What Happened to Former Tennis Star Pete Sampras?

When you discuss the greatest tennis players of the last few decades, it’s hard not to mention Pete Sampras. The athlete went pro at 16 and won 14 Grand Slams before officially retiring in 2003. So where is Sampras now?

Pete Sampras began his professional tennis career in 1998

Born in Washington, D.C., Sampras started his tennis career as a teenager in 1988. He finished the year ranked No. 97 in the world after starting at No. 893. Sampras improved greatly in his first year playing against players older than him. In his first professional match, he lost to Sammy Giammalva, Jr. at the Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor in Philadelphia.

Sampras struggled to break through in his first several Grand Slam tournaments. Then, at the end of 1989, he improved his standing and ranked No. 81, entering the new year. 1990 was a big year for Sampras as he won his first major title at the U.S. Open. In the final round of the tournament, he matched up against fourth-ranked Andre Agassi. The 19-year-old beat Agassi in straight sets and became the youngest man to win the U.S. Open singles championship.

Sampras continued to succeed over the years. In 1993, Sampras became the No. 1 tennis player in the world. Three months later, he won his first Wimbledon title as he beat former world No. 1 player Jim Courier. At the end of the year, Sampras remained the No. 1 player and set a new ATP Tour record by becoming the first player to serve more than 1,000 aces in a season.

Sampras remained one of the top players in tennis for the majority of his career. He won 14 Grand Slams in total, including the Australian Open (1994 and 1997), Wimbledon (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000), and U.S. Open (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002).

Sampras continued to play until 2002. Though he did not have the same success he did in his early years, he still was one of the best players in the game. He reached his third straight U.S. Open final and eighth final overall in 2002. Twelve years since he faced Agassi at the U.S. Open in his first Grand Slam final, he matched up with him again once again. The pair battled for four sets before Sampras won his 14th Grand Slam singles title.

Sampras is regarded as one of the best tennis players ever. He finished with a singles career record of 762-222. Sampras held the No. 1 ranking for a total of 286 weeks.

Where is Pete Sampras now?

Now 51 years old, Sampras was named the 1997 U.S. Olympic Committee's Sportsman of the Year, GQ's 2000 Individual Athlete Award for Man of the Year, ESPN's No. 48 athlete of the Top 50 Greatest North American Athletes, and TENNIS Magazine's “greatest tennis player” from 1965-2005.

Sampras lives with his wife and former Miss Teen USA, Bridgette Wilson, in Lake Sherwood, California. They have two sons, Christian, born in 2002, and Ryan, born in 2005. A private person, Sampras hasn't updated Instagram since 2015 and never tweeted via his official Twitter account.

Todd Martin, the International Tennis Hall of Fame's CEO, told Sports Illustrated in 2021, “Pete has always been super, super-protective of his time. That hasn’t changed just because he’s no longer playing.”

Sampras is not interested in commentating on the sport he once dominated. These days, he spends time with his family, plays cards with friends, and golfs at Bel-Air Country Club. Sampras is worth $150 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Since 2006, Sampras has competed in many exhibition matches. Often to raise money for fundraisers and charities, the retired athlete has faced many tennis legends in these matches, including Roger Federer and John McEnroe.