Pete Sampras is an American former professional tennis player who is widely considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 1 on April 12, 1993, and a doubles ranking of world No. 27 on February 12, 1990. Turning professional in 1988, Sampras won 14 Grand Slam singles titles during his career, which was an all-time record at the time of his retirement: a then-record seven Wimbledon titles, two Australian Opens and a joint Open Era record five US Open titles. A right-handed player with a single-handed backhand, Sampras won 64 singles titles in total. He first reached world No. 1 in 1993, and held that position for a total of 286 weeks (third all time), including an Open Era record of six consecutive year-end No. 1 rankings from 1993 to 1998.
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras Personal Details:
Date Of Birth: August 12, 1971
Birth Place: Potomac, Maryland, United States
Birth Name: Petros Sampras
Nickname: Pete
Greek: Πέτρος “Πητ” Σάμπρας
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Occupation: Tennis player
Nationality: American
Race/Ethnicity: White
Religion: Greek Orthodox
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Pete Sampras Body Statistics:
Weight in Pounds: 170 lbs
Weight in Kilogram: 77 Kg
Height in Feet: 6′ 0″
Height in Meters: 1.83m
Body Build/Type: Athletic
Shoe Size: 10.5 (US)
Pete Sampras Family Details:
Father: Sam Sampras
Mother: Georgia Sampras
Spouse/Wife: Bridgette Wilson (m. 2000)
Children: Christian Charles Sampras, Ryan Nikolaos Sampras
Siblings: Stella Sampras (Older Sister), Marion Sampras (Younger Sister), Gus Sampras (Older Brother)
Pete Sampras Education:
Palos Verdes High School
Coach (s): Peter Fischer (1980–1989), Joe Brandi (1989–1991), Tim Gullikson (1992–1995), Vitas Gerulaitis (1994 Rome), Paul Annacone (1995–2001), Tom Gullikson (2001–2002), José Higueras (2002), Paul Annacone (2002)
Pete Sampras Facts:
*Born on August 12, 1971 in Potomac, Maryland, his mother is an immigrant from Greece; his father is an American whose father was Greek and mother was Jewish.
*He began his professional career in 1988.
*He won his first Grand Slam singles match at French Open in 1989.
*At the 1990 U.S. Open, he won his first Grand Slam title by beating Agassi in straight sets to become the youngest U.S. Open champion at the age of 19 years and 28 days.
*He became World No.1 for the first time in April 1993.
*He won all Wimbledon titles from 1993-2000 except for the one in 1996 where he lost to in the quarter finals.
*He has won the Wimbledon Championships seven times and has won 14 Grand Slams overall, which was a record until Roger Federer broke it in 2009.
*He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.
*He dated actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley in the late 1990s.
*He married American actress and former Miss Teen USA, Bridgette Wilson in September 2000. They have two children.
*He is a Republican and supported John McCain in 2008.