Posted on: July 08th, 2003
Video link: Pete's interview by NBC's Mary Carillo (updated with pics)
- petepageSummary of the interview
(To view the video, click on the link at the end.)
The interview began with Mary Carillo asking Pete what he is doing in LA in June instead of being in England for Wimbledon.
Pete Sampras: Playing a lot of golf, hanging out with my family, not playing a whole lot of tennis
[Video footage of Pete winning at Wimbledon, then cut to the interviews with sister Stella and coach Paul Annacone.]
Stella Sampras: People would watch him hit. He's probably 6 years old and I was 8, and we'd be hitting and they'd just see something in him that's out of the ordinary. They would say he's gonna be great.
Paul Annacone: Because he does what he does so easily, people don't and never will understand how good he is. He makes it look too easy. He does and that's why that lethargy is floating around the court. People look at that as oring.
Pete Sampras: I just wish people would see me - how hard I train over the years. They might think it came easy and natural but I put on a lot of time, a lot of hard work. I was focused. I win events, come back home, take a few days, get back on the tennis court. And that was kinda my life.
On Wimbledon 2000 and his parents witnessing his victory on Centre Court
PS: It was a great moment and it's one of those moments my parents will have forever. It's just they....
MC: I was asking Stella, "What are the Samprases like?". Humble and private and she used beautiful words to describe what you guyrs are like.
(Pete was touched and could not talk.)
On Tim Gullikson and the Australian Open 1995
PS: I remember mainly the worried feeling that I had when I heard Tim has brain tumor. I never lost it like that on a tennis court. I can go back there and kinda remember the feeling that it physically felt good to kinda let go. People are saying it's nice to see that's Pete human. I didn't know how to take that. I have feelings. I have emotions. I just show them in a different way on a tennis court.
Tom Gullikson: I think Pete learned a lot of lessons from Tim. Tim taught him how to win and he taught him how to be a champion. But I think, he really taught him to be a better person too.
On the subject of his newborn son, Christian, and what he will tell his little boy about who his daddy is.
PS: Well... there's a part of me that would want to play for him, to see me play. Obviously he's still young and he would not remember but I'd love to take him to Wimbledon and take a picture with him on Centre Court (laughs)
Bridgette Sampras: He's involved in a way that's... like people always jokes, 'Do you change diapers?' He changes diapers. He feeds him. In the beginning, he was a little intimidated but he loves being involved and he just ADORES that little boy.
On his marriage and how it affected his game
PS: Everytime I seem to walk into a presscon or interview, it's about retirement and marriage. I was so tired of it. I had enough. I just wanted to win one more major. My wife pretty much put her career on hold to travel with me. Because she wanted - we wanted to be together. It was hard. It was taxing on our marriage. No question. I wasn't doing well. A few people in the press blamed her and that bothered me.
MC: Did it bother her?
PS: I think it did. It's.... For me, you can criticize me, but don't criticize my family.
On winning the 2002 US Open
PS: After I won it and came home, I felt - All these guys, all these interviewers asking me these questions and I like shut them all up... like I had the last laugh. And that really felt good for me.
On "what's missing", why he's not back on tour
PS: Throughout my whole career, I had a goal ahead of me. If it's winning a number of majors, being number 1, there's always something there and what kept me going the last couple of years was the challenge of winning one more. After I did that, a few months after the open, I go "What's next?"
Bridgette Sampras: If he decides not to play again - the US Open was the last match he played, I think it's wonderful. If he's happy and content, then I'm happy and content. There's another side of me obviously that is going to miss watching him play.
On his retirement -
PS: The reason that I haven't 100% retired is because I might play again. I want to see how these next 2-3 months go. Not being in Wimbledon. Not being at the Open. I'll miss it but if I'm not 'there' and end of the year comes around, I'll call it a career. For now I'm just enjoying hanging out with my family, just doing some fun stuff. I like my life.
[Go to Gallery for more pictures]
Source: NBC Sports
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