Pete Sampras

last update 2007-05-28
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Pete Sampras was born on August 12th, 1971 in Washington, D.C, the third son of Greek immigrants, Sam and Georgia Sampras. From an early age, Pete showed signs of outstanding athletic ability. The young Pete discovered a tennis racquet in the basement and spent hours hitting balls against the wall. In 1978, the Sampras family moved to Palos Verdes, California, and the warmer climate there allowed 7 year old Pete to play more tennis. The Sampras family joined the Peninsula Racquet Club, where they played a great deal of tennis together. It was here that Pete's ability became apparent. At the age of 11 he had already learned the solid serve and volley tactic that has become the hallmark of his game. Pete entered the professional game in 1988 as a 16-year old qualifier and had a game that was considered 'dangerous' by fellow competitors. During the 2 years that it took Pete to reach the World Top 10 he defeated several of the great tennis legends. In 1990 he won his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open. Along the way he defeated Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe with his dominating serve. At only 19 years 28 days, Pete Sampras was the youngest tennis player ever to win the U.S. Open Men's title. Pete set a new ATP Tour record in 1993 when he became the first player to serve over 1000 aces in a season. This feat helped him to win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and gained him his 'Pistol Pete' nickname. At the 2001 Wimbledon Championships, Pete Sampras will aim to equal Bjorn Borg's record 5 successive titles.