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Sampras Out of Carson Project

[May 28, 2003 Bill Dwyre, Times Staff Writer] Pete Sampras, probably retired but uncertain about his next step, said Wednesday that he has pulled back from immediate involvement in the new tennis center at the Home Depot sports complex in Carson. “Yes, it is true, I’m not doing it,” Sampras said, referring to his long-projected role as namesake and frequent participant in what many in tennis and many involved with the Carson project had assumed would become the Pete Sampras Tennis Academy. Sampras, last year’s U.S. Open champion, who said recently that he would not play at Wimbledon next month, backed off last week, under consultation with his management agency, IMG, when it became time to formalize several years of discussions and plans with a contract. Anschutz Entertainment Group, the developer of the … Read entire article »

Filed under: Archives 2003 to 2011

Sampras Says Thrill Is Long Gone on the Court

[May 28, 2003 CHRISTOPHER CLAREY] Pete Sampras might not be ready to retire from professional tennis, but he is ready to retire from the French Open. “It’s clear Tweet … Read entire article »

Filed under: Archives 2003 to 2011

We took Sampras for granted

[May 23, 2003 Ray McNulty] It all went by too quickly, which is often the case when true greatness passes through. Has it really been 13 summers since a scrawny, wide-eyed 19-year-old named Pete Sampras walked into the jazzy confines of Louis Armstrong Stadium and walked out as the youngest U.S. Open champion in tennis history? Wasn’t it just yesterday that Sampras was bouncing Boris Becker at Wimbledon, out-slugging Todd Martin in Australia and running Michael Chang all over Flushing Meadows? How can the greatest tennis player of his generation — the man who won an unprecedented 14 Grand Slam singles titles and held the No. 1 ranking for an unmatched 286 weeks — be done already? It feels strange, knowing we’ll never again see that overpowering serve, or those … Read entire article »

Filed under: Archives 2003 to 2011

Sampras Withdraws Participation In Home Depot Center

[Tennis Week 05/23/2003] In a shocking surprise, Pete Sampras has withdrawn his endorsement and participation in the $130 million Home Depot Center currently under construction on the campus of California State University in Carson, California. To date, no reasons have been given for Sampras’ withdrawal. Owned by AEG, the Home Depot Center is an 85-acre sports campus complex that had planned to host the Pete Sampras Tennis Academy, which was supposed to provide training programs and instruction for players of all skill levels as well as serve as a full-time training center for touring pros and players preparing to play on the pro tour. What will happen to the roles carved out at AEG for former adidas executive Ryan McCauley and Sampras’ coach, Paul Annacone, is unclear. Scheduled to open this summer, the … Read entire article »

Filed under: Archives 2003 to 2011

For Pete’s Sake, What Is Going On?

[May 20, 2003 BUD COLLINS] No re-Pete? The suspense and suspicions of eight months without Pete Sampras showing his face or feet on a tennis court seem to make it apparent that one of the most brilliant racket-flapping careers has come to a close. Or has it? After playing hide-and-seek — rather than tennis — with himself, curious reporters, and his large constituency of fans, the lately mysterious Sampras was overtaken by journalists in his lair, Los Angeles, at a Lakers game the other night. “What’s up, Pete?” was the obvious question. Like the spin doctor he has become — topspin, slice, take your pick — Pete confessed that he would not be at three forthcoming tournaments he had entered: the French Open, Queen’s Club in London, and his Eden, Wimbledon. However, as to the future: … Read entire article »

Filed under: Archives 2003 to 2011

Sampras a humble champion

[May 20, 2003, DAVE HYDE] The trick to writing any athlete’s retirement story is in recalling some telling scene or witnessed emotion that sums up the departing name. When the subject was John McEnroe, for instance, there was the story of him approaching the old Lipton Championships bleachers to demand a fan stop smoking. “You’ll feel better,” McEnroe shouted at him, “and so will I.” That was McEnroe in an anecdote. Martina Navratilova, witty and willful, could be remembered by a serve-and-return with a male tabloid reporter at a Wimbledon news conference. “Are you still a lesbian?” the man asked. “Are you still the alternative?” Navratilova shot right back. Personality, you see, remains the fertilizer for remembering sports legends, and the louder it was the easier they’re recalled, especially in an individual sport like tennis. … Read entire article »

Filed under: Archives 2003 to 2011