"I was shopping and got surrounded by a lot of people, I didn’t like that" - When Pete Sampras lamented the attention on him after maiden Slam title
Pete Sampras once shared his thoughts on the fame that followed his maiden Grand Slam victory at the 1990 US Open. He expressed frustration over constantly being surrounded by people, even during simple activities like shopping, and admitted that he would have preferred to be left alone.
Sampras defeated his compatriot and arch-rival Andre Agassi in the final of the New York Slam with a score of 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to win the first of his then-record 14 Major titles. On his way to the championship match, he beat Daniel Goldie, Peter Lundgren, Jakob Hlasek, Thomas Muster, Ivan Lendl, and John McEnroe.
Naturally, with that came a surge of fame, as Pete Sampras transitioned from being a "regular" tennis player to one of America's next big hopes. He discussed this shift during an interview with renowned American TV personality Johnny Carson in 1990.
Pete Sampras said:
"It’s been a really long week. A lot of interviews, but each day has got a little bit better and better. I didn’t expect to be the winner. I expected maybe to get to the quarter-finals or to reach Round of 16, but to win a tournament is a dream come true."
Pete Sampras: "I don't see myself as a star at all, I don't know why people want my autograph"
Pete Sampras' 1990 US Open victory made him the youngest male champion at Flushing Meadows, a record he held until 2001. The win also sparked the beginning of his rivalry with Andre Agassi, which would later become one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history.
However, Sampras never enjoyed the fame that came with his success, and he made this clear whenever he had the chance. One such moment came during a 1991 interview, where he admitted that he didn’t see himself as a star at all and couldn’t understand why people were so eager for his autograph.
"What came along with winning the Open isn't all that it's cracked up to be; at least it didn't seem fun to me. It wasn't exactly like I felt like a robot, but all of a sudden everybody seemed to know me," he said (via The New York Times).
"I don't see myself as a star at all. I don't know why people want my autograph. People look up to me and I have to admit, I don't like being looked at. I'm in the right business to play tennis, but that's the only part of the business that fits me," he added.
The tennis legend went on to win the US Open four more times, in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 2002. In fact, his 2002 victory in New York was the last Grand Slam title of his career before he officially retired on August 25, 2003.