Pete sampras

• Born: August 12, 1971 (age 43), Potomac, Maryland, United States
• Grand slams won (singles): 14
• Height: 1.85 m
• Spouse: Bridgette Wilson (m. 2000)
• Children: Ryan Nikolaos Sampras, Christian Charles Sampras
• Parents: Georgia Sampras, Sam Sampras

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. one 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. Sampras was born in Potomac, Maryland on 12 August 1971. He is the third child of Sammy and Georgia Sampras. His mother immigrated to the US from Sparta in Greece while his father was born in America. From a young age, he attended services at the Greek Orthodox Church. He also showed off excellent athletic abilities as a child. At the age of three years, he discovered a tennis racket in his family's basement and he started hitting balls against his basement's wall for hours at a time. In 1978, his family moved to California, where the warmer climate meant Sampras could spend more time outside improving his tennis skills. At the age of 11 years he met his idol Rod Laver and played a game of tennis with him. When his family joined the Jack Kramer club Sampras was spotted by Peter Fischer who coached him until 1989. He helped develop Sampras's double-handed backhand to single-handed with the aim of improving his chances of winning Wimbledon. Sampras turned professional at the age of 16 years in 1988 and finished the year ranked number 97 in the world after starting at number 893. Over the next three years he worked his way up to world number five before winning the US Open at the age of 19 years. He went on to win 11 Grand Slam titles and won Wimbledon seven times in 1993, 1994,1995,1997,1998,1999 and 2000 before retiring in 2002. Since then, he has continued to appear in exhibition matches, with the most recent being on 11 November 2011 when Sampras lost against Milos Raonic.

Award and Achievements

Pete Sampras has become a 14-time Grand Slam singles champion. With his achievements, he was named as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He is the last American male to win in  ATP World Tour Finals and Wimbledon events. Sampras has participated and won in prestigious tennis events like Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.

Marital status

Pete Sampras is married to former Miss Teen USA and actress, Bridgette Wilson. The couple has two sons, Christian Charles (b. 2002) and Ryan Nikolaos (b. 2005).