Posted on: February 24th, 2008
It's love for Sampras - Tennis, family and golf
- petepageFebruary 24, 2008
For Pete Sampras, there was something special about his first time as a professional tennis player.
After Sampras retired after winning the 2002 U.S. Open, he and wife actress Bridgette Wilson purchased a home at Bighorn in Palm Desert. Splitting time between Bighorn and Los Angeles, Sampras and Wilson raise their two sons, Christian and Ryan.
But Sampras' biggest impact locally came in 2006. Joining Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Tennis Magazine and the City of Indian Wells, Sampras invested in the Pacific Life Open — saving the event from moving to either the Middle East or Asia.
What is it about the desert that attracted you to buy a home here? Have you been here in July or August?
I have. I like it. No one is around. It's a little uncomfortable for the kids. When it gets to 108 to 115 degrees, it's a little brutal, but I don't mind it playing golf.
And are there other activities you enjoy out here?
Like I said earlier, I like that the kids have activities. I wake up and play some golf, come home and then I take them to the range, or take them to the pool, or we'll do a little fishing at a lake. There's so much more to do here than L.A., because L.A. is L.A.
What's your take on the state of American tennis? The men didn't fare so well in the Grand Slams in 2007, but they did win the Davis Cup.
I think they're doing quite well. The Davis Cup was great to see, how everyone was committed to it for the year and the reception they got in Portland. It was a shot in the arm for U.S. tennis. When it comes to the whole year and the slams, I look at James (Blake) and Andy (Roddick) and they were probably a notch below Roger, (Rafael) Nadal and (Novak) Djokovic. Maybe those guys are half a level or one level better at the moment.
Unfortunately for James and Andy, they compare them with the crew I came up with. What happened in the '90s was unique. You can't expect that every 10 years from any country. They have a lot of obstacles with the legends they're playing against. They're doing well. But the media and fans, they want the Americans to be the top dogs. But we're doing pretty well with the talent that's out there.
What was it about that group that made it special? And how did Michael Chang, Jim Courier and Andre Agassi help your game?
Well, luck was involved with Andre, Jim, myself and Michael. I saw when Jim became No. 1 and that made it a reality for me. When Michael won the French, it made it tangible, and it pushed us, not out of jealousy, but in a competitive way. And when we played each other, they were great battles. Their games pushed me and they definitely brought a lot to the table. It just pushed you to see Jim and how hard he worked and we pushed each other. And it was definitely different when I played Jim and Andre than it was when I played Stefan (Edberg) and Boris (Becker).
You were a serve and volleyer. Can a serve and volleyer like you succeed in the game today?
Sure. Absolutely. I always felt a great serve and volleyer could be a great baseliner. It's sad to see the way tennis has gone. There's a lot of great players, but they all play the same. They're not chipping and charging. It's sad to see there's no serve and volley players.
John McEnroe said somewhere that if you took a wildcard at Wimbledon, you would be a top-five seed. Would that tempt you?
Not at all. All I can say is, having played Roger a little and worked with (Tommy) Haas and Sam Querrey, I can be competitive. Winning is a big question. Having a bigger racket has helped me be competitive, but it's hard to answer the winning part. I will say, playing Roger, it took me a few matches to get it back. I said it was like riding a bike. It just took a little time to blow off the rust to find my rhythm and confidence.
Your sister Stella is the women's tennis coach at UCLA. Has she ever gotten you to help recruit players?
No, not really. I've talked to a few girls, but she has boundaries.
Have you thought about your sons following in your footsteps, or maybe your wife Bridgette Wilson Sampras' footsteps in acting?
If they play tennis, I would help them as much as I could, but I would keep my distance. As a dad, you can only play so many roles. But I could help them, let them know I have a little knowledge. But Christian said he wants to build homes, so I said, 'Whatever you want to do.' I think they'll be curious about tennis because it's what dad played. Bridgette could give them the acting talk.
Another tennis great, Yannick Noah, had a son who became a great athlete in his own right, basketball player Joakim Noah. Any thoughts about one of your kids being a Laker?
That would be nice, basketball, baseball or golf. They're both athletic and they like soccer and golf. I hope they will find something to focus on. I think athletics are good. It kept me out of trouble and it's a great place to focus on having a healthy body.
Would you still go to Lakers games if they would have traded Kobe Bryant?
I've gone to a few games and I've taken Christian. I'm a Lakers fan, and I would like to see them back playing for championships. But trading Kobe would have been a big mistake. He's arguably the greatest player in the world and you're not going to get any value equal to Kobe. It would not be great for the Lakers unless they got three (Kevin) Garnetts.
Have you shown your kids your Simpsons episode?
They're not into The Simpsons yet, but when they do, they will hear my voice. But they're not into The Simpsons yet.
Source: MyDesert.com
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