Pete Sampras... A Champion's Mind...
2009 may become known as the year of the tennis player memoirs with Monica Seles, Serena Williams and Andre Agassi publishing books. In 2008, Pete Sampras wrote his take on his career and legacy, “Pete Sampras A Champion’s Mind.” Pete describes the inner belief and confidence he developed which carried him through many tough matches, as well as his
work to improve his fitness and mental fortitude. Sampras knew he had talent, i.e. the “Gift” but he recognized that he needed to learn how to “dig deep” if he was going to be a champion. Sampras also describes his ability to erase bad memories and develop selective short-term memory. The book traces Sampras’s life and tennis career and details Pete’s relationships with the various coaches who helped him throughout his career including Robert Lansdorp, Tim Gullickson and Paul Annacone. Sampras also describes his early family life and later his marriage to Bridgette Wilson.
In this year when the Number One ranking has changed hands on both the men’s and women’s Tour, Sampras describes his focus on earning the year-end Number One ranking for a record six straight years. Sampras wanted to achieve the Grand Slam record as well, but one feels a sense reading the book that the Number One ranking mattered a lot to him as well. As the ranking flip flops in 2009 have illustrated, a player needs to not only play a lot of non-Slam tournaments, but play well in them, in order to achieve the Number One ranking. Finally, Sampras also comments on his various rivals and describes his respect for Andre Agassi in particular and their great rivalry. In a fascinating appendix, Sampras comments on each of his chief rivals’ games and the challenges he felt playing against them. The book is worth a fast read for all tennis fans, especially Sampras fans.
In this year when the Number One ranking has changed hands on both the men’s and women’s Tour, Sampras describes his focus on earning the year-end Number One ranking for a record six straight years. Sampras wanted to achieve the Grand Slam record as well, but one feels a sense reading the book that the Number One ranking mattered a lot to him as well. As the ranking flip flops in 2009 have illustrated, a player needs to not only play a lot of non-Slam tournaments, but play well in them, in order to achieve the Number One ranking. Finally, Sampras also comments on his various rivals and describes his respect for Andre Agassi in particular and their great rivalry. In a fascinating appendix, Sampras comments on each of his chief rivals’ games and the challenges he felt playing against them. The book is worth a fast read for all tennis fans, especially Sampras fans.
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