_________________ Tytuły (15): 2018: Brisbane, Quito, Indian Wells, Monte Carlo 2017: Auckland, Waszyngton, Shenzen 2015: Doha, Sydney, Houston, Roland Garros 2013: US Open 2012: Nicea 2011: Los Angeles, WTF Londyn Wcześniej: Za słaba era, żeby coś wpisywać.
Finały (15): 2017: Stuttgart 2016: Tokio, Shanghai, Bazylea 2015: Wiedeń, WTF Londyn 2014: Doha 2013: Cincinnati 2012: Monte Carlo, Roland Garros, Sztokholm 2011: Marsylia, Monte Carlo, Wimbledon, US Open Wcześniej: Za słaba era, żeby coś wpisywać.
He thinks the Wimbledon men's singles record he shares with Roger Federer is safe for the foreseeable future.
"I don't know if someone in the next 10 years will be able to win five or six Wimbledons," the retired tennis great said during a conference call Monday leading to next month's induction into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Sampras, who will also play in the Rogers Legends Cup, and Federer have both won seven singles titles at the All England Club. Scotland's Andy Murray won his first Wimbledon crown this month.
"This was Andy's time. It was Andy's event to go and get and he did it," Sampras said. "He's definitely the man to beat at the U.S. Open."
Murray is ranked No. 2 behind Novak Djokovic. David Ferrer is No. 3, followed by Rafael Nadal and Federer.
"I think the biggest thing for me is Murray in the past 12 months has just stepped up," Sampras said.
But he doesn't see anyone being able to conquer Wimbledon's grass courts the way he and Federer did.
"Roger and myself, our game on grass was so ... dominant," Sampras said. "I think Murray can win some more and Djokovic, but I don't think that dominant game is out there that's going to win it seven times. But I could be wrong."
Of course, there is always the possibility Federer could add another. After his second-round loss at Wimbledon this year, he switched to a larger-faced racket.
"I don't know where his head's at, whether he's going to stick with it," said Sampras, who switched to a similar racket after he retired.
Sampras says it helped his backhand and made his serve more powerful.
"I wish I would have tried it, at least a little bit on the clay, when I was playing," he said. "It would have helped me a little bit."
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ATP HERITAGE: PETE SAMPRAS, 1993-98
On 23 August, ATP celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Emirates ATP Rankings. We continue our countdown with a look at Pete Sampras, the 1993-98 year-end No. 1. #ATPHeritage
Being the best mattered to Pete Sampras.
Aged 19 years, 28 days, Sampras had become the youngest US Open champion in 1990. But it wasn't until 12 April 1993 that he became the 11th player to rise to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
Even then, at 21 years, eight months, the American didn't feel he deserved it.
Three months later, he won at The Championships, Wimbledon, for the first time and "discovered that I really wanted to be a champion, that I had a champion's heart and mind and will."
Discuss Sampras Using #ATPHeritage On Twitter
From that moment on, records tumbled throughout the career of the quiet, understated and rather introverted champion.
For six consecutive seasons, the American finished the year at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. He was at the summit for a total of 286 weeks, a record only beaten by Roger Federer (302 weeks) in 2012.
"I wanted to stay at the top as long as I could," said Sampras, who spent 11 spells at No. 1 between 1993 and late-2000. "I liked it there, but it meant you had to keep on winning, especially the big events and that took its toll."
Sampras won 14 majors – seven at Wimbledon, five US Opens and two Australian Opens – from 18 finals. He captured 64 singles crowns, including five year-end championships (1991, 1994, 1996-97, 1999).
Read Sampras DEUCE Feature (August 2010)
"I was able to stay at the top for a long time and I'm very proud of that. There are only a handful who were able to stay at the top for such an extended period of time. I suppose it's iconic."
Read more about Sampras in "No. 1", our special commemorative coffee table book, celebrating all year-end ATP World Tour No. 1s over the past 40 years. Buy Online Through Tennis Warehouse: Europe | Outside Europe
This year, the ATP pays special tribute to 25 former World No. 1s as part of the ATP Heritage programme, marking 40 years since the ranking system was introduced in 1973.
Q. Players sometimes bristle at comparisons of players and eras. Tonight will be a historic game. A lot of good players out there. But how would you compare when you have Laver with you, Grand Slams, Roger with all his records, and Rafa? How can you compare? PETE SAMPRAS: I just got off an 18 hour flight (laughter). That's a tough question for me to answer, but I'll do the best I can.
I believe when you look at the history of the game, each decade has their player. Obviously Rod was the best in his time. I certainly had my moments in the '90s. Rafa and Roger are having their moments now.
Is there one greatest player of all time? I don't know. I think if you look at the numbers, you have to look at Roger, what he's been able to do: 17 majors, been No. 1. He's had a tough record against Rafa.
You can talk about it for 20 minutes on the different comparisons, what Rod did back in the '60s. Five years he didn't play any majors when he was in his prime, so he could have had over 20 majors.
I feel like every decade there's the guy. Certainly Roger has been the best player for the last 10 years. Rafa is up there with him. Djokovic is pushing. So it's really hard to say.
I mean, there's not one greatest player. When you look at the numbers, Roger has been so dominant. He's won on all surfaces. He's a phenomenal player. It's nice that he's playing well. Should be a good one tonight.
Q. Still he has that losing record against Rafa. PETE SAMPRAS: Well, like I said, I mean, he lost some of those matches on clay, which is Rafa's best surface. There is that argument. Whereas Rafa has won all the majors, he's been No. 1. You could argue that he's well up there. If he plays the next four or five years, he could have 17, 18 majors. That's up to him.
Let's just appreciate what we're watching. It's hard to compare the numbers and the eras where we all did our thing. We're all great at what we did. It's just hard to really talk about who is better. Is it Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? It's hard to compare.
Q. As the rivalry goes, is it the greatest? PETE SAMPRAS: One of them. You have Borg and McEnroe, myself and Andre. You have Rafa and Roger. You have Connors and Lendl. There's a lot of good rivalries.
I think these two guys, they're so good, so much fun to watch these guys compete, I might have to put on my suit and come watch tonight.
Q. Last week we saw Pat Rafter do his thing with doubles with Lleyton Hewitt. Would you entertain doing something like that? Do you miss the brutal competition? PETE SAMPRAS: No, no (laughter). I'm very relaxed coming in here. I miss the moment. I miss the last weekend of a major. I miss the excitement.
I don't miss the stress. I don't miss the pressure, the expectations I put on myself. I miss the game, but I don't miss the stress of it. It's a tough sport. I feel like I walked away at the right time.
But to come back and play doubles is fun for Pat. Fun here obviously. But it's not something I see myself doing.
Q. How do you think age is going to affect how that rivalry plays out? PETE SAMPRAS: Sure, it gets tougher as you get older. Roger is 32. Rafa is in his prime, 27, 28. So, sure, it's not going to last forever. You have to appreciate this match tonight, so much so that you just have to sit back and enjoy it. These are two of the greatest players of all time playing in the same decade. It's one for the ages. Let's hope it lives up to the expectations.
Certainly it's not going to last forever. Everybody gets older and we all retire at some stage. It's nice to see Roger playing well. He's got his confidence back. I wish him all the best.
Q. What do you think of seeing Stefan and Boris and Ivan back? What do you think Edberg is going to do for Federer? PETE SAMPRAS: I think it's a good match. Stefan is a great guy, first of all. He knows the game. He's very relaxed. He's not one of those personalities that is so upbeat. He'll be good for Roger. And he knows the game. He's been in those situations like tonight.
Roger's obviously a great player, won 17 majors, doing pretty well with his coaches and stuff. Sometimes you just get to a point where you need to hear a different voice. Like I said, Stefan knows the game, he's a smart guy. It's a good match.
Q. Seeing all these guys come back make you think you could do this yourself? PETE SAMPRAS: No, no, no. It's not for me. I've been asked by a couple guys. But the travel, to go on the road, do all that they're doing is not something that I'm interested in.
Q. You've spoken in the past about maybe regretting not tinkering with a different racquet in your career. Have you watched Federer enough here to make any assessment whether that's helping him? PETE SAMPRAS: I just know he's confident with it now. I know he tried it last year. You know, I'm not sure Roger needed to panic, like he needed to change something. But he's confident in this racquet that maybe it's helping him, maybe a little more speed on the serve, maybe a little bit easier with the high backhand. You'll see that tonight with Rafa.
He's confident. Once you get to that that confident stage with the racquet and get through tough matches, you're at peace. I think Roger is at peace with his technology and is well on his way.
Q. What are you doing nowadays? PETE SAMPRAS: Well, I got married, 13 years. Two kids, 11 and 8. They keep my energy up. I play a little bit occasionally, a couple exhibitions here and there. I still get in the gym. I work out a touch. I play a lot of golf. Just enjoy my life at home. Don't really travel too much.
But I'm happy to be back in Melbourne. I want to thank Tennis Australia for inviting me back. As you know, I don't make too many appearances at majors. I'm excited to watch a little tennis this weekend. This place brings back some memories. It definitely is a place I've enjoyed playing. I won a couple times. Felt I could have done better, but it's good to be back.
Q. What are some of the memories? PETE SAMPRAS: Won here a couple times. It was a tough major for me. The Rebound Ace court they had at that time was tough on my body, tough to serve and volley on, a surface that was tough when it got hot.
At times when I played Davis Cup, was No. 1, it was over in December. Three weeks later I had to hop on a plane to come down here. At times I felt like I was a little flat coming down here. It was just a tough major for me to win. I feel like I struggled a little bit.
That being said, I always enjoyed my time here. The fans are great. The media has always been great. But it was a tough major for me.
Q. You're sometimes dismissed as a ho hum guy, but you've had so many emotional moments on court. Take a moment and talk about what happened here 19 years ago in the quarterfinal. Have you reflected on that? PETE SAMPRAS: Sure. When I signed up to come here, immediately knew I was coming, you go back to some of these moments I had with Jim back in the '90s, with my coach taking ill, seeing him struggle a little bit. The emotion in that match was very awkward, revealing for me to show that emotion.
You know, I think of that. I think of the two wins I had. I think of some tough losses I had. Just a grinding major for me. It was a tough major for me to win. Never felt that comfortable on the Rebound Ace court. It was just a struggle for me.
It was just one of those majors that I did well, but I felt like I could have done a little better.
Q. Sports evolve as the years go by. Wouldn't it be nice for you to sit back on Sunday and watch two single handed backhands go at each other? PETE SAMPRAS: You might have one with Roger. Maybe two. The game certainly has changed the last 10 years. The serve and volley tennis is a lost art. No one is really doing it. Everyone is staying back and hitting the crap out of the ball, which is fun to watch.
You look at Wimbledon these days. It is one dimensional. It's just the nature of technology, maybe the nature of how everyone is growing up with technology. They're used to not having to volley, serve and volley. It takes time. It doesn't happen overnight.
Seeing Stefan, he was a great serve and volleyer. Boris, Goran Ivanisevic. Now everyone plays the same way; there's just four or five guys that are a lot better than the rest.
Roger has a little more variety, to come in, you know, slice it, chip and charge occasionally, show a little bit of that. For the most part it's just everyone staying back and throwing rocks.
Q. If you were out there today yourself, would you still be serving and volleying? PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, why wouldn't I (smiling)? Serve and volley on both serves. That's the only way I know how to play. People say it's harder to do it, the technology. But I think technology would have helped me out. If I used these racquets that Rafa is using, it's easier to serve, easier to volley. I could serve harder, longer. It would have been easier.
So it all evens out. But I think serve and volley tennis, it would have been just fine today. I just think you need to know how to do it.
Q. It could come back if somebody learns how to do it? PETE SAMPRAS: You have to start about 13 years old. You can't start at 18 or 19. I started at 13. That's when I changed to the one handed backhand. It takes a feel. It just takes a certain intuition out there that you have to figure out. It doesn't happen overnight.
Q. How important is it, in your opinion, to have a coach in an individual sport like tennis? In team sports they say 25%. It's difficult to give a percentage. In an individual sport like tennis, what do you think? PETE SAMPRAS: Well, you are out there alone. You really are. It's the ultimate one on one sport. You can't hide. There's certain things that a coach can say before you walk out there that you can think about. I remember Paul used to tell me before I walked out about my ball toss. Sometimes it gets a little low. When I'm not serving well, I think about that.
It's those moments when you get a little nervous, you draw on these things that he might say. There are things that Stefan might say to Roger tonight that in the match just clicks. You don't know.
It's certainly up to Roger and Rafa to figure it out. But a coach can give you little tips here and there that can influence your decision, whatever that may be.
So it is important. It's not like football where the guy calls the play. That's what I love about tennis: it's the ultimate one on one. You got to figure it out on your own. They both have great coaches in Stefan and Toni. It's all the same script; we'll just see how it plays out.
Q. Did you see a difference when you were playing Davis Cup, if there was a captain telling you something or not? PETE SAMPRAS: A little bit here and there. I had Tom Gullikson and Tom Gorman. They're not saying much. Sometimes I'm not even listening, I'm so focused. They're talking. Sometimes I just shut it out.
But, you know, so trained to be on my own there, sometimes I don't hear the coaching. But there are certain things that a coach can help with a player before they walk out.
Paul would say three things to me before I stepped out there. Not a lot, but just enough to keep me thinking about something at a nervous time or whatever it may be. So it's important.
Q. Who will you be going for tonight? PETE SAMPRAS: No comment (smiling).
I don't know Rafa well. I met him. I'm a huge fan of his whole thing. I know Roger quite well. We're friendly. I'll let you draw conclusions.
It should be just a good battle with two heavyweights. Let's just sit back and appreciate it.
Q. What happened to American tennis, men's tennis? PETE SAMPRAS: You tell me. What happened? I don't have the answers.
You know, I think the world just got better. I think the game got more global. You know, we're doing okay, but we're a couple levels behind the top guys.
Just I think the world got more exposed to tennis. You know, you look at where Rafa is from, Roger, Novak. This is maybe a sport they wouldn't have played 20 years ago. Now all these great other athletes from other countries are playing tennis, not just soccer. I think that's part of it. I think maybe their satellite tour is stronger than our American college tour, where it's maybe not as strong.
There's a bunch of reasons. I just think the world has gotten a little stronger.
Q. When you first saw Nadal playing, did you see him becoming this good on this many surfaces instead of just clay? PETE SAMPRAS: I knew he was going to be great because he's a great athlete. You look at Borg who wasn't a great athlete, who wasn't suited to grass, but he did okay there. Rafa, his game is not suited to grass, but he's done well there.
The great players adjust to different surfaces. The fact that Rafa, you watch him play as a youngster, he's an incredible mover. Once you see someone that moves great, they can adjust to playing on grass or here or wherever.
I think, you know, I just feel like he's such an incredible athlete, he figured it out. He's a great player.
Q. What are your thoughts on Stanislas Wawrinka? Do you think he's got what it takes? PETE SAMPRAS: He's been knocking on the door for a couple years now. He has had some tough losses over the last couple years. He's figured it out a little bit. He's got more confidence. He's been in this situation a few times. He's stepping through that door.
I haven't seen a lot of tennis, quite honestly. All the matches are in the middle of the night in the U.S. But it seems like he's probably more confident, more sure of himself. You know, you watch him hit the ball, he hits the ball great. It's just a matter of his belief. It seems like he's got that.
Q. Your rivalry with Andre, meeting him in London in a showdown match next month, tell us your thoughts about that and what are your relation like off the court? PETE SAMPRAS: We're good. We battled many years. We're certainly very different in every way. You know, I respect Andre. He was my toughest opponent. We're going to compete in London, have some fun, compete for the people there.
Our relationship's fine. It's not like there's any bad blood. We've had a few awkward moments here and there, but it is what it is.
Q. A great champion wins for years and years, then sort of the grind of the tour gets to them, fatigue. Talk about the aging process and how a champion deals with it. PETE SAMPRAS: Well, just from my experience, I felt as I hit 30, 31, that the grind of the tour, the travel, the international jetlag, all that just wore on me. It tired me. It affected my motivation. That's why I've been so impressed with Roger, that he keeps going, he keeps going. Seems like he wants to play for another four or five years. I don't know how he does it.
For me, as you get older, it just gets tougher. It gets tougher to play. It gets tougher to travel. Sometimes it gets a little stale. The fact that he's able to keep it so fresh is impressive.
I just know from my perspective, I was fatigued the last couple years. I was enjoying my tennis, but it was a tough job. I feel like my last win there was my last fuel in my tank. That's when I knew I was done.
Q. When I ask you about Walt Landers, was he a huge part of you being successful? PETE SAMPRAS: Walt was a good physical therapist, helped me recover with matches. Good energy to have around.
That was random, that question (laughter).
He was a good therapist and certainly helped me in my career.
Q. How many tennis matches have you seen last year on TV? PETE SAMPRAS: Complete from beginning to end? What have I seen? Not a lot.
Q. Wimbledon final? PETE SAMPRAS: Wimbledon finals, yeah. Not a lot. But tonight's going to be a good one.
_________________ “I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”
"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."
Pete Sampras: Nie znam żadnego Amerykanina, który mógłby osiągnąć Top 10
Spoiler:
Pete Sampras przyleciał do Indii, gdzie wziął udział w International Premier Tennis League. 14-krotny triumfator imprez wielkoszlemowych opowiedział również o sytuacji amerykańskiego tenisa.
- Nie żyjemy w latach 90. XX wieku i trochę czasu minie, zanim amerykański tenis odzyska dawną pozycję. Gra stała się tak bardzo popularna na całym świecie, że dzieci uprawiają tenisa niemal w każdym zakątku kuli ziemskiej - stwierdził Pete Sampras, który w Indiach reprezentował barwy drużyny Micromax Indian Aces.
Były najlepszy tenisista świata nie potrafi wskazać rodaka, który w najbliższym czasie byłby w stanie znaleźć się w ścisłej czołówce. - Nie widzę nikogo. Naprawdę nie znam żadnego zawodnika, który mógłby chociaż osiągnąć Top 10. Być może to gracze z innych krajów są bardziej spragnieni sukcesów, a my nie jesteśmy po prostu w stanie wykreować młodych tenisistów z potencjałem. Mam nadzieję, że taki stan nie potrwa jednak zbyt długo - dodał 43-letni Amerykanin.
Samprasa zapytano również o to, czy w przyszłości zamierza zająć się trenowaniem innych tenisistów. Wskazano przy tym na Borisa Beckera i Stefana Edberga, z którymi Amerykanin miał okazję mierzyć się na zawodowych kortach. - Boris i Stefan są ode mnie trochę starsi, a do tego mają już starsze dzieci i są bardziej otwarci na wyjazdy. Mnie z kolei nie odpowiada podróżowanie z zawodnikiem na okres dłuższy niż parę tygodni w roku - odpowiedział.
Czy w najbliższych latach zobaczymy zatem Samprasa w roli trenera lub kapitana drużyny narodowej w Pucharze Davisa? - Nie jestem aż tak bardzo zainteresowany funkcją opiekuna drużyny narodowej. Nie wykluczam, że będę kapitanem lub trenerem w przyszłości, ale na najbliższe lata będę szczęśliwy, jeśli dane mi będzie wystąpić w kilku pokazówkach i przede wszystkim pozostać w domu - zakończył 64-krotny triumfator zawodów głównego cyklu.
_________________ “I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”
"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."
Twenty five years ago, the life of Pete Sampras changed irrevocably. He remains the youngest US Open champion in history As cash registers processed teen purchases of leggings, Hush Puppies, Doc Martens’ boots, Calvin Klein jeans and neon colours at The Spectrum mall, another was cleaning up nearby. Not with a bucket and mop, but a tennis racquet at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex in front of 15,474 spectators. Two years on from making his pro debut with David DiLucia and Jonathan Stark at the Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor, a wiry Californian was shaking a little as he left his chair to receive the first prize. Pete Sampras, hailed as “a future Hall of Famer” by Ed Fernberger, the co-tournament chairman, following victories over Top 10 players Andre Agassi and Tim Mayotte earlier in the week, received the biggest pay cheque of his fledging career, $135,000. When asked what he would spend it on, he insisted, “I’ll just put it in the bank”. Andres Gomez, who’d lost 7-6(4), 7-5, 6-2 in the final, was no less effusive in his praise of a player with huge potential. “Of all the young Americans, even the likes of Agassi and [Michael] Chang, I’d have to say he is the best one because his all-round game is so strong.” With his first trophy, 18-year-old Sampras broke into the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. He soon escaped the well-wishers to play 18 holes of golf in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fernberger and Gomez’s views of late February 1990 would prove to be prophetic. Sampras’ hard graft was paying off. His family had put faith in Pete Fischer, when, as a 14-year-old, Sampras started striking single-handed backhands – rather than a double-hander (as Stefan Edberg had done) – in a bid to make volleying easier. Midway through 1989, it was the turn of Joe Brandi to steer the young talent in the pro ranks. Sergio Cruz, one of the sport’s most prolific coaches at the time, had convinced Soterios Sampras that his son ought to train at Nick Bollettieri’s Academy, with his pupil, Jim Courier. Sampras’ father had travelled with his other son, Gus, to four European tournaments, but, with a poor run of results, he thought he’d brought his son “bad luck”. Brandi, the father of former WTA player Kristina Brandi, who also worked at the academy in Bradenton, Florida, recalls his first impressions. “Pete had tremendous potential, but had never worked on his conditioning, which was as bad as his shot selection.” Cruz quickly started his 'Periodization Training Plan'. Accompanied by Courier, Sampras would set out at six o'clock each morning for a 45-minute run. "At 5:45, I had been at their room windows knocking!" says Cruz. “Upon their return they would play tennis for up to six hours, take a lunch break and then weight lift, undertake sprints and conditioning work into the evening. Cedric Pioline [who Sampras would beat in the 1997 Wimbledon final] would join in the afternoon match play sessions.” Once Cruz headed to Europe to coach juniors in the fall, Sampras was left to Brandi over a six-week period in the build-up to the 1990 ATP Tour. "Joe Brandi was a no-nonsense coach who knew only one way to train: hit thousands of balls and get into the best shape of your life," recalls Nick Bollettieri. "When Pete's physical condition improved, so did his movement, which then affected his shot selection including not going for quick winners.” Brandi adds, “We worked together on his balance, his return of serve, first volley and slice backhand. He hit his backhand like Ilie Nastase, leaning on the back foot, so he was still feeling his way. But his running forehand, first and second serves were very good." Sampras also accepted an invitation from Ivan Lendl to visit his Greenwich, Connecticut house, prior to competing at the 1989 Nabisco Masters in Madison Square Garden, New York City. "Ivan soon had me biking 20 to 25 miles a day,” remembers Sampras, who stayed for 10 days. “We spoke about my tennis, how hard you have to work if you want to make it to the top. I learned a lot about how a top professional trained and how he looked after himself." It helped to solidify his dedication to the sport, which he would go on to dominate. Georgia and Soterios Sampras were too nervous to watch. Georgia was nearing the top of an escalator in a Long Beach shopping mall, when she watched her son shake hands with Agassi at the conclusion of the US Open final. Even then, she sought the confirmation of a guy who had watched the drama unfold on CBS Sports. Her husband, who had so often stayed clear of watching his son compete, got the idea something good had happened when his wife ran out of a shop and kissed him. A day earlier, too nervous to watch Super Saturday live, they had taken in a movie, Presumed Innocent, starring Harrison Ford. On 9 September 1990, as Pete Sampras’ life changed after a chillingly efficient final, they drove home to open two bottles of champagne with their children Gus, Stella and Marion. They were soon forced to call Pacific Bell to change their phone number and also buy a new answering machine when it broke. Sampras’ run to the US Open title, aged 19 years and 28 years, had not been as dramatic as Boris Becker 1985 Wimbledon or Michael Chang’s triumph at 1989 Roland Garros, but his performances were better in quality and, arguably, the finest produced by a first time Grand Slam championship winner. Not even Sampras had envisaged he would become the youngest men’s singles champion in the tournament’s history. "I arrived at the US Open as an outsider,” he remembers. “No one realistically thought I would have a chance to go really deep in the draw, let alone win it. I think the experts figured I wouldn't play that well and that I was going to roll over." As he checked into the Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City, four Top 10 wins, and two titles from 45 tournaments were no indication that he was ready to scale such rarified heights. But as each hurdle was cleared, the 12th seed appeared to mature before the eyes of a record 421,994 fans at “Flushing Mellow”, so named thanks to Mayor David Dinkins, who ensured that Runway 13 at La Guardia airport was closed during the hours of tennis business. Sampras was an amazing attacking player of immense talent and natural skill. With growing confidence, too, as his lethal serve, beautifully struck with his long arms and fast wrist snap, began to mow down his opposition. He would not be stopped. His quarter-final opponent, Lendl, chasing his ninth consecutive appearance in the final to break the record he shared with Bill Tilden (1918-25), admitted he could not read the direction of Sampras’ serve. “When I came back from 0-2 down in sets to 2-2, I thought I would win, but Pete kept serving great and was able to adjust the rest of his game,” recalls Lendl. John McEnroe, a four-time former titlist, belying his 31 years with glorious touch play and speedy court coverage that created nostalgic memories, said it was simply too fast. Agassi, the epitome of commercialism in his bright yellow and black clothing, was simply shell-shocked. In the first all-American final since 1979, Agassi was made to suffer in a brutal one hour and 42 minutes. "Andre was clearly the more established player, who had already made a name for himself," says Sampras. "So I didn't really feel the pressure… I did not have time to think too much about the final and the enormity of the situation I was in.” Agassi was never given a chance to find his range, muttering, "Why are you so slow?" between points. He held only three break point opportunities on Sampras' serve - two in the first game of the third set and one in the third. Sampras hit 13 aces, the last of which was his 100th for the tournament for a 5-2 lead in the third set. Agassi was forced to do too much with his groundstrokes, and often missed. "That was a good old-fashioned street mugging,” he later admitted. “I didn't lose it - I got my a*** kicked." Sampras recalls, "He wasn't being the aggressor from the baseline; he let me dictate the points. He hit the ball very short and I took advantage of that." Agassi ended his agony by hitting a forehand into the net to give Sampras a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win, a cheque for $350,000, a place in the Top 10 and the record books as the youngest US Open champion at 19 years and 28 days – beating 1890 title-holder Oliver Campbell, a student at Columbia University, by five months. It was the culmination of "four hot days" for the shy and impressionable Sampras. As in Philadelphia, six months earlier, Sampras was left shaking. It was the start of a different life. "I hadn't gone to college, so socially I hadn't had the experience of mixing with a variety of people," remembers Sampras. "As a junior, I had only played tournaments in the States, such as the Orange Bowl and the 1987 US Open. By winning, I went from one extreme to another… going from anonymity to being recognised around the world, talking on the Johnny Carson Show. It was like growing pains. It was tough and I wasn't quite ready for it." He celebrated the biggest win of his 30-month pro career by taking a light dinner with Brandi and his agent at that time, Ivan Blumberg. "We then went back to his mini suite and sat and talked all night about tennis and life," recalls Brandi, his coach until November 1991. "I told him his life would change. He didn't believe me at all." Sampras woke early to appear on all three network morning shows. By noon he was on a plane to Los Angeles. The first of a series of exhibitions beckoned later that week. "I did get locker room respect, but I wasn't totally aware of it," Sampras remembers. "Everyone was nicer and friendlier, but I was largely unaware of the other players' feelings, although whenever I turned up at tournaments it always felt as if I had a huge bull's eye on my chest. It took me two or three years to tighten up my game and the same period to get used to being comfortable with being a superstar."
_________________ MTT - Tytuły (13) 2015: Tokio 2016: Rio de Janeiro, Indian Wells, Waszyngton, Chengdu, WTF 2017: Doha, Sydney, Dubaj, Miami, Marrakesz, Estoril, s-Hertogenbosch
MTT - Finały (9) 2015: Kuala Lumpur 2016: Queens, Sankt Petersburg 2017: Waszyngton, Winston-Salem, US Open, Sankt Petersburg, WTF 2018: Doha
_________________ MTT - Tytuły (13) 2015: Tokio 2016: Rio de Janeiro, Indian Wells, Waszyngton, Chengdu, WTF 2017: Doha, Sydney, Dubaj, Miami, Marrakesz, Estoril, s-Hertogenbosch
MTT - Finały (9) 2015: Kuala Lumpur 2016: Queens, Sankt Petersburg 2017: Waszyngton, Winston-Salem, US Open, Sankt Petersburg, WTF 2018: Doha
Rejestracja: 01 sie 2011, 17:26 Posty: 9189 Lokalizacja: Bydgoszcz
Pete Sampras: The Grand Finale
Spoiler:
As a dad, you need to pick your battles with your kids. So while I wouldn't ever want to jam my story down my sons' throats, I like to give them a few examples here and there of what I accomplished as a tennis player, including how I won this tournament five times.
They're 12 and 14, and I'm teaching them how I was never just handed a trophy, and how I had to work hard, and make lots of sacrifices, to be the best in the world. I'm telling them how you can achieve anything, just so long as you want it badly enough.
My kids are proud of my career and curious, too, and occasionally they might come across a YouTube video that they'll want to share with me. That's about the only time I'll watch one of my matches back on a screen; otherwise I only replay those highlights and moments in my head. Some of the best memories of my career were made at this tournament, and there is one occasion at the event that tops them all: the time I won an epic five-setter against Boris Becker in the 1996 final, which was played in front of a pro-Boris crowd in Hanover.
"I'm honoured the ATP has named one of the singles groups at next week's tournament after me; that's a real treat. When I first heard, I thought: "That's pretty cool, now I feel a stronger connection with some of the other champions." And with the other group named after Boris, it's been an opportunity to reminiscence about a match that came when we were both in the prime of our careers.
Being part of a match like that is a thrill. More than 20 years later, I still haven't forgotten about the noise from that extraordinarily loud, passionate crowd, and I can still hear myself screaming out after hitting a backhand pass beyond Boris to break his serve. There was so much energy in that place, it was electric. I also have a good recall of the exhaustion I felt - and how my lungs were burning - after I won the match on a rally or 25 or 30 strokes. Boris and I embraced at the net. Finally, we could let our guards down.
Even at that moment, and after a final of that magnitude and quality, we still had huge respect for each other. And the thousands of Germans inside the stadium, even though they had been cheering and shouting for Boris for hours, gave both of us an ovation. I took the title four other times but that match is top of my list because, as well as being an epic, playing against Boris in Germany was a big deal, as he always brought so much buzz, exposure and excitement to the event. We were two heavyweights, playing great tennis.
I'm sure the competition in London next week is going to be fierce - only those who have had a great year, and who are playing at a high level, make the cut. From my own experiences, I know that players need to be ready from the first point. There's no chance of easing your way into this tournament. Right from your opening match, you're competing against another elite player, and there's no let-up all week. You've got to bring it in every match, and I sometimes felt as though this was the hardest title to win. Playing this tournament was always a battle and, as well as winning those five titles, I also had some tough losses.
As much as tennis is an individual sport, and every one of the singles players will be giving his all to beat his rivals and finish the year on a positive note, I imagine there will be a camaraderie among the qualifiers. The years that I qualified, I always felt a connection with the other seven. You've all achieved something as a group. At the end of a long year, the eight of you are the best of the best, and it's like you're part of a special club. Anyone who has qualified for London is going to be feeling good about himself. Every time I made it into the eight, I felt honoured to be with other great players. And when you arrive in the city, you put on a suit and tie, go to some functions and have your photograph taken at landmarks, and you're made to feel special.
This will be a great tournament, it always is. You've got the best players in the world battling for a big prize, and that's fantastic for people in London, who love their tennis. Everyone at The O2 should appreciate they're watching the best generation of tennis players in history.
Each generation of athletes gets stronger and faster, and the players are adding to their knowledge of the game, and as a result you see the level of tennis going up and up. Everyone keeps on improving - today's players are tremendous athletes and hit the ball incredibly hard. Seeing some of the great things the guys do - especially some of the shots they produce when they're on the run - is incredible.
Every year at the tournament, the elite are better than the season before. I suppose that's evolution.
_________________ MTT. W:Davis Cup 2010, Monte Carlo 2011, Rzym 2011, Szanghaj 2011, Rotterdam 2012-2013, Brisbane 2015, Montreal 2015, Australian Open 2016, Lyon 2017. F:Hamburg 2010, Moskwa 2010, Doha 2011, Rotterdam 2011, Sztokholm 2011, Toronto 2012, Winston Salem 2013, Montpellier 2014, Rzym 2014, Sankt Petersburg 2015, Atlanta 2016, Halle 2017, Basel 2017, Indian Wells 2018.
ATPWorldTour.com speaks to the legendary American about life as the leading player in the ATP Rankings for 286 weeks In the era of social media, access to the past can be instant and there’s now rarely a need to look through books on dusty shelves. So if curiosity gets the better of 12-year-old Ryan and 15-year-old Christian Sampras today, they can simply type ‘Pete Sampras’ online and see for themselves the commitment, will and drive of their father, an iconic figure in the sport of tennis. “They are now both interested in what I did, watching clips on YouTube, and seek my advice about what they need to do and how much commitment it takes,” Sampras told ATPWorldTour.com. “Ryan’s now 12, and at the stage where he must take his tennis more seriously if he is to get better.” Today, 25 years ago, on 12 April 1993, the American throwback to a bygone era, reared on stories of the great Australians of the 1950s and 1960s, started his journey at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. For much of Sampras’ career, his opponents weren’t just the likes of Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter and Marcelo Rios — incidentally, four of the eight players who knocked him off the top spot during his 286 total weeks at the pinnacle of men's professional tennis — but the historic greats, such as Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and Roy Emerson. “Every kid says they'd like to be World No. 1 as a dream growing up, but you don’t really mean it,” said Sampras. “The goal for me was always to win Wimbledon, to be mentioned in the same breath as Laver and Rosewall, but being No. 1 was the icing on the cake... Staying at No. 1 was the hardest part. You need heart, mind and talent to be a No. 1 for years. You need the heart to win when you’re not playing your best. You need the mind to overcome challenges and a strong will that few possess. You really need the whole package. It doesn’t come so often, it’s really something the all-time greats – such as [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal – have.” Initially, Sampras wondered if he’d been left behind in a talented generation of American players, including Agassi, Michael Chang and Courier, who had first risen to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings on 10 February 1992 and won four Grand Slam championship titles by the age of 22. But Sampras, with one major to his name at the 1990 US Open, used Courier as his yardstick. “With Jim doing well, I remember the general feeling of wanting that too,” Sampras told ATPWorldTour.com, 25 years on. “His success and performances opened my eyes to being the No. 1. He had matured earlier than me and pushed me to work harder. I first got comfortable being No. 3, No. 2, but then it became a case of, ‘Yes, I can do that. I’m ready to be No. 1.’” You May Also Like: Pete Sampras: The Making Of A Champion From ATP Vault (2014): Watch Sampras Uncovered
After Courier was upset by Jonathan Stark 6-4, 6-2 in the third round at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Sampras stepped out onto centre court at the Ariake Coliseum on 9 April 1993 knowing that a quarter-final victory over fellow American David Wheaton would guarantee him No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. Distracted by the prospect a couple of times during his 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory, en route to that week's Tokyo title (d. Brad Gilbert), it gave Sampras 3,591 points to Courier’s 3,563 points in the ATP Rankings. At 21 years and eight months, Sampras had become the fourth American at No. 1 — after Jimmy Connors (268 total weeks at No. 1), John McEnroe (170 weeks) and Courier (58 weeks) — and [at that time] was also the fourth youngest leader at the top of men’s professional tennis. In the space of 12 calendar months, Sampras compiled an 80-16 match record, and seven titles from nine tour-level finals — including a runner-up finish at the 1992 US Open (l. to Stefan Edberg). While Sampras admitted getting to No. 1 in April 1993 was a “great achievement”, he wasn’t entirely happy. Sampras told ATPWorldTour.com, “I prepared to be No. 1 and when I got there, there was satisfaction, but it wasn’t until after I won Wimbledon (d. Courier) a few months later that I felt I deserved it. But certainly, after getting to No. 1, [my coach] Tim [Gullikson] and I felt that we could now push and work harder in order to win another major.” Six days after Sampras first attained No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, the American hit 15 aces to beat defending champion Courier 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(2) over nearly three hours, in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay district, for his fourth crown of 1993 (also Sydney, Miami and Tokyo). Thereafter, for all but three weeks of that season, Sampras held onto the No. 1 ranking and he set an ATP World Tour record by becoming the first player to serve more than 1,000 aces in a year. “I didn’t feel the impact of being No. 1 immediately,” remembers Sampras, who went 85-13 and won eight titles — including Wimbledon and the US Open — in 1993. “It was only when I came to Wimbledon, when there was the expectation that I could win a major or a big title that I felt that there really was an ‘X’ on my chest. It was in London that I realised I had the mind, the will and heart to be No. 1. You conduct more interviews and you really figure out what it means to be No. 1, how you’re going to go about holding onto it. In the end, it’s about winning matches and big tournaments.” Between 19 April 1993 to 19 November 2000, Sampras spent 11 different stints at No. 1 – 12 April-22 August 1993 (19 weeks), 13 September 1993-9 April 1995 (85 weeks), 6 April 1995-28 January 1996 (12 weeks), 19 February-10 March 1996 (three weeks), 15 April 1996-29 March 1998 (102 weeks), 27 April-9 August 1998 (15 weeks), 24 August 1998-14 March 1999 (29 weeks), 29 March-2 May 1999 (five weeks), 14 June-4 July 1999 (three weeks), 2 August-12 September 1999 (six weeks) and 11 September-19 November 2000 (10 weeks). “It was comfortable being No. 1,” Sampras told ATPWorldTour.com. “I knew what I needed to sacrifice and worked really hard to be there for six straight year-end No. 1 finishes [1993-98]. There were times when I lost it to Agassi, Rafter or Rios, but it came down to where I was in December, not February. I would keep tabs on results and I knew I could always push in March, play extra tournaments and pick up points here and there. “The one time I really worked hard to be No. 1 was in 1998, when I lost and won No. 1 a few times. I played a couple of extra weeks in Europe in order to break Jimmy Connors’ mark of five straight year-end No. 1s, a record that still means a lot to me. When I lost the top spot in November 2000, I wasn’t sad by any means. I had nothing to prove and I was okay with being No. 2 or No. 3. It took a lot of energy, the will and drive to maintain the ranking, and to win a lot of matches. But perhaps being No. 1 for so long also shortened my career.” Sampras’ record of 286 weeks at No. 1 stood for almost 12 years until 16 July 2012, when Federer broke the mark. The Swiss superstar spent his 308th week in the top spot as recently as 1 April this year. Sampras ultimately retired after winning the 2002 US Open, his 14th major crown, a haul that has been bettered by Federer (with his sixth Wimbledon title in July 2000) and current No. 1 Rafael Nadal (with his 10th Roland Garros crown in June 2017). On 26 November 1998, the American was eating pasta in his Hanover hotel, ahead of the 1998 Nitto ATP Finals, when he learned that he had attained the milestone of six straight year-end No. 1 finishes (1993-98). That achievement still stands. LEADING NUMBER ONES A list of leading players for most weeks and year-end finishes at No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973): Player Total Weeks At No. 1 Year-End No. 1 1) Roger Federer (SUI) 308 5 (2004-07, 09) 2) Pete Sampras (USA) 286 6 (1993-98) 3) Ivan Lendl (CZE/USA) 270 4 (1985-87, 89) 4) Jimmy Connors (USA) 268 5 (1974-78) 5) Novak Djokovic (SRB) 223 4 (2011-12, 14-15) 6) John McEnroe (USA) 170 4 (1981-84) 7) Rafael Nadal (ESP) 169* 4 (2008, 10, 13, 17) * Current World No. 1 (as of 9 April 2018)
_________________ MTT - Tytuły (13) 2015: Tokio 2016: Rio de Janeiro, Indian Wells, Waszyngton, Chengdu, WTF 2017: Doha, Sydney, Dubaj, Miami, Marrakesz, Estoril, s-Hertogenbosch
MTT - Finały (9) 2015: Kuala Lumpur 2016: Queens, Sankt Petersburg 2017: Waszyngton, Winston-Salem, US Open, Sankt Petersburg, WTF 2018: Doha
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