When tennis legend Pete Sampras stepped out to get coffee earlier this month, it was much more than just a grocery run for the 14-time Grand Slam champion.
The routine act represented an extremely rare public appearance by the American, who has largely disappeared from the spotlight since his retirement in 2003.
There was another photographed trip to Starbucks last January, a performance at Indian Wells in 2019 and a Nike event four years earlier, where the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were all in attendance.
But apart from those moments, and a few other exhibition matches, we have hardly seen or heard from Sampras in the past twenty years.
So where has he been?
It is important to note that Sampras – even at the height of his playing prowess – was known for being notoriously private and fame-averse.
Pete Sampras, seen in 2011, has largely shunned the spotlight since his retirement in 2003
Sampras and his wife Bridgette Wilson married in 2000 and have two sons together
He has largely disappeared from the public eye since winning the 2002 US Open, his last tournament
After winning the 2002 US Open (the last tournament of his career), he flew home to California and declined all media requests.
If Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated wrote in a 2021 profile of Sampras — for which he declined to be interviewed — that the now 53-year-old “enjoyed press conferences, happy-go-lucky sponsorship parties, promotional appearances and the other duties that come with being a superstar, much the same.” way cats enjoy baths.”
The report goes on to say that he spent “months” after his retirement without leaving his Beverly Hills mansion.
“Everyone has a different personality and I was more like Bjorn Borg or Stefan Edberg, the kind of role model where we put our heads down and just play,” Sampras said Steve Flinkwho wrote a career biography of the player.
‘I was raised as a tennis player, not as a celebrity. That was who I was.’
That low profile, both in his playing career and afterwards, has perhaps been further emphasized by the more public lives of his American peers.
Andre Agassi became tabloid fodder due to his relationship with actress Brooke Shields and high-profile alleged affair with Barbra Streisand.
Meanwhile, a trio of players whose careers Sampras overlapped — John McEnroe, his brother Patrick McEnroe and Jim Courier — have all become respected analysts on TV.
Sampras has avoided the airwaves and has no desire to coach.
“I don’t want to travel for more than a few days and be at these events,” says the father of two. told CNN in 2016. ‘…I just don’t have it in me to do it.’
Sampras, seen in 2006, has spent much of his post-retirement time raising him and Bridgette’s sons, Christian and Ryan.
Many of his performances involved tennis. Here he watched an exhibition match with Novak Djokovic during the 2019 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
He is known to be dating Roger Federer, and the pair attended a Lakers game together in 2011
True to form, many of Sampras’ post-retirement appearances have been tennis-related.
He faced Agassi at the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden in 2011, attended the China Open the same year and was spotted at the Australian Open in 2014. Sampras also featured in the exhibition International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) match in Dubai in 2014. .
Five years later, he would team up with Novak Djokovic for an exhibition doubles match at Indian Wells.
Even when he attended a Lakers-Bobcats game in 2011 and greeted coach Phil Jackson, Roger Federer was by his side.
He made a rare non-tennis outing in 2010 when he attended the Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular for charity.
Although Sampras never stepped into the spotlight — and certainly stayed away from it in retirement — those close to him have theorized that his private nature actually stemmed from a confidence and belief in his playing ability, which was all that really mattered to him .
“No matter how uncomfortable Pete seemed in public, I always got the feeling he was as comfortable in his own skin as anyone,” Todd Martin, who peaked at No. 4 in the world, told Sports Illustrated.
How does Sampras spend his time?
He and his wife, actress Bridgette Wilson (who has largely retired from acting since Sampras retired) are raising their sons Christian and Ryan, who are now 22 and 19 years old, respectively.
He is also known to play golf, cards with friends or an informal game of tennis in his backyard where he has a court.
As Wertheim put it, Sampras’ retirement will be determined as much by what he has done not has to do, now that the press conferences, practice sessions and other obligations from his playing career have faded.
“Every time I see him, he seems completely happy,” said Paul Annacone, Sampras’ longtime coach. “He has a really good perspective and outlook on being a father and a husband, and he does what he wants to do.”
Sampras announced last year that his wife Bridgette was suffering from ovarian cancer
Sampras posted a photo of this Nike event on Instagram in 2015. He has not posted on social media since.
More recently, Sampras’ role as a husband came into the public eye when he announced that Brigitte was battling ovarian cancer last year.
In a statement released during the ATP Tour, Sampras addressed his own reserved nature and requested prayers for his wife.
‘As most people know, I’m a pretty quiet and withdrawn person. However, this past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family, and I’ve decided to share what’s been going on,” he said.
“Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She has since undergone major surgery, chemotherapy and continues targeted maintenance therapy.
“It’s hard to see someone you love go through a challenge like this. However, it was great to see our boys step up and be such strong advocates for Bridgette, myself and each other. It was inspiring to see Bridgette continue to be an amazing mother and wife through it all.
‘I’ve also learned that it’s very difficult to get support when something is simply too difficult to talk about. With that said, I humbly ask for good thoughts and prayers for our family as Bridgette continues to thrive on her healing journey. Thank you.’
That statement, released in October 2023, marked the last time Sampras spoke publicly, while he is also known to be inactive on social media (his last Instagram post was in 2015).
Hopefully we’ll hear positive news the next time he speaks.