Posted on: July 06th, 2007
Sampras will serve, volley in Dallas
- petepageFriday, July 6, 2007
When Pete Sampras wasn't taking his 4-year-old son, Christian, and 2-year-old son, Ryan, out to the putting green or swimming pool in the back yard of his Los Angeles home this week, he was sneaking peeks at Wimbledon on his big-screen, high-definition television.
It became a little too clear to the all-time record holder for Grand Slam titles (14) that an important part of the game on grass - the serve and volley - was dying. He wondered what damage his unreadable serve and will-stealing volleys could do at age 35 on Centre Court, where he was dubbed king and won a record-tying seven singles titles.
"It makes me sad to see not one guy serve and volley," Sampras said. "I'm curious to see what I could do at Wimbledon with my game. I know I can still serve the way I used to."
Sampras, however, cut down the notion of a grass-court return in 2008 with the conviction of those jump overheads he hammered during a career that included 64 singles titles and nearly $44 million in prize money.
"It's just a curiosity," he said. "I'm not coming back."
Sampras will leave his perfect exit from competitive tennis - a 2002 U.S. Open final victory over Andre Agassi - intact. But he will be in the Dallas area on Sept. 22 for the FedEx Tennis Shootout presented by Lexus. Sampras will take on Robby Ginepri at the Deja Blue Arena at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco. Tickets go on sale today.
"The last time I played in Dallas, against Andy Roddick, we had a sold-out event with great tennis fans," Sampras said. "Dallas is one of America's great tennis cities."
Sampras barely touched a racket the first three years of his retirement, but he's having fun playing again. Sampras even had Roger Federer come to his house for two days in March before Federer played at Indian Wells. There were intense practice sessions and relaxed conversations on the patio.
"Roger's a great guy, really funny," said Sampras, who will play Federer in three exhibition matches in Asia in November. "I feel like he and I are cut from the same cloth. Both pretty humble and let our rackets do most of the talking. If there's a person I'd like to see break my record, it's Roger. He handles himself and the game with class."
After their time together, Federer lost in the first round at Indian Wells. Sampras sent him a text message saying he hoped it wasn't Sampras' fault.
Federer, who has 10 Grand Slam titles, is closing in on his record-tying fifth straight Wimbledon championship at the rain-ravaged All England Club. Sampras believes Federer, at the age of 25, could win as many majors as Jack Nicklaus won in golf - 18.
"The window is shorter for a tennis player than a golfer," said Sampras, a 4 handicap on the links. "But Roger is still head and shoulders above everyone else."
Sampras believes he's, without a doubt, still one of the five best players in the world on grass. But when Sampras is inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 12 in Newport, R.I., he will be at peace with his career.
It took him a while to get there. He said his lowest moment came at Wimbledon in 2002, when he lost on Court 2 in the second round to 145th-ranked George Bastl, a clay-court specialist from Switzerland.
Sampras was mocked by the press for reading notes of encouragement during that match from his wife, actress Bridgette Wilson-Sampras. It had been two years since he broke Roy Emerson's record of 12 Grand Slam titles.
"I was lost," Sampras said.
After reconnecting with former coach Paul Annacone, Sampras gave the sports world one last magic act two months later at the U.S. Open. He joined Michael Jordan and John Elway as Hall of Fame athletes who ended their playing careers with a championship trophy in their hands, taking down his friend and rival Agassi in a memorable, four-set final.
Because of rain, Sampras, then 31, had to win five matches in seven days, including a quarterfinal victory over Roddick.
"That was so special to go out that way," Sampras said. "Especially looking at where I came from. I was basically on death watch."
Sampras went through an eight-month funk while contemplating whether to play Wimbledon one last time. He said he struggled to bond with Christian, who was born two months after Sampras' U.S. Open victory, because he was having trouble letting tennis go.
In the weeks leading up to Wimbledon in 2003, Sampras went out to practice one day and realized, "I didn't have anything left to prove." He officially announced his retirement at the U.S. Open in 2003 and put the rackets down for the next three years, becoming a full-time dad.
"My dad worked two jobs, so he didn't get to spend the time he wanted to with his kids," Sampras said. "I'm lucky that I get to spend so much time with my boys. I take Christian to lunch every Thursday before I have the guys over for poker night."
Sampras is a regular in World Team Tennis and plays a few events on the Outback Champions Tour, featuring tennis legends over 30. Now, however, he's thinking about coaching. He doesn't see himself going on the road with established pros, but rather getting involved in the United States Tennis Association's junior development program.
"I would like to help the USTA," Sampras said. "To what level, I'm not sure. But I think you have to teach serve and volley at a young age. And I would like to contribute in that area."
Sampras, like most tennis observers, thinks it may be a while before an American is once again atop the sport.
"I think Andy Roddick and James Blake are really good. I'm not sure they're great," said Sampras, who held the No. 1 ranking a record 286 weeks and was year-end No. 1 for a record six straight years (1993-98). "We need Andy to step up and win another major and challenge Roger for the No. 1 ranking."
For tennis to thrive as a sport, Sampras said the game needs rivalries. He noted tennis' TV ratings have always been highest when there were epic, on-court histories between players like John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors or his own matches with Agassi and Jim Courier
"People who weren't into tennis tuned in for matches between me and Andre," Sampras said. "Right now, we have Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but no Americans. The most compelling story line may be Roger and his challenge to break my records."
Over the next week, Sampras will put together a thoughtful acceptance speech for his Hall of Fame induction. He is a tennis historian who has studied the careers of former greats such as Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Lew Hoad and is excited to take his place with them.
"It's a time of reflection and overwhelming emotion because my wife, boys and family members will all be there," Sampras said. "But I've got to be honest, I felt like the chances were pretty good that I would get in."
Recent Headlines
April 01, 2012
November 20, 2011
October 29, 2011
October 01, 2011
July 13, 2011
- "Li Na and Friends" to square off with Sampras and others at two-day tennis event in Wuhan - petepage
June 18, 2011
May 04, 2011
Back to News