?I Wasn?t Ready To Deal With It Alone? ? Tennis Legend Pete Sampras Finally Breaks Silence on Mental Health Ahead of US Open 2022

Pete Sampras won the US Open in 2002 and retired with the most Grand Slam singles championships by a male tennis player in history at the time. Despite being a member of the golden American generation that included Agassi, Chang, and Courier, Sampras was the very last of them to break into the top ten. In a recent interview, Sampras talked about mental health and how it was regarded as inconsequential during his time.

Sampras lacked the craze that other athletes during his time did. He was more composed in his behavior and on-court actions while playing some mesmerizing tennis. More importantly, Pete proved to the tennis world that taking care of oneself was acceptable.

Sampras talks about mental health

Pete Sampras addressed the issue of mental health faced by tennis players nowadays and how it was difficult for him to cope during this time in a recent interview with L’Equipe. In his career, he has also had to deal with the pressure of competing at the highest level. Sampras usually stays away from the spotlight and it shows how important a topic mental health has become, when the 14-time Grand Slam champ has spoken about it himself.

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He said, “I grew up in a time when mental health didn’t make the headlines. I wasn’t ready to deal with it alone. I would have liked to be accompanied. In the 90s, it was not fashionable to share his feelings. You had to shut up and move on.” (Translated using Google Translate)

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Being the best in a sport where mental toughness is constantly put to the test is indescribably difficult. Perhaps because of this, he kept his distance from the sport since his departure, unlike former players who remain on the circuit as commentators or coaches.?

Pete Sampras’ outstanding career

Sampras began his pro career at the age of 16 in 1988. He began his career ranked 893rd in the world but quickly rose to the top 100 players after his amazing displays on the court.

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He defeated Andre Agassi in 1990, becoming him the youngest winner of the US Open at the time. A few years later, he was named the finest tennis player of the 1990s. His first World No.1 ranking came in 1993, and he held it for 286 weeks, including a record-setting six consecutive year-end No.1 finishes between 1993 and 1998 in the Open Era.

Pete Sampras won a total of 64 singles titles, including seven Wimbledon, two Australian Open, and five US Open titles. His playing career came to an end with the 2002 US Open.