【Tennis】7月號特集：Sampras Speaks (三)
Q: Can you talk about that ending a little bit, it was kind of surprising.
Were you able to appreciate what you did right away?
A: I think it was the happiest I’ve ever been. Hell yeah. I enjoyed other
majors and there were great moments but this meant more to me because
of where I came from. After Wimbledon of that year, I was as low as
I’ve ever been [Sampras had lost in the second round]. I had no
continuity with my coaching, people were blaming my marriage, even my
wife.
It was a burden on our marriage. I got back from Wimbledon and was
talking to Bridgette, and I said, “Maybe it’s just time to stop.”
I wasn’t having fun, I’m dealing with all this negative energy around
me. And she just said, “You know, I’m not going to say anything, just
promise me one thing: When you stop, it’ll be on your own terms. Don’t
stop based on what media or people in tennis think, do it on own terms.”
I needed to hear that. I got back together with Paul, and he reminded me
who I am and helped me with confidence. You know, you get a little older,
struggle with your confidence a bit, get a little less secure. You start
believing some of the things you’re reading. I felt like I had some more
left in me. I wanted most importantly to prove one more thing to myself.
I’d done a lot, the way I’ve always been, I’ve set goals in my head.
I said, I want to win one more, and I won’t stop until I do.
I surprised a lot of people. I felt vindication. It seemed that every
interview or press conference was about stopping. I feel like all the
time I’ve been around the game, people still didn’t get to know me.
I remember at the Hamlet [before the 2002 U.S. Open], I was struggling.
I said “I’m gonna win the Open.” And I could see that the reporters
were just smirking. I felt I shut that all up in two weeks. And I really
felt that final versus Andre was best I ever played. The first two sets,
if you compare it to the ’95 final we played? I was a 10 times better
player.
Q: Do you miss the applause?
A: You miss the hype, you miss walking out and seeing 20,000 people, ready
to see this clash. You make a great shot, you get an ovation, that’s
great. But even more, I miss [moments like when ] it’s 1:30 for a
2 o’clock final at Wimbledon, and you kind of miss that nervous,
you-want-to-throw-up feeling.
I miss being at Wimbledon and playing in the final. I miss that more
than I miss the others because it suited who I am. I’m a full-blown
American and I love the Open. But the W always has had a special place
in my heart. It makes me emotional, to think what I’ve done there. I
feel that’s our Super Bowl. The whole world’s watching. I miss that.
Wimbledon is the most unique event in the world. Actually, I got to
more finals at the Open, even though I haven’t won as many. I always
enjoyed the Open but always felt a little stressed out by the city.
I didn’t get the same sense of history you get at Wimbledon. I walked
out at Wimbledon knowing it hasn’t changed much since [Rod] Laver was
here or Pancho Gonzales or Fred Perry. It reminded me of the legends.
I was asked to go this year. They wanted me to come back on the middle
Saturday and sit in the Royal Box. I declined. I feel like it’s too
soon to go back there. I just want to take a step away. Maybe when my
boy’s a little older, 5 or 7 or 10. If I were sitting there now I’d
probably want to pull on some tennis shoes and jump down on the court,
thinking I can still beat some of those guys: “Hey, I still got it!
I still got the arm!”
Q: Were you a competition junkie, and do you miss it?
A: I’m pretty competitive only on a tennis court. I don’t need to win
every golf bet. That’s not in my nature. I’ve always left it on the
court. And in a lot of ways, only a few players made me feel competitive,
as opposed to just wanting to win.
I mean, [Jim] Courier, Andre, Boris [Becker], I knew them, we had
rivalries, it made me even more competitive than if I was playing some
journeyman. You know how Michael Jordan talks about how he’s got to win
at everything? I’m nowhere near that.
Q: You’re a poker player?
A: [Laughs] Yeah, you know, [former pro] Alex O’Brien lives over here.
Every now and then we get together and have a little poker game. We have
like five, six guys, and we play 3-on-3 basketball once a week or so. So
I’m trying to stay in shape a little bit. But basically, I haven’t
done a thing fitness-wise, and I enjoy not doing it. Eventually, I’ll
have to get into a gym, but I really don’t want to. I don’t want a
reminder of what I did for 25 years.
Q: A lot of guys bust loose, live the high life after they retire. Do you?
A: I’ve probably had more drinks in the last year than my whole career
because . . . because I can. But it’s never out of control, nothing too
crazy. I still enjoy that low-key life, home with my wife and kid. But
also, I worked hard for lots of years to do some things, so we do them.
We’ve gone to Mexico a few times, the Bahamas. Just to have some fun,
lay on the beach, hang out, play a little golf.
Q: Do you get recognized or hassled?
A: We stay in areas that are pretty private, where we get left alone. But
I’m still recognized. When you’re in your sport, you’re not out in
the public a lot. It’s hotel, arena, airport. Now that I’m out there
more, I get an appreciation that people saw what I did. People recognize
you, you know you made it onto their radar screen.
I play golf four or five times a week, it’s been kind of a passion.
I’ve made friends—you’ve got to, so you put yourself out more. I met
Mark McGwire, not to drop names, but I met a bunch of athletes up at
Lake Tahoe. McGwire’s kind of in the same boat, he just retired. He’s
come out here to play golf.
My family is here in L.A., too. Long-time friends as well. I never
really had any friends on the tour—just a couple, maybe. Now that I’m
in L.A., I see more people, make more of an effort. Also, we bought a
home in Palm Springs. We met people there. The mentality is so different
from when I was playing, it’s almost like you didn’t have time for
people. I was so focused on what I was doing. I’d come to L.A. or
Florida [Sampras lived near Tampa early in his career] for three or four
days, go off again for three or four weeks. I couldn’t have someone
come visit me on the road, hang out, and go out to dinner. I wanted to
go with my coach to the same restaurant--that was my formula for success.
And that was a sacrifice. It wasn’t a normal life. It was pretty
single-minded. And that’s what you have to be, I believe, to be great.
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