Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras (born August 12, 1971, in Washington, DC), is a former World No. 1 Greek-American tennis player. He is considered by many to be the greatest male tennis player of all time, having won a record 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles and finished the year as No. 1 on the ATP world rankings for a record six consecutive years. He won the men's singles title at Wimbledon a record seven times. He also won the US Open five times and the Australian Open twice. However the one major championship which eluded him was the French Open.

Personal and family life

Sampras is the third son of Sam and Georgia Sampras, Greek immigrants to the United States. Sampras' older sister Stella is head coach at UCLA and his younger sister, Marion, is a teacher in Los Angeles. His older brother, Gus, is tournament director at Scottsdale ATP event.

Related Topics:
Greek - UCLA - Los Angeles - Scottsdale

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On September 30 2000, Sampras married American actress Bridgette Wilson.

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On November 21, 2002, son Christian Charles, was born to him and his wife Bridgette Wilson. In 2005, the couple welcomed their second son, Ryan Nicholas.

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Sampras has thalassemia minor, a mild form of an inherited disease that causes anemia. Since this is a disease which reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells - vital for athletic activity - this makes his achievements all the more astounding.

Related Topics:
Thalassemia minor - Anemia

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Sampras' businesslike attitude to tennis and cautious handling of the press led critics to bemoan his lack of charisma, but his natural talent and work ethic meant that Sampras was always able to let his results speak for themselves.

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