The Open Era
United States · born Washington, D.C., 1971 · seven times Wimbledon champion
All playersBack to the rankings
7
Wimbledon singles titles, 1993 to 2000
63-7
Wimbledon singles match record, 1989 to 2002
53-1
Wimbledon record from 1993 to 2000
14
Major singles titles in all
286
Weeks as world No. 1
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1971, Sampras turned professional in 1988 at 16. In 1990 he became the youngest men's champion at the US Open, aged 19 years and 28 days. He went on to win 14 major singles titles, a record when he retired, seven of them at Wimbledon. He finished six consecutive years as world No. 1, from 1993 to 1998, held the top ranking for 286 weeks and was named ATP Player of the Year six years running. He helped the United States to the Davis Cup in 1992 and 1995. He played his last match in September 2002, announced his retirement in August 2003 and entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.
| Major singles titles | 7: Wimbledon (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) |
|---|---|
| Other grass singles titles | 3: Queen's 2 (1995, 1999); Manchester (1990) |
| Other grass doubles titles | 1: Queen's (1995) |
| Wimbledon finals | 1993 beat Jim Courier 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3; 1994 beat Goran Ivanišević 7-6, 7-6, 6-0; 1995 beat Boris Becker 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; 1997 beat Cédric Pioline 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; 1998 beat Ivanišević 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; 1999 beat Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-4, 7-5; 2000 beat Patrick Rafter 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 |
| The one defeat, 1993 to 2000 | Quarter-final 1996, to Richard Krajicek in straight sets |
| Early Wimbledons | First-round losses in 1989 and 1990; second round 1991; semi-final 1992, beating the holder Michael Stich before losing to Ivanišević |
| Last Wimbledons | 2001: lost to Roger Federer 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 in the fourth round. 2002: lost to George Bastl, a lucky loser ranked 145th, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4 in the second round |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Men's singles | |
| 1994 | Men's singles | |
| 1995 | Men's singles | |
| 1997 | Men's singles | |
| 1998 | Men's singles | |
| 1999 | Men's singles | |
| 2000 | Men's singles | |
| Queen's Club | ||
| 1995 | Men's doubles | with Todd Martin |
| 1995 | Men's singles | |
| 1999 | Men's singles | |
| Northern Championships | ||
| 1990 | Men's singles Manchester Open | |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. †single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"Unfortunately, he owns the Centre Court now. I used to own it a few years back, but it belongs to him now."
The person behind the player.
Wimbledon 1989 to 1991
Sampras lost in the first round on his first two visits and won his first match at Wimbledon only in 1991, before losing in the second round to Derrick Rostagno. "When I first came over here, the first three years, I didn't really enjoy grass," he said in 2001. "I thought it was a fast surface that was unfair."
Source: ESPNWimbledon 1992
Tim Gullikson rebuilt his approach to grass: shorter strokes for the low bounce and far more attention to the return. "That's how you win Wimbledon, by returning serve well," Sampras recalled. In 1992 he beat the defending champion, Michael Stich, in the quarter-final. "Working with Tim definitely helped me to get over the hurdle of playing on grass," he said.
Source: ESPNWimbledon 2000 · Final
Playing on an inflamed shin tendon, he beat Pat Rafter after rain delays of which the last ran to about two and a half hours; Rafter fell asleep and had to be woken. The match ended at three minutes to nine in fading light. His parents, at Wimbledon for the first time, saw him win a major final for the first time, and he climbed into the stands to embrace them.
Source: The Irish TimesWimbledon 2000
The title was his 13th major, one more than Roy Emerson's record. He was candid about the first set, which he lost 12-10 in the tiebreak: "I lost my nerve in the first set," he said, adding that "We all choke" and that a Wimbledon final can be won or lost in a couple of shots.
Source: The Irish TimesWimbledon 2001 · Fourth round
Roger Federer, 19 and ranked 15th, beat him 7-5 in the fifth set. It was the only match the two ever played. Sampras had won 53 of 54 matches at Wimbledon from 1993 to 2000. "I lost to a really, really good player today," he said. "He played great."
Source: Tennis MajorsWimbledon 2002 · Court 2
His last Wimbledon ended in the second round on Court 2 against George Bastl, a lucky loser ranked 145th who entered the draw when Félix Mantilla withdrew. At changeovers Sampras read notes written for him by his wife, Bridgette Wilson. He said afterwards that he planned to come back: "I want to end it on a high note."
Source: ESPNFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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