Posted on: May 15th, 2003
Sampras out of Wimbledon, French Open
- petepageMay 15, 2003, LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Pete Sampras pulled out of Wimbledon and the French Open and probably won't return to competitive tennis, the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site Thursday.
Sampras has not played a match since a surprising run to the U.S. Open title in September for his record 14th career Grand Slam singles championship.
He has withdrawn from a succession of tournaments this season, leading many to believe he wouldn't return to the sport.
``I'm not 100 percent going to close the door,'' Sampras, 31, told the newspaper, ``but I know what it takes to be competitive -- the training and preparation and the seven-day-a-week dedication -- and I'm just not there right now.''
His brother, Gus, told The Associated Press on Thursday he didn't know about Sampras' plans. ``He hadn't told me anything final,'' Gus Sampras said by telephone.
Sampras' agent, Bob Kain, did not return a telephone message, and the ATP Tour couldn't confirm the Grand Slam tournament withdrawals.
If he is indeed walking away, Sampras leaves with an impeccable resume, including a record 286 weeks at No. 1, 64 titles and a career match mark of 762-222 (a .774 winning percentage).
His victory at the U.S. Open would be a perfect way to cap his career, particularly because it came after a long dry patch. He entered that tournament with a 20-16 season record, zero titles since July 2000, and was even written off by Greg Rusedski as ``a step and a half slow.''
After beating rival Andre Agassi in four sets in the final at Flushing Meadows, Sampras stopped short of saying he would quit. But, the Open's oldest champion since 1970 did sound like someone thinking about retiring on a high.
``To beat a rival like Andre, in a storybook ending, it might be nice to stop,'' Sampras said that day. ``But ... .''
His wife gave birth to their first child in November, and the next month, Sampras said he wouldn't play in the Australian Open.
Sampras' struggles last year included a first-round loss at the French Open -- the only major played on clay, and the only one he hasn't won -- and a second-round exit at Wimbledon.
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