Pete Sampras Biography

Born: 12-08-1971

Birth Place: Washington, D.C.

Pete Sampras Biography

At the age of 19, he became the youngest men's tennis champion at the US Open. Following that success, after two uneven years on tour, he suffered "the most devastating loss" of his career to the Swedish player Stefan Edberg in the 1992 U.S. Open. Then ranked No. 6 in the world, Sampras resolved to dedicate himself to the game and fulfil his as yet untapped potential.

On April 23, 1993, less than a year after his loss to Edberg, Sampras attained the world No. 1 ranking for the first time. Over the next two years, Sampras won four more Grand Slam titles. The loss of his coach Tim Gullikson to brain cancer in 1996 was a devastating blow, but he rebounded from this emotional crisis with a great year on the court, capturing eight titles. Before retiring from tennis in 2002, Sampras would win 11 Grand Slams and tie Jimmy Connors for the longest stint as the world's #1 player.