Pete Sampras Speaks on Charlie Rose: On Retirement, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, And Much More!

Sampras Still Believes in Federer

I’ll be the first to admit it. I was never that huge a fan of Pete Sampras. Even at his prime, I always appreciated his accomplishments and his legacy but I never felt a deep connection to either his personality or his game. That is until I read his recent autobiograpahy “A Champion’s Mind”. It’s like the endorsements on the back cover say:

“Consider this book Sampras’ 15th Grand Slam. A thoroughly compelling read that–apart from retracing a gilded sport career–really probes the ‘hard drive’ of a champion. It’s as if all the emotion and insight that Sampras sometimes seemed reluctant to express during his playing days comes spilling forth.”
—Jon Wertheim, Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated and SI.com

Well said.

Now I can’t help but miss the guy more and more with every passing Grand Slam. Fortunately for us tennis fans, Sampras is all class. Yes, I believe a lot of Sampras’ silence is due to the fact that the guy just flat out doesn’t have an outgoing personality. He’s shy. Even when he yelled out the occasional “YES!” on court, it always sounded awkward.

Who the heck doesn’t have issues, right? But like I say, he’s all class.

So what a nice surprise when he was the second guest on one of my favorite shows last night. Charlie Rose is no pushover interviewer like the late night ass clowns who host the network late night shows. It’s honest, informative, engaging and above all, sincere.

Check out the interview and please go and check out Sampras’ book at your local library or buy it on Amazon. It’s a quick, fascinating read that makes not only tennis fans, but sports fans and fans of winners alike understand and appreciate what really goes into producing a great champion and winner.

cap

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