Pete Sampras Quotes

Author Image

Pete Sampras

Profession : Athlete

Birth : August 12, 1971

People wrote me off, but I believed in myself. I got the confidence back, and it grew and grew. I won my first major and my last at the place that changed my life.

Pete Sampras

I don't look at myself as a historical icon, but the reality of it is, yeah, I am playing for history now.

Pete Sampras

I could be a jerk and get a lot more publicity, but that's not who I am.

Pete Sampras

I hate to lose, and I do whatever I can to win, and if it is ugly, it is ugly.

Pete Sampras

Andre Agassi was my rival in the '90s, and I think as we got older we sort of transcended the game. He was probably the best player I ever played over my career. There's a list of players that were tough, but Andre, certainly, he was the most unique.

Pete Sampras

After I went through two years of not winning an event, what kept me going was winning one more major. Once I won that last U.S. Open, I spent the next six months trying to figure out what was next. Slowly my passion for the sport just vanished. I had nothing left to prove.

Pete Sampras

It's not easy to retire at 31. In one respect I was glad I was done. But after a few years of having fun, I got a little restless. When you're 33, 34, and you don't have a focus, you can get kind of lost. As a man, you feel a little bit unfulfilled.

Pete Sampras

I've been into golf, trying to get into the gym to stay somewhat fit. I've got two boys now, they're active kids.

Pete Sampras

I can't just wake up and watch TV and do nothing. I need a day off working out, seeing the wife, play a little golf, see my kids.

Pete Sampras

Retirement is a work in progress. I try to figure out my day, and what I know about myself is that I need structure.

Pete Sampras

I've worked hard my whole life, since I was a little kid. But now it's a point in my life now where I can just enjoy it, but at the same time I still need to work.

Pete Sampras

I did it my way, and I have no regrets when I look back on my career that it was just a big focus for me.

Pete Sampras

When I committed to playing a little tennis in some exhibitions, it was the best thing for me. It got me in shape. It got me out of the house. It got me doing something I love to do.

Pete Sampras