Ten years after he retired from tennis, Pete Sampras, the tennis icon with fourteen major championships, has reappeared to captivate fans. Having been one of the best players of all time, Sampras faded from view until recently, when he revealed that his wife Bridgette had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer three months prior.
The usually reticent Sampras said, “This past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family, and I have decided to share what’s been going on,” in an unusual public statement to the ATP Tour.
Sampras, who values his privacy, shocked a lot of people recently by showing up at a Starbucks in Beverly Hills. Clad in casual attire, he briefly acknowledged passersby as he carried iced coffees.
After 23 years of marriage and two kids, Pete and Bridgette Sampras live their life in California away from the spotlight of tennis. With 64 career singles victories, Sampras was a dominant force in men’s tennis until he announced his retirement in 2003. He valued family life over exhibition matches on occasion.
