Latest news with #Sampras
Wales Online
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Wimbledon legend disappeared from public life amid tragic diagnosis
Wimbledon legend disappeared from public life amid tragic diagnosis Pete Sampras is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players ever but has stayed out of the public eye in recent years Sampras has shied away from the public eye in recent years The 2025 Wimbledon Championships are underway, with the world's top tennis talents looking to write their names into the tournament's history books. Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are the two big British hopes in the women's singles competition as they look to get to the best of the likes of Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and last year's champion Barbora Krejcikova. In the men's singles, meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz is looking to triumph for a third successive year, having beaten Novak Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals. However, even if Alcaraz does lift his third title in as many years, he has some way to go to match the achievements of one of the tournament's greatest ever competitors. Pete Sampras dominated the competition at SW19 throughout the 1990s, winning the men's singles title at all but one of the tournaments between 1993 and 2000. His total of seven Wimbledon singles titles puts him behind only the great Roger Federer - who has eight - in the all-time standings, and level with Djokovic and 19th century player William Renshaw. Sampras' dominant run at the All England Club helped him to become one of the most successful tennis players of all time, with 14 Grand Slam titles to his name, including five US Open wins and two triumphs at the Australian Open. Article continues below Pete Sampras (Image: Birmingham Post and Mail ) He retired in 2003, having cemented his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and made a huge $43.3 million (£31.6 million) in prize money over the course of his career. In retirement, he has taken to the court on several occasions to play exhibition matches, but recent times have seen Sampras disappear from public life almost completely having gone through a difficult time in his family life. The now-53-year-old married actress and former Miss Teen USA Bridgette Wilson in 2000 after nine months of dating and they have gone on to have two sons, Christian, who is 22, and Ryan who is 19. In 2023, Sampras revealed that his wife - who starred in films including The Wedding Planner and I Know What You Did Last Summer - had ovarian cancer. In a statement released via the ATP Tour, the tennis legend said: "As most have come to know, I am a pretty quiet and private person. However, this past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family, and I have decided to share what's been going on." "Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Since then, she has had major surgery, pushed through chemotherapy and continues with targeted maintenance therapy." 'It is hard to watch someone you love go through a challenge like this,' he added. 'However, seeing our boys step up and be such strong supporters of Bridgette, myself and each other has been amazing. Watching Bridgette continue to be an incredible mom and wife through it all has been inspiring. 'I have also learned that it is very hard to reach for support when something is simply too hard to talk about. With that said, I will end this by humbly asking for good thoughts and prayers for our family as Bridgette continues to thrive on her healing journey. Thank you.' Amid the sad news, Sampras - who was known as 'Pistol Pete' during his playing career due to his formidable first serve - has remained largely away from the public eye. He was spotted publicly in December 2024, having made a rare public appearance five years earlier when he played alongside Djokovic in an exhibition match at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open. Meanwhile, earlier this month, he was spotted by paparazzi buying coffee in Beverly Hills, California in another rare sighting. An insider later told Mail Online: "Pete has always shied away from taking on all the benefits of being a celebrity as he has always considered himself a tennis player and a regular dude. "He loves being a homebody and only selectively is he seen when he goes out, and he loves it. He loves being able to visit his sisters and brother who he is very close with and just more about being a husband and a father and just taking things day by day. Article continues below "Through tennis, Pete learned that you have to be your own person to succeed, and that is how he treats life, being his own person and allowing only a few people to surround him in his everyday life," they added. "It is what has worked for him for decades and he isn't looking to change anytime soon. He enjoys the more than expected anonymity he is blessed with."
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Tennis Star Pete Sampras Spotted in L.A. During Rare Public Appearance After Retirement Over 2 Decades Ago
NEED TO KNOW Pete Sampras, the former tennis star known as "Pistol Pete," was spotted during a rare public appearance on June 3 The athlete was seen while he made a coffee run in Beverly Hills Sampras, who retired over two decades ago in 2002, is well-known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time Pete Sampras was seen out and about during a rare public appearance. The former tennis star, 53, was spotted making a coffee run in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, June 3. Sampras wore a dark gray Nike T-shirt and gray shorts while he carried two drinks in a beverage holder in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. Advertisement The athlete was last seen publicly in December 2024. Before that, he made a rare public appearance at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open, where he played with Novak Djokovic in an exhibition match. London Entertainment / SplashNews Pete Sampras on June 3. Pete Sampras on June 3. Sampras — also referred to as 'Pistol Pete' for his serve — is well-known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He began his professional tennis career in 1988, when he was 16 years old. Sampras retired in 2002 after winning a then-record 14 Grand Slam titles and ending the year ranked as the ATP No. 1 player in the world from 1993 to 1998. The Hall-of-Famer, inducted in 2007, famously won seven Wimbledon titles, five U.S. Open championships and two Australian Opens over the course of his illustrious career. Advertisement Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Dimitri Iundt/Corbis/VCG via Getty Pete Sampras in 1990 Pete Sampras in 1990 In recent years, Sampras has remained largely away from the public eye. Back in October 2023, he revealed that his wife Bridgette Wilson-Sampras had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In a statement released via the AP Tour on X, Sampras said, "As most have come to know, I am a pretty quiet and private person. However, this past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family, and I have decided to share what's been going on." Advertisement "Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer," Sampras continued at the time. "Since then, she has had major surgery, pushed through chemotherapy and continues with targeted maintenance therapy." CAROL NEWSOM/AFP via Getty Pete Sampras after defeating Andre Agassi on Sept. 9, 1990 Pete Sampras after defeating Andre Agassi on Sept. 9, 1990 The tennis star further opened up about how "hard" it was to "watch someone you love go through a challenge like this," and praised the couple's sons, Christian and Ryan, for "stepping up" and being "such strong supporters" for their parents. Sampras also shared praise for Wilson-Sampras in his statement, calling her an "incredible mom and wife through it all." Advertisement Sampras has been with his wife, a former actress who starred in movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Wedding Planner, since 1999. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! The couple was introduced by former Los Angeles Lakers Vice President of Public Relations John Black. Sampras asked Black to connect him with Bridgette after seeing her in a film, which he shared in his 2008 book, A Champion's Mind. 'There was a bright spot to that otherwise terrible late summer — my injury was directly responsible for my wife and me meeting,' Sampras wrote. 'While I was hurt, I was watching this movie, Love Stinks, with a friend, John Black. Bridgette Wilson, an actress in the film, caught my eye. Actually, she blew me away when I saw her. I thought she was stunning.' Read the original article on People
