“Have few regrets,” Pete Sampras opens up on taking sleeping pills for years damaging his health amidst other struggles
Follow Us
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras, one of the former tennis players from America, is regarded as one of the greatest players who went on to win 14 singles Grand Slam titles, which was an all-time record at the time of his retirement. He played his last match at the US Open in 2012 against the American Andre Agassi, whom he had met in his very first Grand Slam final, and eventually, became the champion in a four-set match battle between the two veterans.
He has won 64 singles ATP titles in total including 14 singles major titles consisting of his seven Wimbledon titles, two Australian Open titles, and five US Open titles. He first reached the world No. 1 ranking in 1993 and held that position for a total of 286 weeks including an Open Era record of six consecutive Year-End No. 1 rankings. He has been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the year 2017.
“Wish I had communicated better about my health,”: Pete Sampras
Sampras is a right-handed player with a single-handed backhand and his precise and powerful serve earned him the nickname ‘Pistol Pete‘. During an interview after the launch of his book ‘Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited‘, upon being asked about if he has any regrets or would like to achieve if given a chance, spoke about a few shortcomings but also consider them as the biggest learning lessons of life to keep himself motivated and focused.
He said “Yes, of course, although none too significant. Roland Garros was the only major he didn’t win. I could sit here and look back and say, ‘Should I have tried a different, bigger racket for the French Open? Of course. Do I wish I had communicated better about my health and not had an ulcer for two years? Yes. There are regrets.“
He further added “Not expelling a lot of stuff contributed to my ulcer. I remember a conversation with Annacone in 1998 when he was trying to break the number 1 record, and I told him that he was stressed. My hair was falling out. I let my guard down, which was unusual. But I have a few regrets. I look more at the positive aspects. I have achieved amazing things. I didn’t care what people were thinking. Being opinionated and self-focused with the blinders made me a great player.“
Stay Updated!
Prateek Pradhan
(601 Articles Published)