Posted on: June 10th, 2008
New book allows tennis ace Sampras to open up, speak out
- petepageUSA Today
Throughout his record-setting career, Pete Sampras revealed himself only in fragments as he adhered to a "disciplined quest to accumulate Grand Slam titles," he writes in his new memoir, A Champion's Mind (Crown; June 10, 2008). For instance, he allowed few culinary indulgences except for the occasional burger and fries at his local drive-thru Checkers following big wins.
Six years since he left the game - Sampras beat childhood rival Andre Agassi at the 2002 U.S. Open final to clinch a record 14th Grand Slam singles title in his final match - the 36-year-old Californian has chosen to loosen the cards he held so close to the vest during his 15-year career. "I guess it's my chance to talk," explained Sampras, a 2007 inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Written with the Tennis magazine senior editor and blogger Peter Bodo, the book details Sampras' rise from a skinny, insecure talent into an instant star when he captured the 1990 U.S. Open at 19; his struggles with expectations his victory created; his battles with longtime rivals Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang; and his transformation into a champion many consider the game's greatest.
The book isn't a "tell-all" or an attempt to set the record straight, though the seven-time Wimbledon champion opens up about topics he often shielded in his playing days, such as his tussle with thalassemia, a energy-sapping disease that often affects people of Mediterranean descent. Sampras displays the intense fire than burned in his belly despite his notorious hangdog walk and "boring" label, which made him feel unappreciated at times.
Married to actress Bridgette Wilson and a father of two young boys, Sampras' book marks another small step back into the public eye. Two years ago, he joined World TeamTennis and more recently has appeared in a series of exhibitions against current No. 1 Roger Federer. He has formed a sports-management company venture with his brother, Gus, and is competing on buddy Courier's Outback Champions senior tour.
Q: Why a book, why now?
A: I gave it a lot of thought. Part of me didn't want to do a book, part of me did want to do a book. At the end of the day I decided to do a classy book, to do a book that I can be proud of, that my kids can read, and their kids can read, just sort of a timeless book, and just to have the public really get to know me a little bit better, and it gives me a chance to talk. I kept things pretty close to the vest, as you know, when I played.
Q: What do you want the tennis-interested public to take away from this book?
A: Basically, what I went through in my tennis as a kid, why I was reserved, why I was a little bit on the quiet side, some personal things, some health things I went through over my career. My family life, my marriage with Bridgette and kind of what we went through at the end of my career, how we went, like I said, this Grand Slam winner at 19 to dealing with that, and basically just kind of, you know, opening up about all that.
And I just hope they come away with it to kind of get to know me a little bit better.
So it's just kind of life lessons on sort of the single-minded focus that I had. That's the way you almost have to be to be the best.
Q: If you're the guy whose racket did the talking, why do you need to fill your legacy with a book?
A: I guess it's my chance to talk. It's my opportunity to tell the public what I went through, how I felt, different companies I was in business with, the media, just basically opened up. And when I've told people about the book, they were surprised that I'd do it. But I always was sort of one of these guys that had a lot to say, but I was very careful what I said, and what I opened up when I was playing.
I didn't want to give my hand away, I didn't want to market myself. I didn't want to, I was all about winning. I guess looking back, this is my one chance to truly talk. I don't want to say set the record straight, but in some ways just talk openly and honestly about what I went through.
Q: It's not really a "set the record straight," although you elaborate on things you went through. There's no real dirt. I'm just wondering, is this the way it was, or are there parts you've left under the rug?
A: You mean personally? Oh yeah, I kept that out of the book. Relationships, I didn't want to open up about any of that. That was my choice. That was one part I didn't want to get into.
Q: It often sounds like you felt you were misunderstood. Can you comment on that?
A: Yeah. I think I felt that early on in my career, when I got to be the best player in the world, and winning Wimbledon, I felt I was defending myself and the sport for a few years there. I don't want to say there was a bad relationship, but I think I kind of came at a time where it was sort of the post-McEnroe-Connors era, and they wanted more from me.
They wanted for me to blow up, and I always resented the fact that they wanted me to change, and I felt I wasn't going to change, and what I was doing I felt was positive.
Q: But the "boring" and "no emotion," did you feel underappreciated at times in your career?
A: At times, sure. There were times when I was dominating, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the same year. I didn't play for that, but at the same time I think everyone, you want to feel appreciated, and I think over time, when the media didn't really give me my due, I felt a little underappreciated.
It was sort of a tricky time for me. I kind of hit big at a time where people in the media wanted a little bit more from me, and I wasn't going to change or sell out.
Q: Was there any record or streak that you were approaching that you wanted, that you didn't get?
A: Honestly, there were two things that I wanted to do: I wanted to break the (Grand Slam) record, and I wanted to finish number one six years in a row. Obviously, I would love to win the French and all that, but those are two things I had in my head for quite awhile.
Q: You criticized Davis Cup model in the book.
A: Yeah, it's awful. It has to be changed, I always thought it should be changed. It's confusing for the fans, especially in the U.S.
It's just humanly impossible to expect to be No. 1, expect to win a couple majors in the year, and expect to play all four Davis Cup ties. I did it one time in Russia, and I was exhausted for months. It took a lot out of me. So I think, I always felt like it should be changed into maybe a one-week format or two-week format where you get all the countries together.
Q: You say in the book that you think tennis is overwhelmingly clean of drugs. I'm just wondering, has that opinion changed at all in recent months, or as you've seen what's happened in other sports?
A: I think there's been some isolated incidents in tennis, but across the board, no, I don't think it's an issue.
Q: What about gambling? Did you see that in your day? Is it a big threat to the game?
A: None. I don't think it's a threat. Like I said, isolated situation. I think they're cracking down on it now. You've got some pretty corrupt people out there, trying to do some things. Never in my day did I ever even deal with it or think about it.
Q: No one ever approached you?
A: No, no.
Q: Was dealing with losing without eroding your confidence the single most important trait in your makeup as a champion?
A: Until the end, until the last couple years. The last couple years is when I did sort of lose faith in myself, when I was losing, and sort of lost. But I think throughout my prime, I handled my losses very well.
Q: You say you almost regret you didn't win your first major later, because you were so unformed. Really?
A: I'm not going to give it back. But if I had my choice, I was not ready as a young man for that pressure and that sort of Grand Slam pressure. My game wasn't quite ready. I had two great weeks, but I still felt like I had some holes in my game. And I just sort of struggled personally - I wasn't trained for the media.
I didn't go to college. I was sort of this up-and-coming guy, kind of dark horse, and all of a sudden I'm in sort of this worldwide fame. And how do you prepare for that? You don't. And at 19 you're not going to have all the answers when you walk into a press conference. You know, six, eight, 10 months after that I was sort of just finding my way, sort of feeling a little bit insecure about my game and my place in the world of tennis, and it took me a few years to sort of really figure out where I wanted to go.
Q: So, Bridgette, the way you met is almost like too schlocky. You see her in a movie, you know some guy who can arrange a date. You go on this one date, and it sounds like love at first sight.
A: I was attracted to her at first sight.
Q: You say if she can speak two words -
A: Well, because of her physical appearance. I was like, "She's beautiful," and I jokingly said that, and I've told her that. But we were both so nervous on our first date. We weren't even looking at each other.
Q: It sounded like you were so timid with her.
A: For me to do that, to say, to jokingly say to this friend of mine, "I want to meet her," is very out of character for me. Why I did it, I don't know, but I did.
Q: Richard Williams. Yuri Sharapov. Your parents were so in the background. Do you regret at all that they weren't around a little bit more at all? Pro tennis is a lonely life.
A: Yeah, it is lonely, and I think as I got older, you get more sentimental for your parents. And now that I have kids, I look back at it now, and I wish they were around more when I won my majors.
That's why the Wimbledon breaking the record was touching and emotional. I think I've always sort of had that inside of me. I've expressed that to them. They wanted me to be my own man and make my own decisions and leave the nest, which I did.
Q: It's hard to know a little bit what you really think of Andre (Agassi). You say you liked him. I think from a distance, you respected him. But can you tell a little bit more about your feelings toward him?
A: You know, career, early on, I always liked him. I just, we were so different, and he was so sort of, you know, out there, and I was more on the reserved side. I don't want to say more normal side, but (laughter). But we just didn't have a lot in common, and we got along fine.
Q: Do you think he brought out the best in you?
A: Yeah. I had to add some things to my game against him that I could get away with other guys. I had to hit my second serve a little bigger. I had to hit my backhand a little bit better up the line. Those are a couple things that I could get away with other guys, but with him, if I didn't hit my second serve well, or with not enough bite, he'd be on it.
He did force me to be a better player, which enabled me to beat these other guys a little more handily.
Q: You put Ivan Lendl among your top five ever. That will surprise some people.
A: I look at sort of the best player in your generation. To say one guy's better or the best of all time, I don't think you could really say. (Rod) Laver did it in the '60s. (Bjorn) Borg had it sort of in the '70s, late '70s. Lendl had it in the '80s, I had it in the '90s, and Roger (Federer) has it today.
I think Lendl doesn't obviously get his due because of his public image, but he sort of transcended the sport. He brought in power, he brought in fitness. He was No. 1 for 250 weeks. He's won every major except Wimbledon, and got to the finals there.
Q: After '96, still in your prime, you basically waved the white flag at Roland Garros.
A: It just was frustrating, I was trying different things, I was trying to come in a lot, I was trying to maybe stay back and being selective to come in, and it just didn't really pan out.
Q: Is there a best moment in Pete Sampras' career?
A: I think there are two great moments that I look at from a personal standpoint, from a professional standpoint - my Wimbledon win with my parents, and then my last U.S. Open, with Bridgette. That last Open felt great, I felt vindicated, as the press were on my wife about, that was the reason why I couldn't play anymore.
Q: Was that the hardest part of '01, '02, that it was blamed on her?
A: Yeah, I hated it. I hated it for her, unfair. You can blame me, tell me to throw my rackets over the cliff, but don't bring my wife into it, and I think I resented some of the media for that. And that last U.S. Open, I woke up the next couple months so vindicated.
Source: USA Today
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