A Summary of Pete's Interview from The Stern
In the May 23, 2001 issue
of The Stern, a German society magazine, Pete Sampras was interviewed about
the current stage of his tennis career, his preparation for the French Open,
and his opinion on the next generation of tennis players.
At age 29, he is already considered old in the tennis professional world. Pete however has other plans. He is still eager to play. Inspite of having a slow start this year and not winning any tournament since Wimbledon 2000, Pete is still bothered by defeat. "At the moment, I just try to find my game... When I go to Paris, I want the guys to fear me a little. That I have an aura. That the others whisper: Pete is in form!"
He also commented that currently there are too many good players and it makes it difficult to have a rivalry similar to the times of Borg, McEnroe, Connors & Lendl. In order to dominate the game like what he has done, a player has to be completely focused on tennis not letting what people say or what the press write distract him.
Has he ever thought of retirement? Pete replied. "If there will be a day, when it doesn't matter to me if I win or lose, I will say: Stop! That's enough. But I have decided one thing...if it is over, there won't be a return. But this day is still far away. For sure."
When Pete does retire, he wants to find something to do that he enjoys so he can find his peace. He said, "Perhaps, I'll show kids how to play tennis. Why not?"
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