Editing Pete Sampras (section)

==Professional career==

===1988: Turning professional===
Sampras turned professional in 1988, at the age of 16, and finished the year ranked world No. 97 after starting the year at No. 893.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pete Sampras' Rankings History for 1988|url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/rankings-history|website=Official ATP World Tour website|access-date=February 7, 2017|archive-date=February 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207063340/http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/rankings-history|url-status=live}}</ref> His first professional match was a loss to [[Sammy Giammalva Jr.]] at the February [[U.S. Pro Indoor|Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor]] in [[Philadelphia]]. However, just one week later, at the [[Lipton International Players Championships]] in [[Miami Masters|Miami]], Sampras defeated two top-40 players, before losing to No. 18 [[Emilio Sánchez]]. He did not defeat another top-40 player for almost six months, at which point he defeated No. 39 [[Michiel Schapers]] at a US Open warm-up tournament in [[ATP Rye Brook|Rye Brook, New York]]. In his first Grand Slam singles match, Sampras lost to No. 69 [[Jaime Yzaga]] of [[Peru]] in the first round of the [[1988 U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]]. Sampras did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, although he did record wins over No. 79 [[Jim Courier]] in their first career match-up, along with defeating No. 8 [[Tim Mayotte]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/player-activity?year=1988 |title=1988 Player Activity for Pete Sampras |work=[[ATP World Tour]] |access-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119060618/http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/player-activity?year=1988 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1989: First major match wins===
The following year, Sampras slightly improved his ranking to a year-ending No. 81.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pete Sampras' Rankings History for 1989|url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/rankings-history|website=Official ATP World Tour website|access-date=7 February 2017|archive-date=February 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207063340/http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/rankings-history|url-status=live}}</ref> He lost in the first round of the [[1989 Australian Open – Men's singles|1989 Australian Open]] to [[Christian Saceanu]] and, at that year's French Open, won a Grand Slam singles match for the first time in his career; in the second round he lost to eventual champion and fellow American teenager [[Michael Chang]] in their first career match-up. A few weeks later, Sampras lost in the first round of Wimbledon to [[Todd Woodbridge]]. At the [[1989 U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]], Sampras defeated defending champion and fifth-seeded [[Mats Wilander]] in the second round before losing to No. 13 [[Jay Berger]] in the fourth round. To end the year, Sampras lost in the first round in four consecutive tournaments.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/player-activity?year=1989 |title=1989 Player Activity for Pete Sampras |work=[[ATP World Tour]] |access-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119060559/http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/player-activity?year=1989 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1990: US Open champion===
He lost to Wilander in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open, Sampras upset twelfth-ranked Mayotte in the first round before losing to thirteenth-ranked [[Yannick Noah]] in the fourth round in four sets. His first professional singles title came in February at the Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor in Philadelphia, where he defeated sixth-ranked [[Andre Agassi]], eighth-ranked Mayotte, and eighteenth-ranked [[Andrés Gómez]] in the final. This title elevated his ranking into the top 20 for the first time. Sampras finished 1990 at No. 5, having started the year ranked No. 61 just prior to the start of the Australian Open.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pete Sampras' Rankings History for 1990|url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/rankings-history|website=Official ATP World Tour website|access-date=7 February 2017|archive-date=February 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207063340/http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/rankings-history|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sampras did not play in the 1990 French Open and again lost in the first round of Wimbledon, this time to [[Christo van Rensburg]]. Sampras played seven consecutive weeks during the North American summer hard-court season. He defeated [[John McEnroe]] in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, but then lost to Chang in the semifinals. He also reached the semifinals of the tournament in Los Angeles, where he lost to No. 2 [[Stefan Edberg]]. He did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, losing to Chang, [[Richey Reneberg]], and [[Goran Ivanišević]].

In September, Sampras (youngest male player ever) captured his first Grand Slam title, at the [[1990 U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]]. Along the way, he defeated sixth-ranked [[Thomas Muster]] in the fourth round and third-ranked [[Ivan Lendl]] in a five-set quarterfinal, breaking Lendl's streak of eight consecutive US Open finals. He then defeated 20th-ranked McEnroe in a four-set semifinal to set up a final with fourth-ranked Agassi. Sampras beat Agassi in straight sets to become the US Open's youngest-ever male singles champion at the age of 19 years and 28 days.<ref>Srinivasan, 2007, ''Bio-Sporting Legends'', p. 83.</ref> He played five more tournaments and won the [[Grand Slam Cup]] to complete his year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/player-activity?year=1990 |title=1990 Player Activity for Pete Sampras |work=[[ATP World Tour]] |access-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119060602/http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/player-activity?year=1990 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1991: Year-end title===
[[File:Pete Sampras.jpg|thumb|Sampras in 1992]]
In 1991, Sampras captured the first of his five career titles at the year-end [[1991 ATP Tour World Championships|Tennis Masters Cup]]. Upon entering the [[1991 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] as the defending champion that year, he caused controversy when, after losing in the quarterfinals to [[Jim Courier]], Sampras said that he was not disappointed and felt relieved that the pressure to defend his title was no longer on him. This led to widespread criticism, which included disparaging remarks from Courier and [[Jimmy Connors]].<ref name="ESPN">{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00016453.html |last=Schwartz |first=Larry |title=Sampras competes against best – ever |access-date=February 20, 2008 |publisher=ESPN |archive-date=March 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320212017/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016453.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1992: First Masters title===
In 1992, Sampras reached the quarterfinals of the [[1992 French Open|French Open]] for the first of three consecutive years, made it to the [[1992 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] semifinals, and was the runner-up at the [[1992 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] to [[Stefan Edberg]]. Sampras later stated that his loss in the US Open final that year was a "wake-up call" and that he needed to figure out how to become the world No. 1.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/sports/tennis/15tennis.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sampras+open+1992&st=nyt&oref=slogin |title=Upon Hall of Fame Induction, Sampras Says a Loss Spurred Wins |agency=Associated Press |date=July 15, 2007 |access-date=February 20, 2008 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511211540/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/sports/tennis/15tennis.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sampras+open+1992&st=nyt&oref=slogin |url-status=live }}</ref> He also played doubles with [[John McEnroe]] on the [[USA Davis Cup team|US team]] that won the [[Davis Cup]] on home soil, beating Switzerland 3-1.

1992 was also the year when Sampras made his only competitive appearance at the Olympics. The event was played on clay, his worst surface. Nonetheless, Sampras advanced to the third round before giving up a two-set lead and losing to [[Andrei Cherkasov]] of Russia.

===1993: Two major titles, world No. 1 ===
Sampras reached the semifinals of the [[1993 Australian Open|Australian Open]] in early 1993, losing again to Stefan Edberg and matching the previous year's quarterfinal performance at the French Open. In April 1993, Sampras attained the No. 1 ranking for the first time. His rise to the top of the rankings was controversial because he had not recently won any Grand Slam titles,<ref name=Auto>{{cite book |title=A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis |last=Sampras |first=Pete |author2=Peter Bodo |year=2008 |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-307-38329-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/championsmindles00samp/page/92 92] |url=https://archive.org/details/championsmindles00samp/page/92 }}</ref> but he justified his ranking three months later by claiming his first of seven [[1993 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] titles, beating former world No. 1 and fellow American [[Jim Courier]] in the final. This was followed by his second [[1993 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] title. He finished the year as the clear No. 1 and set a new [[ATP Tour]] record that year by becoming the first player to serve more than 1,000 aces in a season.

===1994: Australian and Wimbledon titles===
Sampras won the first of two Australian Open titles in 1994, defeating American [[Todd Martin]] in the final. He then defended his Wimbledon later that year, beating Ivanisevic in the final.  Criticisms were made about the length of the points, as only three rallies contained more than five shots.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/04/sports/tennis-sampras-is-on-a-roll-right-into-the-history-books.html |title=TENNIS; Sampras Is on a Roll, Right Into the History Books |last=Finn |first=Robin |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 4, 1994 |access-date=February 10, 2021 |archive-date=June 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607155914/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/04/sports/tennis-sampras-is-on-a-roll-right-into-the-history-books.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1995: Wimbledon and US titles, world No. 1===
In 1995, Sampras battled for the world No. 1 ranking with compatriot Andre Agassi, whom he faced in two grand slam finals. He won two grand slam titles on the year and was the key figure for champion United States in the [[1995 Davis Cup|Davis Cup]], beating Russia in the final in Moscow, 3–2. Sampras was included in all of the three wins. After the opening match (a 5-set thriller against Chesnokov) Sampras was so exhausted that he collapsed and needed help to get into the locker room.

Sampras experienced one of the most emotional matches of his career against Courier in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/hovav13/art-The_Night_Pete_Cried.html |title=Old friends battle it out to the death |author=[[Bud Collins]] |date=January 26, 1995 |access-date=June 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808231306/http://geocities.com/hovav13/art-The_Night_Pete_Cried.html |archive-date=August 8, 2009}}</ref> Sampras' longtime coach and close friend, [[Tim Gullikson]], had mysteriously collapsed during the tournament and was forced to return to the United States. Gullikson was later diagnosed with brain cancer, to which he succumbed the following year. Saddened by Gullikson's illness, Sampras began visibly weeping during the match when a spectator shouted at Sampras, urging him to win it for Gullikson. Sampras nevertheless managed to defeat Courier, but lost the final to Andre Agassi in four sets. [[Paul Annacone]] took over as Sampras' full-time coach after Gullikson's illness made it impossible for him to continue coaching.<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news|author1=Jennifer Frey|title=With Dedication, Sampras Aces Third U.S. Open|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/memories/1995/95ten3.htm|newspaper=Washington Post|date=September 11, 1995|access-date=September 8, 2017|archive-date=August 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809145214/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/memories/1995/95ten3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sampras defeated Agassi in the final at Indian Wells and then won his third straight Wimbledon title over [[Boris Becker]]. Sampras lost in the final of the Canadian Masters to Agassi and then beat Agassi in the final of the US Open.<ref name="washingtonpost.com" />

===1996: Only Wimbledon loss over eight years===
In the year's first major, the Australian Open, the top-seeded Sampras lost to the unseeded [[Mark Philippoussis]] 6–4, 7–6<sup>(11–9)</sup>, 7–6<sup>(7–3)</sup> in the tournament's third round. Sampras had what would end up being his best run ever at that year's French Open, defeating two past former champions [[Sergi Bruguera]] and Jim Courier (in 5 sets on both occasions and overcoming a 2–0 deficit against the latter) before losing in a semifinal match to the eventual winner, [[Yevgeny Kafelnikov]], 7–6<sup>(7–4)</sup>, 6–0, 6–2.

In the eight Wimbledons inclusive between 1993 and 2000, 1996 was the only year that Sampras would fail to win the tournament. Sampras lost in the quarterfinals that year to the 17th-seed and eventual champion [[Richard Krajicek]], who defeated Sampras 7–5, 7–6<sup>(7–3)</sup>, 6–4.

In the quarterfinals of the US Open, Sampras vomited on the court at 1–1 in the final set tiebreak (due to dehydration) while facing [[Àlex Corretja]]; nonetheless, Sampras would win that match. Sampras advanced to the finals, where he defeated No. 2 [[Michael Chang]] to defend his US Open title.

Sampras finished off the year by claiming the season-ending ATP Tour World Championship for the third time in his career.

===1997: Australian and Wimbledon titles===
Sampras won his second Australian Open title in January, defeating [[Carlos Moyá]] in the final.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tennis: Sampras barely breaks sweat |first=Derrick |last=White |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis-sampras-barely-breaks-sweat-1285366.html |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent Print Limited |date=January 27, 1997 |access-date=May 9, 2012 |location=London |archive-date=December 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216005147/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis-sampras-barely-breaks-sweat-1285366.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In July, he won Wimbledon for the fourth time, defeating [[Cédric Pioline]] in the final.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tennis: Wimbledon '97 – Sparkling Sampras reigns supreme |first=John |last=Roberts |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis-wimbledon-97--sparkling-sampras-reigns-supreme-1249417.html |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent Print Limited |date=July 7, 1997 |access-date=May 9, 2012 |location=London |archive-date=September 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906051952/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis-wimbledon-97--sparkling-sampras-reigns-supreme-1249417.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Sampras also won singles titles in [[SAP Open|San Jose]], Philadelphia, [[Western & Southern Financial Group Masters|Cincinnati]], [[Grand Slam Cup|Munich]], and [[BNP Paribas Masters|Paris]], and the [[Tennis Masters Cup|ATP Tour World Championships]] in [[Hanover]], Germany. He became the only player to win both the [[Grand Slam Cup]] and the [[Tennis Masters Cup|ATP Tour World Championships]] in the same year.

He had a 10–1 win–loss record against top-10 opponents and was undefeated in eight singles finals. He held the [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players|No. 1 ranking]] for the entire year and joined [[Jimmy Connors]] (1974–1978) as the only male players to hold the year-end No. 1 ranking for five consecutive years. His prize money earnings of US$6,498,211 for the year was a career high.

===1998: Wimbledon title, six straight years No. 1 ===
In 1998, Sampras's No. 1 ranking was challenged by Chilean player [[Marcelo Ríos]]. Sampras failed to defend his [[1998 Australian Open|Australian Open]] title, losing in the quarterfinals to [[Karol Kučera]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Sport: Tennis – Pistol Pete fired from Open |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/tennis/51026.stm |work=[[BBC Sport]] |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=January 27, 1998 |access-date=May 8, 2012 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904072527/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/tennis/51026.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> and won [[1998 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] only after a hard-fought five-set victory over [[Goran Ivanišević]].

Sampras lost in the final of the Cincinnati Masters to [[Patrick Rafter]] after a controversial line call. Sampras faced Rafter again in the semifinals of the [[1998 US Open (tennis)|US Open]], losing in five sets after sustaining injury while leading the match two sets to one, and Rafter went on to win his second consecutive US Open title. Sampras lost another semifinal at the Tennis Masters Cup to eventual champion [[Àlex Corretja]]. Nevertheless, Sampras finished the year as the top-ranked player for the sixth year in a row.

===1999: Wimbledon title===
The year started with a withdrawal from the Australian Open due to fatigue, and Sampras failed to win a title during the early part of the season.<ref name="independent.co.uk">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis-sampras-pulls-out-of-australian-open-1044666.html|title=Tennis: Sampras pulls out of Australian Open|work=The Independent|location=London|access-date=January 6, 2021|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111044634/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis-sampras-pulls-out-of-australian-open-1044666.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, he then went on a 24-match winning streak encompassing the [[1999 Stella Artois Championships – Singles|Stella Artois Championships]], [[1999 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] (equaling [[Roy Emerson]]'s record of 12 Grand Slam singles titles), [[Countrywide Classic|Los Angeles]], and [[1999 Great American Insurance ATP Championships – Singles|Cincinnati]] (a rematch of the previous year's final with Patrick Rafter). Sampras' victory over [[Andre Agassi]] in the Wimbledon final is often cited as one of the greatest performances in a Wimbledon final.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/wimbledon/Story/0,,206142,00.html |title=Sampras the ultimate grass master |last=Bierley |first=Stephen |work=The Guardian |access-date=February 10, 2021 |archive-date=June 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603184730/https://www.theguardian.com/wimbledon/Story/0,,206142,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite this—on account of a herniated disc in his back forcing retirements at the [[1999 RCA Championships – Singles|RCA Championships]] and the [[1999 US Open – Men's singles|US Open]]—he lost his no. 1 ranking to Agassi the following day, when the ATP Tour rankings were updated.

Sampras' ranking was hurt by a combination of withdrawing from the Australian and US Opens, tournaments in which he had strong performances during the previous year, and the resurgence of longtime rival Agassi, putting an end to Sampras' six consecutive years of finishing as world No. 1. Agassi took over the top ranking and held it for the rest of the season, but Sampras recovered and managed to beat Agassi in the [[1999 ATP Tour World Championships|year-end championships]] for the fifth and final time, enabling him to remain third in the rankings.

===2000:  13 majors and return to No. 1===
Sampras reached the semifinals of the [[2000 Australian Open|Australian Open]] in early 2000, falling to the eventual champion Agassi in a five-set match. He won the [[Miami Masters|Ericsson Open]] for the third time in March. After getting knocked out in the first round at the French Open, he won his seventh and final title  at [[2000 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]], battling through tendinitis in his right shin and a painful back injury in the process equalling the then all time gentleman's singles title record of William Renshaw. In the final, Sampras was a set down and 4-1 down in the second set tie break against [[Patrick Rafter]], but went on to win in four sets.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Boston Globe, 10 July 2000 |date=July 10, 2000 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/428197193 |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 7, 2020 |archive-date=June 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607162157/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/428197193/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This was his 13th Grand Slam singles title, breaking [[List of Grand Slam related tennis records#Chronological titles leaders|the all-time record]] of [[Roy Emerson]] that had stood for over 30 years.

In the [[2000 U.S. Open (tennis)|2000 US Open]], Sampras overcame [[Richard Krajicek]] in four sets at the quarterfinals (including a comeback from 2-6 down in a tiebreaker), and upcoming star [[Lleyton Hewitt]] in the semi-finals, but lost the final to [[Marat Safin]].<ref>{{cite news|author1=Selena Roberts|title=U.S. Open; Sampras Awakes To Stop Krajicek|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/07/sports/us-open-sampras-awakes-to-stop-krajicek.html?_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 7, 2000|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=April 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406103424/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/07/sports/us-open-sampras-awakes-to-stop-krajicek.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref> Sampras' run to the final briefly returned him to the No. 1 ranking, but [[Gustavo Kuerten]] ended the year atop the rankings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/rankings/singles?rankDate=2000-09-11|title=Rankings: ATP Tour|access-date=July 31, 2016|archive-date=February 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205190659/http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/rankings/singles?rankDate=2000-09-11|url-status=live}}</ref> This would be the last time Sampras was ranked No. 1, extending his ATP record career total to 286 weeks. (The record was surpassed by [[Roger Federer]] in 2012.)

===2001: Drop in ranking===
Sampras' 31-match Wimbledon win streak ended in a five set loss to [[Roger Federer]], aged 19, in the [[2001 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|fourth round]]; this was the only time the two tennis legends ever played an official professional match. At the [[2001 U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]], Sampras reached the final but lost in straight sets to [[Lleyton Hewitt]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/2001/us_open/news/2001/09/09/usopen_sunday_ap/ |title=Hewitt has the answer |date=September 10, 2001 |access-date=2021-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808172705/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/2001/us_open/news/2001/09/09/usopen_sunday_ap/ |archive-date=August 8, 2011 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Overall, this season was the first in 12 years that Sampras did not win a single title, and he finished the year ranked No. 10, also his lowest since 1989.

===2002: 14th major and retirement===
In 2002, Sampras suffered an early exit from Wimbledon, losing in the second round to No. 145 fast-court specialist [[George Bastl]] of Switzerland. After that loss, Sampras asked his former coach [[Paul Annacone]] to return and coach through the US Open.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/usopen12/story/_/id/8345414/us-open-day-pete-sampras-fire-returned |title=The day Pete Sampras' fire returned |last=Garber |first=Greg |date=September 6, 2012 |access-date=February 10, 2021 |archive-date=May 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508070702/http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen12/story/_/id/8345414/us-open-day-pete-sampras-fire-returned |url-status=live }}</ref> Sampras had a relatively poor summer leading up to the [[2002 US Open (tennis)|US Open]], losing at Cincinnati to No. 70-ranked [[Wayne Arthurs (tennis)|Wayne Arthurs]] in the second round, and then was eliminated at the opening round at Long Island by No. 85. [[Paul-Henri Mathieu]].

At the [[2002 US Open (tennis)|US Open]], Sampras was seeded 17th. [[Greg Rusedski]], whom Sampras had defeated in a long five-set third round match at the US Open, said that Sampras was "a step and a half slower" and predicted that Sampras would lose his next match. Sampras, however, then defeated two young stars, [[Tommy Haas]] in the fourth round and [[Andy Roddick]] in the quarterfinals. He then defeated [[Sjeng Schalken]] in the semifinals to reach his third straight US Open final, and eighth US Open final overall, tying [[Ivan Lendl]]'s all-time record. This time, he faced Agassi, whom he had met in his very first Grand Slam final 12 years earlier. After a four-set battle between the two veterans, Sampras claimed a then-record 14th Grand Slam singles title and matched [[Jimmy Connors]]' Open Era record of five US Open singles championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/2002/us_open/news/2002/09/08/us_open_ap/ |title=Remarkable recovery |date=September 9, 2002 |access-date=2021-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215210401/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/2002/us_open/news/2002/09/08/us_open_ap/ |archive-date=February 15, 2014 |df=mdy-all |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Sampras did not compete in any tour events in the following 12 months, but he did not officially announce his retirement until August 2003, just prior to the US Open.<ref name="cbsnews2003">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sampras-100-percent-retired/ |title=Sampras: '100 Percent Retired' |author=Jim Litke |publisher=[[CBS News]] |year=2003 |access-date=April 25, 2012 |archive-date=May 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512121546/http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-207_162-569619.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He chose not to defend his title there, but his retirement announcement was timed so that he could say farewell at a special ceremony organized for him at the Open.<ref name="cbsnews2003" /> He thus became the only man to win the final Grand Slam tournament at which he competed. At the time of his retirement, many regarded Sampras as the greatest player of all time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=503656 |title=Greatest Player Of All Time: A Statistical Analysis |author=Raymond Lee |publisher=[[Tennis Week]] |date=September 14, 2007 |access-date=June 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628080700/http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=503656 |archive-date=June 28, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Tennis magazine">{{cite web |url=http://www.tennis.com/features/40greatest/40greatest.aspx?id=194 |publisher=[[Tennis magazine]] |title=40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era |access-date=February 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814082556/http://www.tennis.com/features/40greatest/40greatest.aspx?id=194 |archive-date=August 14, 2009}}</ref>

===Career summary===
Sampras won 64 top-level singles titles (including 14 Grand Slam titles, 11 [[ATP Masters Series|Super 9/ATP Masters Series/ATP World Tour Masters 1000]] titles and five [[Tennis Masters Cup]] titles) and two doubles titles. He was ranked the [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players|world No. 1]] for a total of 286 weeks (the third most in the Open Era after [[Novak Djokovic]] and [[Roger Federer]]) and was year-end No. 1 for an ATP record six consecutive years from 1993 through 1998. He is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://lobandsmash.com/2021/01/11/pete-sampras-real-goat-eye-opening-debate/ | title=Was Pete Sampras the real GOAT? | date=January 11, 2021 | publisher=Lob and Smash | accessdate=24 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/pete-sampras | title=Among the best ever to wield a racquet | publisher=Tennis Hall of Fame | accessdate=24 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/olympics/longterm/tennis/sampras.htm | title=Pete Sampras career highlights | newspaper=Washington Post | accessdate=24 April 2024}}</ref>

Sampras was known for his natural attacking serve-and-volley game, all-round game, and strong competitive instinct. Sampras's best surface was undoubtedly the fast-playing grass courts,<ref group=lower-alpha>based on total wins per surface.</ref> Sampras won seven Wimbledon Gentleman's Singles titles (1993–95, 1997–2000), broken only by a loss in the 1996 quarterfinals to eventual winner [[Richard Krajicek]]. Sampras's seven Wimbledon Gentleman's Singles titles, tied with [[William Renshaw]] and [[Novak Djokovic]], has only been surpassed by Federer who won a record eighth Gentleman's Singles title in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/draws_archive/champions/gentlemenssingles.html |title=Gentleman's Singles |website=www.wimbledon.com |access-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-date=January 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200121032935/https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/draws_archive/champions/gentlemenssingles.html |url-status=live }}</ref>  Sampras is lauded by many tennis analysts as one of the greatest male grass-court players of all time.<ref name="theguardian.com"/> Sampras also shares the record of five US Open titles in the Open Era with [[Jimmy Connors]] and Federer. He won back-to-back US Open titles in 1995 and 1996, despite vomiting on the court at 1–1 in the final set tiebreak due to dehydration in the 1996 quarterfinals against [[Àlex Corretja]]. Combined with his two Australian Open titles, this gave Sampras a total of fourteen majors won on grass and hard courts.

Sampras's only real weakness was on clay courts, where the slow surface tempered his natural attacking serve-and-volley game. His best performance at the French Open came in 1996, when he lost a semifinal match to the eventual winner, [[Yevgeny Kafelnikov]]. Despite his limited success at Roland Garros, Sampras did win some significant matches on clay. He won a 1992 clay court tournament in Kitzbühel, defeating [[Alberto Mancini]] in the final. He won the prestigious [[Rome Masters|Italian Open]] in 1994, defeating [[Boris Becker]] in the final, and two singles matches in the 1995 Davis Cup final against Russians [[Andrei Chesnokov]] and [[Yevgeny Kafelnikov]] in Moscow. Sampras also won a 1998 clay court tournament in Atlanta, defeating [[Jason Stoltenberg]] in the final.