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Sampras hangs up his racquet
Tennis player Pete Sampras announces his retirement, saying it's not easy.
It was only fitting that Pete Sampras should formalise his retirement from tennis at the scene of arguably his two greatest and most unexpected triumphs.
If stepping on to Wimbledon's centre court was akin to playing on his own front lawn, then Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows could have been Sampras' back yard.
He had a virtual mortgage on both.
He took some detours along the way but, between two of tennis's most celebrated venues, Sampras trod a path to sporting immortality.
Seven Wimbledon titles and five US Open crowns from eight finals appearances in New York, plus two successes at the Australian Open, made Sampras the most prolific grand slam winner in history.
His first major came at the 1990 US Open when, as a scrawny, baby-faced 19 years and 28 days young man, he became the youngest champion of all time, one of the many records he still holds.
His final - and his most unforgettable - major also came at the US Open in the last match of his incomparable career when, against all odds, he ended a 27-month title drought with victory in the 2002 final over his great rival Andre Agassi.
Sampras, 32, hasn't played since and never will again. He made that officially official in a special press conference and ceremony at Flushing Meadows.
"It's not painful. It's emotional. It's coming to terms with something that is a passion of mine that I love to do, that's been my life," he said, almost teary and trying not to choke up.
"To say goodbye to it, to say I'm not going to play again, not going to be out there on this court ... it's emotional.
"It's a closed chapter, but still part of me is out there.
"I'm also realistic in knowing that my time is done. I've done everything I can do. I'm at peace with stopping. It's time to move on. I know it's time in my heart."
While he intended to "watch my boy grow up and be a good husband", Sampras said he didn't retire because he now had a family.
"I'm retiring because I have nothing to prove to myself," he said.
"I've always had challenges ahead of me, either staying No.1 or winning majors.
"My biggest challenge was last year when I didn't win an event for a year-and-a-half (sic), and the challenge of winning one more.
"Once I did that, I felt I really have climbed a tall mountain.
"I'm content. I'm 100 per cent content with everything I've done."
He's done just about everything in the game.
Apart from his 14 grand slams, the American amassed a further 52 singles titles, reached 88 finals and maintained the world No.1 ranking for a phenomenal six straight years from 1993-98.
Among his countless other notable feats, Sampras in 1994 became the first player since Ivan Lendl fives years earlier to bag 10 titles in one season of utter dominance and he was the only player to a win a tournament every year between 1990-2000.
When he won acquired his seventh Wimbledon trophy in 2001, Sampras joined Bjorn Borg as the only two players to have won a grand slam for eight consecutive years.
But it was his stirring march to US Open glory last year that Sampras rated as "the highest" point of his brilliant career. It came just three months after his "saddest" moment, losing to Swiss battler George Bastl in the second round at Wimbledon.
At times, Sampras felt he played flawlessly and he nominated his straight-sets Wimbledon final victory over Agassi in 1999 as his finest performance.
"I played perfect tennis," he said.
"I just remember from 3-all to the rest of the match it's as good as I could play. I'll bottle that one up and save it. It's as good as I can play."
Yet, he refused to consider himself the best player of all time.
"I will never sit here and say I'm the greatest ever. I just won't," Sampras said.
"I feel like my game will match up against anybody. I played perfect tennis, in my mind, at times ... but it's hard to compare."
Sampras retired with no regrets, not even his failure to conquer the clay of the French Open to complete his full set of grand slam silverware overly fazes him.
"It's a disappointment not winning in Paris," he said. "It's one of those places that never really clicked.
"I would love to have won there. I feel like one year I had a chance there, but it didn't happen. It's something I don't worry about.
"You know, life goes on."
But not quite life as he has always known it.
©AAP 2003
Tennis player Pete Sampras announces his retirement, saying it's not easy.
It was only fitting that Pete Sampras should formalise his retirement from tennis at the scene of arguably his two greatest and most unexpected triumphs.
If stepping on to Wimbledon's centre court was akin to playing on his own front lawn, then Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows could have been Sampras' back yard.
He had a virtual mortgage on both.
He took some detours along the way but, between two of tennis's most celebrated venues, Sampras trod a path to sporting immortality.
Seven Wimbledon titles and five US Open crowns from eight finals appearances in New York, plus two successes at the Australian Open, made Sampras the most prolific grand slam winner in history.
His first major came at the 1990 US Open when, as a scrawny, baby-faced 19 years and 28 days young man, he became the youngest champion of all time, one of the many records he still holds.
His final - and his most unforgettable - major also came at the US Open in the last match of his incomparable career when, against all odds, he ended a 27-month title drought with victory in the 2002 final over his great rival Andre Agassi.
Sampras, 32, hasn't played since and never will again. He made that officially official in a special press conference and ceremony at Flushing Meadows.
"It's not painful. It's emotional. It's coming to terms with something that is a passion of mine that I love to do, that's been my life," he said, almost teary and trying not to choke up.
"To say goodbye to it, to say I'm not going to play again, not going to be out there on this court ... it's emotional.
"It's a closed chapter, but still part of me is out there.
"I'm also realistic in knowing that my time is done. I've done everything I can do. I'm at peace with stopping. It's time to move on. I know it's time in my heart."
While he intended to "watch my boy grow up and be a good husband", Sampras said he didn't retire because he now had a family.
"I'm retiring because I have nothing to prove to myself," he said.
"I've always had challenges ahead of me, either staying No.1 or winning majors.
"My biggest challenge was last year when I didn't win an event for a year-and-a-half (sic), and the challenge of winning one more.
"Once I did that, I felt I really have climbed a tall mountain.
"I'm content. I'm 100 per cent content with everything I've done."
He's done just about everything in the game.
Apart from his 14 grand slams, the American amassed a further 52 singles titles, reached 88 finals and maintained the world No.1 ranking for a phenomenal six straight years from 1993-98.
Among his countless other notable feats, Sampras in 1994 became the first player since Ivan Lendl fives years earlier to bag 10 titles in one season of utter dominance and he was the only player to a win a tournament every year between 1990-2000.
When he won acquired his seventh Wimbledon trophy in 2001, Sampras joined Bjorn Borg as the only two players to have won a grand slam for eight consecutive years.
But it was his stirring march to US Open glory last year that Sampras rated as "the highest" point of his brilliant career. It came just three months after his "saddest" moment, losing to Swiss battler George Bastl in the second round at Wimbledon.
At times, Sampras felt he played flawlessly and he nominated his straight-sets Wimbledon final victory over Agassi in 1999 as his finest performance.
"I played perfect tennis," he said.
"I just remember from 3-all to the rest of the match it's as good as I could play. I'll bottle that one up and save it. It's as good as I can play."
Yet, he refused to consider himself the best player of all time.
"I will never sit here and say I'm the greatest ever. I just won't," Sampras said.
"I feel like my game will match up against anybody. I played perfect tennis, in my mind, at times ... but it's hard to compare."
Sampras retired with no regrets, not even his failure to conquer the clay of the French Open to complete his full set of grand slam silverware overly fazes him.
"It's a disappointment not winning in Paris," he said. "It's one of those places that never really clicked.
"I would love to have won there. I feel like one year I had a chance there, but it didn't happen. It's something I don't worry about.
"You know, life goes on."
But not quite life as he has always known it.
©AAP 2003
