Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras , 1971-, American tennis player, b. Washington, D.C. Learning the game in the Los Angeles area, he rose to world tennis supremacy after becoming the youngest man to win the U.S. Open, in 1990. Tall and long-armed, he was noted for his powerful serve and overhead as well as for his fluidity on the court. He won 14 Grand Slam events—the record for a male tennis player—including the 1990, 1993, 1995-96, and 2002 U.S. Opens, the 1993-95 and 1997-2000 Wimbledon titles, and the 1994 and 1997 Australian Opens. In the 1990s he was the male player most consistently ranked first in the world, and set a career record of 286 weeks at number one. He retired in 2003.

Sampras, Pete (1971– ) US tennis player. In 1990, Sampras became the youngest-ever winner of the US Open singles and also won the first Grand Slam Cup. He won Wimbledon seven times (1993–95, 1997–2000), the US Open three times (1993, 1995–96), and the Australian Open twice (1994, 1997).