four hours with your friends.
Do you play with that other golf nut, Ivan Lendl?
I've seen him at this Tahoe event. We were never really friends, although I practiced with him for a week. After I won the [2002] Open, he left me a message. He couldn't be nicer. I've always had tremendous respect for him.
He treats his golf like he did his tennis. He's out at six in the morning. You look at someone's game, it's a representation of their personality, even their tennis game. My golf game's a little wild, I hit it far but I miss. That was my tennis game. I always took my chances. You play with Courier, he's straight and he's solid, he doesn't do anything spectacular but he doesn't make any big mistakes. He's a really good golfer. Todd Martin's the same way.
Ten years, 15 years down the road, will you be disappointed if you don't find something else that really fires you up?
You touch on something interesting, if there is something in the next five or 10 years that will really move me, if it's a charity or something else, I don't know. But I feel like there could be, if there was something I was truly passionate about, having a good name, I could do something. I don't know what that is right now, maybe there won't be a need to.
I saw Connors at a Laker game. We talked for a few minutes. I said, "Watcha doing?" He said, "Not much." Driving home, I was thinking, here's someone, he's 50. Great tennis player, played until he was 38. Did a few things. And he's still retired. Still going out and playing golf. That kind of told me, I could not get involved in too many of the political things and still be OK.
I feel like I've got a lot to offer, but I'm not one of these guys that's going to walk in and give unsolicited advice, like, "Mark Miles, this is the way you should do this." "Or, USTA, this is the way you should do the Open." That's just not my personality. I'm more, you need to ask me to do something. But maybe in five, 10 years I'll run for Congress [laughs]. But I doubt it.
People wonder, what's Pete Sampras doing with himself? Is it a long day for you?
Not really. I'm like, hey, this is work. You're with your son half a day, feeding him. I mean, men are different that way. I'm with him half an hour, I feed him, I feel like I've accomplished something. Then I'll go play golf, between, say, 10 and 2. Come back, have some food, maybe go to a Laker game, play poker, go see a movie. There's enough things that I don't sit home at 2:00 in the afternoon watching TV.
The merry-go-round of a career: Now that you're off it, what was the most interesting part?
When I was growing up and won the U.S. Open [in 1990], I wasn't sure what I wanted. I wasn't that great a competitor, not very strong mentally, always a little question about my heart. That's the way I was up until that loss in the 1992 Open final. If that loss never happened, I wouldn't have achieved what I achieved. That was my career-defining moment.
It changed my whole outlook on my tennis. I kind of find that transformation interesting, from not wanting it, from not wanting the pressure, to saying, "OK, I'm willing to do it, to welcome the pressure, the burdens." I always found that time an interesting part of my career. It made me a better competitor, it made me hate to lose.
Before, I was happy at No. 6, getting to semis and finals of majors. But I always kind of packed it in a little -- no, that's too strong, I just didn't dig deep enough. Thankfully, I lost that match. It was clear what I wanted. I lost the third set and then... I just didn't fight hard. That was a reflection of my career up to that point. That summer I had won three tournaments, which was fine. But I found out that nobody cares who comes in second. It's a hard truth. That loss made me become a winner. It made me believe.
Do you see your family much?
My sister Stella's great, she's married. My brother [Gus] has two little girls. My other sister is married with a little boy. Everyone is around here, in Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach, here. We're all very close. We get together once every couple of weeks. Everyone's got their own families, but we make it a point to try to get together.
Where do you feel the game of tennis is right now?
I think the game is fine, you'll always have your tennis fans. But to reach basketball fans, baseball fans, the mainstream -- we have Andre, but when he's retired... We have Andy Roddick. But I think we just need more of them. More Americans. It's hard to say if there will be another generation like mine. Roddick is like the only guy now, in the U.S.
You need a rivalry. They want a rival for Tiger Woods. Andre and I had it, but the thing in tennis is that the players are bigger than the sport. People tune in to the majors, but tennis is at a disadvantage to golf, because you're going to have Tiger Woods, all four days. In tennis, I might lose early, Andre might lose early, and you might have two no-names in the final of a big tournament like a Miami or Indian Wells. Not having the continuity and the rivalries, it hurts it. There are too many good players. Instead of making note of that, people want Andre and Andy to play every final.
Federer, he's a Swiss guy, he's going to be big in Europe. But I don't know if he'll grab the hearts of people here. And he's going to be around for years. The game is still fine, all the majors are packed. People are still coming out to watch. I just think, coming across on TV, in the ratings, that's where a lot of the money is, you still need to have the right final, and the right people in the final of Wimbledon. In this country, you can't have a [Lleyton] Hewitt and a [David] Nalbandian in the final of Wimbledon. That just hurts the game.
During the tennis boom, McEnroe, Connors, Borg, they played each other in the biggest matches in the world and they hated each other. People hang on to that. McEnroe and Connors were expressive guys that people at the time didn't like, but they kind of want that a little bit now.
But I think the game today is stronger than it's ever been, the players are better than they were in the '80s. But it's hard trying to capture someone who's watching a basketball game and keeping him with tennis.
I felt that when I was playing. When I was playing Andre, there were always a few more people in the media room, people you wouldn't often see, even non-tennis people. That's what has to happen. I don't see it happening.
Can, say, Federer and Roddick become this generation's Sampras and Agassi?
I just don't think it's about two guys any more. It's about eight guys. I mean, you've got Ferrero, Nalbandian... there's just too many good players. It's harder to be dominant. It was also pretty hard to be dominant when I was playing.
Do you think your records are safe?
These records could be broken but it will be very hard. It's a lot of work in today's day and age. Not to blow my own horn, but the six years finishing number one is to me one of the best efforts in sports. You know, winning a major is great. You can have two great weeks winning a major and that's what we all play for, but I think to stay on top year-in, year-out, the pressure put on your shoulders, playing through some injuries. It kind of has to be your life. Connors had that, Lendl had that, where they had that edge to them. I had that.
Federer could do it, he has the right mentality. I'm not sure if he wants to do it. Does that make sense? Because it's like -- to do this, you need to do A, B, C, D, and E. And a lot of guys will say, "Whoa, I'm not doing any of those, or I'm doing two of them."
I actually thought Hewitt, a couple of years ago, when he was dominating, he wanted it. He had the mentality to stay No. 1. We've seen now that with his game, he can be overpowered. The fact is, I thought he was a little better than [Michael] Chang, and Chang got overpowered later on. Hewitt's still going to be around, he'll still win majors. But I thought he had the right disposition to stay on top for years. Federer, he's pretty mellow. I feel like he plays a high level the easiest.
Does that make sense?
Whereas for someone like Roddick, it's work. You can tell, watching. Roddick is grinding, Federer, he's gliding. That helps him. That helped me. I could play at that high level the easiest.
Do you think Roddick has the shoulders to carry the game?
I don't think it's fair to put that on him. I don't think any one person can carry the game. You need a lot of personalities and different games, but I think he's the best American we have. I don't see him wanting to have that pressure on him. He just wants to win matches, the rest will take care of itself.
I think he could win multiple Slams. I don't know about staying No. 1 for years -- like I said, I think it's harder to stay dominant. But I think he could win multiple majors... four, five, six. I think he has a great future.
THE HIT LIST
Nearly two years after leaving the game, Pete talks about some of the things he'll never forget
5 Most Memorable Matches
Early 1980s, a first-round junior match in San Diego. "I drove down with my dad. I lost 6-0, 6-0 and cried the whole ride home."
1992 U.S. Open final; Stefan Edberg d. Sampras. "The match that turned my career around."
1995 U.S. Open final; Sampras d. Andre Agassi. "We went in different directions after this one."
2000 Wimbledon final; Sampras d. Pat Rafter. "The record, sure, but it was also the first time my parents watched me live at Wimbledon. That meant a lot."
2002 U.S. Open final; Sampras d. Agassi. "My happiest moment."
5 Most Frustrating Opponents
Andre Agassi. "Obvious, but it's a fact. He scared me."
Boris Becker. "Always a tough customer, especially indoors."
Wayne Ferreira. "A great shot-maker who always played me tough."
Guy Forget. "He made my Davis Cup debut [in 1991] miserable."
Goran Ivanisevic. "His crazy and unpredictable game put me on my heels at Wimbledon."
5 Greats I Wish I Had Played
Bjorn Borg. "The Wimbledon icon before me."
Jimmy Connors in his prime. "He had the intensity to make it personal."
Pancho Gonzalez. "Was he really the best server ever?"
Lew Hoad. "An earlier version of Becker."
Rod Laver. "My role model."
5 Favorite Players to Watch
Bjorn Borg. "He was a great athlete."
Roger Federer. "For his smoothness."
Rod Laver. "Had the complete package."
John McEnroe. "A unique game."
Ken Rosewall. "I loved the backhand."
5 Memorable People
Paul Annacone. "He made me the best I could be."
Dick Enberg, TV commentator. "He knew what I was about."
Rod Laver. "A class act."
Ivan Lendl. "When I was 16, I spent a memorable week practicing at his home."
Tim Gullikson. "All I have are memories. He brought me to the brink of greatness."