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Fired up Motivation has Sampras looking to 2001
Updated: Monday January 15, 2001 7:02 PM
By Phil Jones, CNNSI.com
(CNNSI.com) -- When Pete Sampras hoisted the Wimbledon trophy in July after the duel at dusk with Patrick Rafter, he surpassed Roy Emerson as the all-time Grand Slam singles record holder in the men's game with 13. But with the Australian Open just around the corner Sampras isn't reflecting on past glories. He's simply anticipating future ones and perhaps overtaking a golf legend. "That is what will always drive me," Sampras said. "That is trying to add on to the 13 that I have. And Jack's record, that's Jack Nicklaus, has got the 18 [Grand Slam titles]. So that's always been a kind of a fantasy of mine to maybe break that record. Why not? But that won't be easy so [I hope] to just keep it going and see myself playing this game for many, many years. "Even though I'm turning 30 which I still think is pretty young. In tennis years you're getting a little bit up there so I need challenges. I need stuff out there to kind of keep me going. And the majors are always do that for me." The year 2000 was a year for Sampras on a couple of fronts. Professionally it was winning the title at Wimbledon and in the process establishing the aforementioned Grand Slam record. Personally, it was his marriage to actress Bridgette Wilson. In a word, Sampras described the year as "memorable." "Wimbledon was a huge event and achievement, breaking the record" he says. "All the pressure and the pressure I put on myself to break the record and I wanted to do it. But even more so, having my parents there and the way it ended, it was the way I've always wanted it. It was kind of a dream come true. [I] did pretty well in the U.S. Open, [but] came up a little bit short against [Marat] Safin.
But that was to be the end of the disappointments. "Then a month later on September 30 I tied the knot. A great ceremony at my house, I had a fun night and then went on a nice honeymoon." And now he says he's reaching a stage in his life where his future is becoming more important. "I'm really looking forward and excited about that next chapter in my life and settling down and having a family one day," he said. "It's something that isn't about tennis, isn't about setting goals. It's about life and my future." Touching on that U.S. Open final defeat by Safin, is to touch on something of a raw nerve. But when Sampras came out to face the young Russian at the season-ending Masters Cup in Portugal, there was a look in the American's eye which smacked of revenge. And he got it winning 6-3, 6-2. "It was a big match," Sampras remembers. "Either I win or go home. It was pretty simple. But having happened what happened at the U.S. Open, I mean I was pretty much overpowered by Marat (4-6, 3-6, 3-6). And it didn't sit well with me. I'm competitive and I definitely remember my losses much more than my wins. So I went up there very focused, very determined and I think he felt the pressure a little bit with the ranking and everything. And he didn't play quite as well and I played great. "Rarely have I ever gotten blown away like that at the Open in my career. It's happened a couple of times but not in that type of setting. And he did it and I was like, 'Okay, I'm looking forward to playing him again.' And obviously things went a little bit better the second time around." Revenge is sweet? "Revenge is sweet sometimes, definitely," Sampras said with a smile. The immediate future of men's tennis in the United States might not be though unless someone emerges to fill the void which will eventually be left by Sampras and Andre Agassi. "After Andre and I are done and Todd Martin, for the Americans it's a little bit thin," said Sampras. "No disrespect to the next guys coming up, but I see the game going towards Australia, towards Spain and Europe. And you see a lot of those guys dominating the game, [like] Safin and (Yevgeny) Kafelnikov. "We have some good young American players, but when the day comes when we're not winning Slams and we're not No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, the media will kind of bash men's tennis. And so it is a concern." The next concern for Sampras is the Australian Open at the start of 2001 where he'll continue that fantasy quest for Jack's magical major record.
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