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Pete Sampras: A Champion's Mind
Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest player tennis has ever seen. A man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented No. 1 world ranking for 286 consecutive weeks, and whose prodigious talent made possible an as yet unbroken 14 Grand Slam record. Yet while more vocal rivals often grabbed the headlines, Pete gave everything on the court, revealing little outside it. Now, in A Champion’s Mind, this very private champion, who so often recoiled from letting the world ‘inside his head’, finally opens up. Here, for the first time, Pete speaks candidly about the personal trials he faced; the single-minded determination crucial to survival in the topflight; and the pressure of competing under the unblinking gaze of a media machine hungry for more than mere athletic prowess. He describes the titanic matches fought, the personalities and the rivalries – a devastating early loss to Stefan Edberg, and his consequent monastic commitment to the game; Davis Cup doubles with a fiery John McEnroe; a gruelling, four-hour US Open quarterfinal against Alex Corretja, ending with a tie-break and Pete on a drip; and of course Andre Agassi, arch-rival and friend, the player Pete faced at his first Grand Slam final and his last, 12 years later. Frank, insightful and passionate A Champion’s Mind is a unique and intimate account of what it takes to win. Pete Sampras was the youngest male player to win the US Open and holds 64 top level singles titles and two doubles. In 2005 TENNIS magazine named him the greatest player of the open era. Peter Bodo is a senior editor and chief columnist at TENNIS magazine.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
March 29, 2010
I just finish the autobiography of Pete Sampras and have mixed feelings about it. During the time at which he competed with Agassi and there was the rivalry among them I always tended to side with Sampras. I liked better Sampras´s personality, the quintessential gentleman, a class act. With time Sampras retired, Agassi married Steffi Graff, got rid of its irreverent wardrobe, shaved his colorful hair, in other words, he matured, and my respect grew for him not only for the athlete but for the humanitarian. In this book Sampras gives an account of his life in tennis froma a to z and it leaves me with the sensation that I want to know more of what happened behind close doors, what went through his mind, and not necessarily a detail point by point of each game he played during his career.; I found myself thinking the book was a little boring and I would have loved the book to be like his 15th grand slam, a complete success!
I read “Open“ by Agassi first because there was a lot of media coverage about it from the press, unlike with Sampras book. The reason for this I suppose is that Agassi did with his book what he did during most of his public life: he wanted to shock people; he caused a big scandal by badmouthing just about everyone in the tennis world. In contrast Sampras´s book speaks highly of just about everybody: apparently the title “A Champion´s Mind“ has to do not only with Pete´s mind but with the mind of all those that shared a special talent for tennis and in it mentions repeatedly Agassi´s name throughout the book as well as Edberg´s, Becker´s, Ivanisevic´s, Martin´s, Chang´s and many others. On the other hand it pains me to see that Agassi not only speaks badly of Sampras in his book but rarely mentions him. Sampras has a lot of praises for most of his contemporaries including must of all Agassi. That is what I call “class act“. When he does not have anything good to say about somebody he will say it without mentioning name like that a day he said he decided not to take showers in the locker room when after match he saw an X player tinkling in the shower while he bathed. Was it necesarry to reveal the name of the X player? I do not think so. If it had been Agassi writing about it he probably he would have revealed the name of that guy.
February 16, 2010
After reading Andre Agassi's autobiography, I felt the need to looking into the autobiography for his long-time rival Pete Sampras. While I enjoyed the book, I was a little disappointed by the fact that the book really is an overview of his professional life.
With all fairness to Sampras, the subtitle (Lessons from a Life in Tennis) should have made it clear that he was going to be focusing mostly on his time on the courts. I just would have liked to know more about him as a person and those around him.
Overall, he does a really nice job of describing the events in his professional life. He starts by introducing how he got started in the support and introduces his parents and siblings. After this initial chapter, they fade into the background, only getting rare mentions in later chapters. He then brings the reader through his whole career.
Sampras provides some details of important matches or series, though not nearly to the same level as Agassi did in his later autobiography. There is some interesting insight on some of his coaches and how they helped (and sometimes hurt) his game. Sampras is even surprisingly personal when it comes to one of his coaches, who lost a real tough fight to cancer.
One thing that Sampras does that Agassi didn't do in his book was to really examine the game in terms of what worked for him and what didn't. In some ways Agassi had touched on that, particularly in regard to how his personal life affected his game. Sampras seems to have been able to really separate the game from his life. It was a job, and he went in, did a good job, and moved on.
While he is looking back on his life, he draws on a careful examination of the game to highlight why he was so successful on and off the court. Many times, his success on the courts is reflective of his similar success off them.
When looking to his own game and the performances of those against whom he played, Sampras examines the pros and cons. In the book, he is as critical and praising of himself as he is of others. He also has no trouble in praising the games of people like Edberg and Federer for their games. He also repeatedly refers to Agassi as forcing him to be a better player.
Sampras is also honest in stating that he is a great player. At first glance, this would seem like arrogance, but he is someone who (often brutally) honest about himself, others, and the world around him. He is by no means trying to be a braggart. Rather, he just wants to portray what he sees as his success and the reasons why.
I am not sure that I found this book to be as good as the one by Agassi, but I did find it really enjoyable. Fans of tennis, particularly, the error in which Agassi, Sampras, Michael Change, and Jim Courier played, will find this book to be pretty interesting.
With all fairness to Sampras, the subtitle (Lessons from a Life in Tennis) should have made it clear that he was going to be focusing mostly on his time on the courts. I just would have liked to know more about him as a person and those around him.
Overall, he does a really nice job of describing the events in his professional life. He starts by introducing how he got started in the support and introduces his parents and siblings. After this initial chapter, they fade into the background, only getting rare mentions in later chapters. He then brings the reader through his whole career.
Sampras provides some details of important matches or series, though not nearly to the same level as Agassi did in his later autobiography. There is some interesting insight on some of his coaches and how they helped (and sometimes hurt) his game. Sampras is even surprisingly personal when it comes to one of his coaches, who lost a real tough fight to cancer.
One thing that Sampras does that Agassi didn't do in his book was to really examine the game in terms of what worked for him and what didn't. In some ways Agassi had touched on that, particularly in regard to how his personal life affected his game. Sampras seems to have been able to really separate the game from his life. It was a job, and he went in, did a good job, and moved on.
While he is looking back on his life, he draws on a careful examination of the game to highlight why he was so successful on and off the court. Many times, his success on the courts is reflective of his similar success off them.
When looking to his own game and the performances of those against whom he played, Sampras examines the pros and cons. In the book, he is as critical and praising of himself as he is of others. He also has no trouble in praising the games of people like Edberg and Federer for their games. He also repeatedly refers to Agassi as forcing him to be a better player.
Sampras is also honest in stating that he is a great player. At first glance, this would seem like arrogance, but he is someone who (often brutally) honest about himself, others, and the world around him. He is by no means trying to be a braggart. Rather, he just wants to portray what he sees as his success and the reasons why.
I am not sure that I found this book to be as good as the one by Agassi, but I did find it really enjoyable. Fans of tennis, particularly, the error in which Agassi, Sampras, Michael Change, and Jim Courier played, will find this book to be pretty interesting.
August 12, 2018
In honor of his birthday today, I re-read A Champion's Mind. I remember this book was a Christmas gift from my sister six years ago. Due to too much excitement, I managed to count the days of her arrival from Manila just to get started reading. Pete's autobiography chronicles his life as a skinny kid with a lack of confidence to a sport icon. What I admired most about Pete is he put things in perspective whether it's about winning or losing. My favorite part is on page 172 - Pete narrates: "There were periods of course when I become a little tired or bored with the typical pro's routine... Paul recognized when that was the case, and called me on it. He knew my mind, even though a champion's mind isn't always that easy to know."
December 21, 2020
This book is in majority about the actual tennis matches and his thoughts and reactions while he played, and his opinion about his opponents' style and strengths and weaknesses.
It surely doesn't reveal more personal details of him - you get the impression he never felt like a teenager, never revolted (at least internally) for having to always work so hard; you don't know anything at all about his schooling - did he go to highschool?! if so, if he finished or not; you don't know if he ever had thoughts or worries about any girl (it leaves the impression that he never had a girlfriend until his wife, Bridgette)..
Another thing I didn't like was his reaction when he met his wife - "Wow she's really beautiful. If she can put two words together, I want to marry her!"
Also, there's something I don't like about autobiographies - the arrogance and self-importance that sometimes seeps from some turns of phrase.
For example, I perceive this as gloating and I don't like it: "I simply overpowered him, playing out the most basic story line in men's tennis" (and it sounds much worse in the Romanian translation: "L-am coplesit, pur si simplu, cu procedurile fundamentale cele mai simple din tenisul masculin" roughly translated as "I simply overwhelmed him with the simplest fundamental procedures in men's tennis").
I totally get that he worked very very hard, and that he has achieved A LOT, but still, I don't like it when someone sounds haughty..
It surely doesn't reveal more personal details of him - you get the impression he never felt like a teenager, never revolted (at least internally) for having to always work so hard; you don't know anything at all about his schooling - did he go to highschool?! if so, if he finished or not; you don't know if he ever had thoughts or worries about any girl (it leaves the impression that he never had a girlfriend until his wife, Bridgette)..
Another thing I didn't like was his reaction when he met his wife - "Wow she's really beautiful. If she can put two words together, I want to marry her!"
Also, there's something I don't like about autobiographies - the arrogance and self-importance that sometimes seeps from some turns of phrase.
For example, I perceive this as gloating and I don't like it: "I simply overpowered him, playing out the most basic story line in men's tennis" (and it sounds much worse in the Romanian translation: "L-am coplesit, pur si simplu, cu procedurile fundamentale cele mai simple din tenisul masculin" roughly translated as "I simply overwhelmed him with the simplest fundamental procedures in men's tennis").
I totally get that he worked very very hard, and that he has achieved A LOT, but still, I don't like it when someone sounds haughty..
December 22, 2013
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (Outstanding)
Review:
Pete Sampras retired from tennis holding the record for most career Grand Slam victories and his journey to setting that record is chronicled here in his autobiography that covers his tennis career. I added that last phrase to the sentence because unlike most biographies or autobiographies on athletes, this book focuses solely on his tennis career. There are stories about his childhood, but they are about the development of his game during his youth when he was a tennis “prodigy.” What is refreshing, however, is that he doesn’t complain about any bad breaks during his youth. There are no bad parent stories as can be so common in tennis (think of the parent stories of tennis stars such as Mary Pierce, Jennifer Capriati or the Williams sisters). There isn’t even talk of his struggles. It reads that Sampras is aware that he had a talent for the game, that he was raised comfortably and is appreciative of what his parents provided for him.
That appreciation also transcends to his coaches during adulthood. He gives credit to Pete Fisher for helping develop his game although Sampras believes the athlete is ultimately responsible for his or her success. He speaks almost with reverence about Tim Gullickson who ultimately succumbed to brain cancer (more about this relationship later). Sampras also talks much about Paul Annacone and his coaching and friendship as being another key component to the success he had on the court.
Because Sampras talks tennis and little else in this book, there is rich detail in many aspects of his game. Not only match highlights, but he talks much about his mindset to reach certain goals. From a teenager who burst into the spotlight with his 1990 U.S. Open title up to his last Grand Slam, the 2002 U.S. Open, the reader will follow Sampras’s career and what he did physically and mentally to achieve the greatness that he attained.
Two passages that resonated with me were actually connected to each other. The first one is a moment that anyone who saw it while watching this match like I did will remember. During a match against Jim Courier in the 1995 Australian Open, Sampras broke down and was openly crying. He had just learned of Gullickson’s terminal diagnosis and the emotional toll on him finally broke through. This changed the minds of some media members who felt that Sampras wasn’t emotional or even human – that this outburst finally showed he was “human.” Sampras always felt that was an unfair image portrayed. He felt that he was simply able to put those aside when focusing on his tennis. Yes, he had human emotions and feelings but just didn’t express them openly as often. I thought that this reaction was a microcosm of the entire book – that Sampras was not apologizing or bragging about his career, he was simply who he was and this was why. It was refreshing to read such an autobiography.
I also found it refreshing that when reading this, I wasn’t reading about an athlete who was heavily into partying, drinking, drugs or sex. He didn’t talk much about these topics, but until he met his wife late in his career, he just didn’t find those as important as his game. Again, something I found very refreshing. That was a big reason I loved reading this book and will highly recommend it for anyone who either is a tennis fan or simply wants to read a different type of autobiography.
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
Excellent. Since Sampras talks mostly tennis with very few personal side stories, the book reads quickly and stays in chronological order.
Do I recommend?
Yes, especially for tennis fans, both avid and casual. The avid fan will appreciate the inner tennis technical talk, the casual fan will enjoy reliving the highlights of Sampras’s career, and anyone who wants to read an autobiography that isn’t filled with a lot of chest thumping will enjoy this as well.
5 of 5 stars (Outstanding)
Review:
Pete Sampras retired from tennis holding the record for most career Grand Slam victories and his journey to setting that record is chronicled here in his autobiography that covers his tennis career. I added that last phrase to the sentence because unlike most biographies or autobiographies on athletes, this book focuses solely on his tennis career. There are stories about his childhood, but they are about the development of his game during his youth when he was a tennis “prodigy.” What is refreshing, however, is that he doesn’t complain about any bad breaks during his youth. There are no bad parent stories as can be so common in tennis (think of the parent stories of tennis stars such as Mary Pierce, Jennifer Capriati or the Williams sisters). There isn’t even talk of his struggles. It reads that Sampras is aware that he had a talent for the game, that he was raised comfortably and is appreciative of what his parents provided for him.
That appreciation also transcends to his coaches during adulthood. He gives credit to Pete Fisher for helping develop his game although Sampras believes the athlete is ultimately responsible for his or her success. He speaks almost with reverence about Tim Gullickson who ultimately succumbed to brain cancer (more about this relationship later). Sampras also talks much about Paul Annacone and his coaching and friendship as being another key component to the success he had on the court.
Because Sampras talks tennis and little else in this book, there is rich detail in many aspects of his game. Not only match highlights, but he talks much about his mindset to reach certain goals. From a teenager who burst into the spotlight with his 1990 U.S. Open title up to his last Grand Slam, the 2002 U.S. Open, the reader will follow Sampras’s career and what he did physically and mentally to achieve the greatness that he attained.
Two passages that resonated with me were actually connected to each other. The first one is a moment that anyone who saw it while watching this match like I did will remember. During a match against Jim Courier in the 1995 Australian Open, Sampras broke down and was openly crying. He had just learned of Gullickson’s terminal diagnosis and the emotional toll on him finally broke through. This changed the minds of some media members who felt that Sampras wasn’t emotional or even human – that this outburst finally showed he was “human.” Sampras always felt that was an unfair image portrayed. He felt that he was simply able to put those aside when focusing on his tennis. Yes, he had human emotions and feelings but just didn’t express them openly as often. I thought that this reaction was a microcosm of the entire book – that Sampras was not apologizing or bragging about his career, he was simply who he was and this was why. It was refreshing to read such an autobiography.
I also found it refreshing that when reading this, I wasn’t reading about an athlete who was heavily into partying, drinking, drugs or sex. He didn’t talk much about these topics, but until he met his wife late in his career, he just didn’t find those as important as his game. Again, something I found very refreshing. That was a big reason I loved reading this book and will highly recommend it for anyone who either is a tennis fan or simply wants to read a different type of autobiography.
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
Excellent. Since Sampras talks mostly tennis with very few personal side stories, the book reads quickly and stays in chronological order.
Do I recommend?
Yes, especially for tennis fans, both avid and casual. The avid fan will appreciate the inner tennis technical talk, the casual fan will enjoy reliving the highlights of Sampras’s career, and anyone who wants to read an autobiography that isn’t filled with a lot of chest thumping will enjoy this as well.
August 13, 2015
After reading Open by Agassi just before I started this one, I felt this book was a little lackluster. I did get what I needed to hear from Sampras in terms of the On court tennis game and drama around it, but I never got enough details on Sampras's personal life which would have given me an insight into his "Champion Mind". I would've really liked to have read a bit more about his struggling period towards the end as well but those chapters were fairly short also. Overall I just wanted to know the amount of work and struggle it takes to become a champion like him. May be that is exactly why he was who he was, he didn't fill his head with lot of junk and thoughts and focused on the just giving his best, in practice or on court and even in his personal matters.
Anyhow, I did enjoy the book because of all the tennis he talked about. Went back and saw few of them as well on YouTube. Interestingly, Sampras talked a bit more about his arch rival Agassi in this book then Agassi did in his. He actually had nothing but praise for the man and his game.
Overall a must book if you are a tennis fan. If not, you can easily ignore it. Nothing dramatic or super inspirational in this book. Plain and Simple - Just like the man himself.
Anyhow, I did enjoy the book because of all the tennis he talked about. Went back and saw few of them as well on YouTube. Interestingly, Sampras talked a bit more about his arch rival Agassi in this book then Agassi did in his. He actually had nothing but praise for the man and his game.
Overall a must book if you are a tennis fan. If not, you can easily ignore it. Nothing dramatic or super inspirational in this book. Plain and Simple - Just like the man himself.
April 21, 2020
This book is about his tennis. It is not an autobiography. While a good book in its own right, it is nowhere as good as Agassi's 'Open'.
February 4, 2017
I loved this book thoroughly. As the title says "A Champions mind", it revolved around the mindset of a champion. This is a very openly written book about various scenarios and match pressures that come along with being the top athlete of the sport for so long. Loved the way Sampras talked about his rivals and the strategies that he employed during his illustrious carrier. Though this book will be best understood with a little of bit tennis background(Watching would do), but one can clearly relate a lot of things that Sampras talks about, to real life without the tennis jargon as well.
By the end of this you will thoroughly appreciate and understand the rigors that tennis professionals go through their seemingly ruthless streak to the outside world.
Must read for tennis fans especially.
By the end of this you will thoroughly appreciate and understand the rigors that tennis professionals go through their seemingly ruthless streak to the outside world.
Must read for tennis fans especially.
December 1, 2021
Pete Sampras is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. This autobiography is stimulating for any tennis player, and one can use his match play and experiences to up your game. Primarily, Pete relentlessly attacked by pushing the net, often chipping and volleying. At the lower levels (for a recreational tennis player) this can be particularly effective— and gutsy— if your opponent doesn’t execute good passing shots. On that note, this book is specifically focused on tennis; unlike Andre Agassi’s well known and iconic autobiography Open which delves into his personal life in connection with tennis: Open is more accessible to a wider audience.
July 29, 2017
The people who consider Sampras (and his book) boring, may not realize that achieving excellence often requires cutting out distractions and doing focused work for months and years. It also requires great discipline and self-control. Pete Sampras is a prime example of that. He admits himself that he never wanted to be a showman and entertainer - he just wanted to play tennis as best as he could. The same applies to this book. It is probably not the most entertaining book, but if you are interested in reading about what Pete went through and what sacrifices he made throughout his career, this book is for you. I enjoyed the book very much.
July 11, 2008
Oh, Pete Sampras. You are just not that interesting, but you do make me think about the psyche that goes into making a champion. Champion athletes must be very level and consistent and focused. You tell us that you don't like to "make too much of things," which means you don't like to think/overthink too much, which again is what athletes have to do to perform. The problem is, this mindset/tendency does not exactly make for a reflective person or a great memoir. But I do admire you for your consistency and your hard work.
November 8, 2017
This was a good book because it gave a different perspective to Andre Agassi's story (the book that I read before this) as they are great rivals. The book mostly highlighted his major achievements and also behind the scenes of how he reached greatness, if you are a sports fan I would definitely recommend this book.
September 19, 2019
Hallelujah! Finally a sports memoir written after the athlete's retirement, as they ALL should be. It was awesome to learn more about one of tennis' all-time greats, especially since his career peaked in the 1990s, a few years before I began following the sport closely.
While this peek inside his mind may have revealed a Sampras who was somewhat less of a robot than the media often portrayed him, his monastic-level sacrifice and dedication to his craft sometimes seemed extreme even by the standards of elite athletes. Rafa may be the only other tennis player I've read about who focuses so intensely on tennis, to the exclusion of everything and everyone else.
Overall I quite enjoyed it, though my one gripe was that Sampras' apparent attempt to simultaneously dispel and promote his robotic persona made the narrative feel conflicted. For instance, he'd often go on and on about some competitor's gibe or media sound-byte that irked him, or some personal doubt or struggle he was dealing with, and then say "but I've always been able to focus 100 percent. None of those things even crossed my mind while I was playing." To which I often found myself thinking: "That's why people think you're a robot! Even in your 'intimate, raw, tell-all memoir' you won't admit that occasionally, even during match play, your concentration flagged!" I guess I felt like he was trying too hard to have it both ways here: to show that he's a real, feeling, emotional person, but at the same time claim that his humanity never impacted his performance. I think sometimes it did, and I think that's okay. He was a great champion regardless.
favorite quotes:
"Those who wanted me to show more 'emotion,' to be more 'human,' seem to discount that there are many different personalities out there, and how they conduct themselves, in private or public, has nothing whatsoever to do with the depth or nature of their emotions - their feelings. Actually, I never trusted people who were always talking about their feelings, or expressing their emotions. I don't think flying off the handle, pandering to sentiment, berating others, making crazy diva-like demands, or telling people what they want to hear, is a sign that you have deeper emotions, stronger feelings, or are more human. You're just less able to exert self-control, or are more demanding or willing to pander or make a horse's ass of yourself."
"People sometimes ask me if it was tough to douse my friend's dreams as often as I did, and I have to confess: not one bit. It was like beating a buddy at darts, or a game of horse. You just played, the better man won, and that was it."
While this peek inside his mind may have revealed a Sampras who was somewhat less of a robot than the media often portrayed him, his monastic-level sacrifice and dedication to his craft sometimes seemed extreme even by the standards of elite athletes. Rafa may be the only other tennis player I've read about who focuses so intensely on tennis, to the exclusion of everything and everyone else.
Overall I quite enjoyed it, though my one gripe was that Sampras' apparent attempt to simultaneously dispel and promote his robotic persona made the narrative feel conflicted. For instance, he'd often go on and on about some competitor's gibe or media sound-byte that irked him, or some personal doubt or struggle he was dealing with, and then say "but I've always been able to focus 100 percent. None of those things even crossed my mind while I was playing." To which I often found myself thinking: "That's why people think you're a robot! Even in your 'intimate, raw, tell-all memoir' you won't admit that occasionally, even during match play, your concentration flagged!" I guess I felt like he was trying too hard to have it both ways here: to show that he's a real, feeling, emotional person, but at the same time claim that his humanity never impacted his performance. I think sometimes it did, and I think that's okay. He was a great champion regardless.
favorite quotes:
"Those who wanted me to show more 'emotion,' to be more 'human,' seem to discount that there are many different personalities out there, and how they conduct themselves, in private or public, has nothing whatsoever to do with the depth or nature of their emotions - their feelings. Actually, I never trusted people who were always talking about their feelings, or expressing their emotions. I don't think flying off the handle, pandering to sentiment, berating others, making crazy diva-like demands, or telling people what they want to hear, is a sign that you have deeper emotions, stronger feelings, or are more human. You're just less able to exert self-control, or are more demanding or willing to pander or make a horse's ass of yourself."
"People sometimes ask me if it was tough to douse my friend's dreams as often as I did, and I have to confess: not one bit. It was like beating a buddy at darts, or a game of horse. You just played, the better man won, and that was it."
April 2, 2023
Good info on Pete’s story. Not as much info on his junior career as I would have liked. He focuses mainly on his rise to the top of the game. Interesting picks for his greatest tennis players of all time. A few good locker room stories too. All in all an entertaining read and interesting to get inside Pete’s head during some of his all time best matches.
March 21, 2023
Poveste lui Pete Sampras din timpul carierei de jucator de tenis. Prea puține referiri la viața lui din afară terenului de tenis. Multe referiri la meciurile sale memorabile.
January 6, 2025
Written like a Wikipedia article but as Sampras said, “I let my racket do the talking for me”. He was considered the GOAT until Federer came along and it was well deserved.
December 5, 2011
The greatest competitors in the computer industry were Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
The greatest competitors in the Action movies genre were Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.
And the greatest competitors in the Tennis World…among the many, were Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.
No other rivalry matched the intensity these two had.
When I was young, I remember watching the matches of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi on TV, even though I was brought up in a conservative middle class Indian household that knew nothing about tennis.
So when I got a chance to read this book, well, it was may be to find glimpses into my past and relive those moments and get a deeper understanding as to why I was so fascinated with this great icon.
Pete Sampras’s book ‘A Champion’s Mind – Lessons from a Life in Tennis’ with Peter Bodo is an autobiography whose personality is a mirror image of what Pete Sampras was – A quintessential gentleman, a class act and a perfect tennis player dressed in white.
He does not reveal anything very personal, does not say anything controversial, does not spice up the readers interest by confessing the unnatural. All he does is focus on his game.
Though there are brief mentions about Becker, Agassi, Ivanisevic, Agassi, Chang, Agassi, Edberg, Agassi and Martin and not forgetting Agassi; his primary and overall focus is on his greatest and most formidable opponent – Guess who?
While this book was a confession of a die-hard tennis demi-god and legend, he for the strangest reasons altogether made this book appeal to only tennis die-hard junkies. Many a times, I struggled to read through yet another tennis match with yet another opponent with yet again another victory. He just didn’t bring out any emotion or feeling or the dark honesty that would motivate someone to connect to another human being namely himself. All it did was bore the living daylights out of me with his routine job - yet another tennis match.
In all fairness, this was a book that lacked the spice, the substance and the stuff that would make it truly memorable autobiography. All it did was just open up one side of a tennis legend – a side that we all knew about and didn’t need to know anything more – The professional player. I had hoped to have some insight into this great legend. However, this was not to be.
So where you look forward to a great book from a great personality, you are left with nothing but yet another book that would be as quickly forgotten as the last match you watched on TV.
Overall rating – 3 out of 10.
April 9, 2016
Not as good as Agassis Open, but stil worth a read, especially as a sort of counter tale to the other. These two men pushed each other to the limit, with Sampras most often coming out on top. I rooted for the other guy, but Sampras is likable enough, a thorough professional, and an honest player. In the meaning he didn't play mind games, not like Connors or McEnroe, great players but terrible sportsmen. One with a gigantic chip on his shoulder, the other a primadonna throwing tantrums, well both of them did that really. Nothing of the sorts with Sampras, and his account is interesting. He seems honest, but at times his reasoning may be a little off. Early on, he describes himself as "always been a good reader" while in the very next sentence, confesses not to a read more than a handful of books in his entire life. What did he to all those hours when not playing or practising? Not reading, for sure.
He gives a year by year summation of his career hightlights, as well as when he lost. He also shares his thoughts about how he was viewed at the time, as the boring power server, with a balanced and reflected view. He is not stupid, he knew the stereotyping.
Also interesting are his account of his main rivals at the end of the book, where he describes their best and worst qualities as players. Even more interesting is, that even if Agassi, his main rival and friend throughout both men's careers, is mentioned throughout the book many many times, he is totally absent from this section. Did you forget Andre at the end, Pistol-Pete?
He gives a year by year summation of his career hightlights, as well as when he lost. He also shares his thoughts about how he was viewed at the time, as the boring power server, with a balanced and reflected view. He is not stupid, he knew the stereotyping.
Also interesting are his account of his main rivals at the end of the book, where he describes their best and worst qualities as players. Even more interesting is, that even if Agassi, his main rival and friend throughout both men's careers, is mentioned throughout the book many many times, he is totally absent from this section. Did you forget Andre at the end, Pistol-Pete?
February 22, 2012
In the intro to Pete's book, "he" writes for the first of what seems like 250 times that he was accused of being boring before/during/after his illustrious tennis career. And that this book is his attempt at showing his fans and extended family the real Pete Sampras. Well, I love you, Pete, but you just confirmed with me and everyone else that you are indeed very boring.
And that's really okay. While Pete does not have a fascinating or dramatic (or even particularly interesting) social/family life, what IS fascinating is the amount of athletic discipline, emotional consistency and drive that this individual has. The level of control Pete demonstrates on the court is completely unnerving and should be respected. If only politicians and CEOs handled themselves with equal grace.
While he certainly had low and high points in his career, Pete knew from a very young age, with his family's unwavering support, that he was going to the be the best in the world. After reading this, I am completely convinced that was true. Be forewarned, that this book is almost 100% about tennis.
One cannot help but compare this to "Open," Agassi's autobio, which was written less than 2 years after this one. Agassi's is fraught with turmoil, off-court drama, self-doubt, catty remarks and fake hair. It is also better written. One wonders if "Open" was deliberately fashioned in that manner, ultimately highlighting the pair's differences and allowing Agassi to have the last laugh.
And that's really okay. While Pete does not have a fascinating or dramatic (or even particularly interesting) social/family life, what IS fascinating is the amount of athletic discipline, emotional consistency and drive that this individual has. The level of control Pete demonstrates on the court is completely unnerving and should be respected. If only politicians and CEOs handled themselves with equal grace.
While he certainly had low and high points in his career, Pete knew from a very young age, with his family's unwavering support, that he was going to the be the best in the world. After reading this, I am completely convinced that was true. Be forewarned, that this book is almost 100% about tennis.
One cannot help but compare this to "Open," Agassi's autobio, which was written less than 2 years after this one. Agassi's is fraught with turmoil, off-court drama, self-doubt, catty remarks and fake hair. It is also better written. One wonders if "Open" was deliberately fashioned in that manner, ultimately highlighting the pair's differences and allowing Agassi to have the last laugh.
February 18, 2013
Having read Agassi's book within the last year, this book paled a little bit in comparison. I'm a tennis fan, so I enjoyed hearing about the purely tennis thoughts from Sampras, but just as he was criticized for during his tennis career, this book lacked emotion. I read it because I thought that he might reveal a little bit more about the emotions that he surely must have felt during his years as a champion. But he didn't. There is an attempt to justify his lack of emotion as a player, and it made some sense, but since he's done with tennis, I would have appreciated more of a window into his soul now that he's done with the ATP.
I always liked Sampras, but his explanation of his drive to be the best comes off as a little bit arrogant. Agassi's book left me feeling like he was a normal guy like me but just happened to be an incredibly gifted tennis player. Sampras' book left me feeling a little bit like I wouldn't know what to say to him if I ran into him in a restaurant.
The book was okay, but I didn't learn anything about Pete Sampras that I didn't know already, with one exception: who hooked him up with Bridget Wilson. But I wouldn't read a whole book to find out about that - just look it up on Google!
I always liked Sampras, but his explanation of his drive to be the best comes off as a little bit arrogant. Agassi's book left me feeling like he was a normal guy like me but just happened to be an incredibly gifted tennis player. Sampras' book left me feeling a little bit like I wouldn't know what to say to him if I ran into him in a restaurant.
The book was okay, but I didn't learn anything about Pete Sampras that I didn't know already, with one exception: who hooked him up with Bridget Wilson. But I wouldn't read a whole book to find out about that - just look it up on Google!
August 2, 2020
Pete Sampras - A legend with a hangdog expression calmly decimating his foes on the court with utter disdain. What is it that lies behind this poker faced demeanor and the unblinking exterior that put paid hopes to the plotting of an Agassi, the passion of a Becker and the penchant of a Safin?
In this riveting autobiography, Pete Sampras with the able assistance of Peter Bodo bares it all. What he has to say jolts the reader out of his reverie! Pete Sampras is a bundle of raw emotions, as vulnerable as his opponents and as prone to mental turmoil as any other sportsman. But what makes him stand apart from his contemporaries, peers and past masters is an unrelenting determination to make the grade and stay on top!
The book is a refreshing work of honesty. Whether while articulating his legendary rivalry with Andre Agassi, or laying out the low down concerning his relationship with his eccentric first coach Pete Fischer (who ultimately was sentenced on the grounds of child molestation), Sampras is the epitome of frankness and forthrightness. The tempestuous events surrounding Tim Gullickson's untimely death and Sampras's dating his soon-to-be wife Bridgette Wilson all make for some memorable reading.
An indispensable read for every Sampras fan!
In this riveting autobiography, Pete Sampras with the able assistance of Peter Bodo bares it all. What he has to say jolts the reader out of his reverie! Pete Sampras is a bundle of raw emotions, as vulnerable as his opponents and as prone to mental turmoil as any other sportsman. But what makes him stand apart from his contemporaries, peers and past masters is an unrelenting determination to make the grade and stay on top!
The book is a refreshing work of honesty. Whether while articulating his legendary rivalry with Andre Agassi, or laying out the low down concerning his relationship with his eccentric first coach Pete Fischer (who ultimately was sentenced on the grounds of child molestation), Sampras is the epitome of frankness and forthrightness. The tempestuous events surrounding Tim Gullickson's untimely death and Sampras's dating his soon-to-be wife Bridgette Wilson all make for some memorable reading.
An indispensable read for every Sampras fan!
February 15, 2016
If I ever had a hero growing up.. it was Pete Sampras. Over the last 10 years I have occasionally followed his progress off-the-mainstage and a couple of times considered making a trek to one of the exhibition matches he was playing. I got to this book only 8 years after it was published - and it brought back wonderful, wonderful, wonderful memories - of a humble personality who let his skill do the talking, was not afraid to share/show his emotions at appropriate moments, gave due recognition where applicable, and knew himself well enough to never veer off the path of a Champion. The book journals all of it very well and describes each critical moment, emotions, and thoughts behind it.
Read a few reviews where readers felt deprived of other facets of Sampras' life and personality -- but if one delves a little deeper and reads carefully (sometimes between the lines) - this accounts speaks volumes about the person Sampras is, what makes a true Champion, and self awareness/realization at various stages of growing up.
This definitely lived up to its promise. Looking forward to watching some old recordings now!
Read a few reviews where readers felt deprived of other facets of Sampras' life and personality -- but if one delves a little deeper and reads carefully (sometimes between the lines) - this accounts speaks volumes about the person Sampras is, what makes a true Champion, and self awareness/realization at various stages of growing up.
This definitely lived up to its promise. Looking forward to watching some old recordings now!
Read
October 21, 2015An excellent piece of writing with many twists and turns, "The Mind of a Champion" by Pete Sampras and Peter Bodo highlights the legendary career of all-time tennis great Pete Sampras. Born in the U.S, Pete showed his many talents were present from a young age. Winning multiple titles as a junior, Pete rose to the top quickly and was in the top ten in the world in only a matter or years. Along side the likes of Mcenroe, Lendl, Chang, Agassi, Borg, and Courier, Pete's success on and off the court cam with great costs and sacrifices. From winning Grand Slam titles to reaching the very peak of the game, "The Mind of a Champion" is sure to keep you wanting to keep reading more.
May 24, 2024
Consistency is the guide for Pete. He wants to be the best and he knows he could achieve it. The only record he wants to break is Jimmy Connors´s record of 5 consecutive years as number one. He achieve it, need to be consecutive.
He has a very different personality that his all time rival Agassi. Nike prefered outgoing and strange personality of Las Vegas Kid.
May be he has a positive head to head statistic against Andre, but he seems more arrogant than Agassi to me.
He only mentioned like 10 min of the whole book to his wife. Very different to what Agassi talked about his women.
But Pete is Pete...
He has a very different personality that his all time rival Agassi. Nike prefered outgoing and strange personality of Las Vegas Kid.
May be he has a positive head to head statistic against Andre, but he seems more arrogant than Agassi to me.
He only mentioned like 10 min of the whole book to his wife. Very different to what Agassi talked about his women.
But Pete is Pete...
March 18, 2019
In my chilhood he was not my hero. After this book he is not my hero indeed, but from another perspective. Pete explains several facts why he did not want ever to be anyone's hero and just focused at one thing at the time - tennis. He new it from very beginning and methodically kept growing in this field. This book is not about any "lessons", only just his tournament, not life facts.
October 15, 2015
Şampiyonun zihninden çıkarılacak ders yok. En azından bunun.
June 6, 2018
As a kid, the one name in the game of tennis that always arose my curiosity for his style of play was Pete Sampras. The lanky 6'1" tennis star produced some epic tennis moments and matches against his rivals in the Open era. The legends, who graced this spectacular game with their flamboyant style and elegance before Pete Sampras announced his arrival on the international arena were no lesser stalwarts themselves, in their own right. The likes of John McEnroe, Björn Borg, Stefan Edberg, and Jimmy Connors revelled in their unique technique which worked wonders for them on the court, day in and day out during major tennis tournaments. However, the game of tennis from the technical correctness point of view inched in towards the right side of the pinnacle during the Open era; which also happened to experience some great names of tennis frequently making their presence felt on the court, carving out a niche for themselves in the process amidst high, intense competition. Who can forget the epic rivalry between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi? Certainly, not the kids who grew up during the second half of the decade 1980-1990 and the decade of 1990-2000. In the years to follow, it was only befitting that the tennis contingent and the fans would experience a rejuvenated Pete Sampras taking on an aging yet very agile old rival Andre Agassi during Pistol Pete's last Grand Slam final of his elusive career in 2002. Sampras emerging victorious in the Grand Slam (US Open) final made it an icing on the cake for the tennis lovers. Sampras will always be remembered as a champion tennis player who raised the bar for performance and the standards of consistency for the players of subsequent generation to attain and achieve, primarily the cluster embracing Tim Henman, Lleyton Hewitt, and Roger Federer. A Champion's Mind narrates the story of this tennis genius from the perspectives and words of the champion himself. Needless to mention, the book is penned by the campeón. Pete Sampras, first set foot on the expedition of attaining tennis proficiency during the second half of the decade 1980-1990. He also had close in encounters with John McEnroe, who interestingly was at the fag end of his illustrious career when Sampras set off. The book gives an excellent, valuable insight into the career of Sampras as a pro and his exploits on grass and hard courts. However, the clay surfaces always had had the better of Sampras throughout his long spanning career. This fact explains the phenomenon of French Open title eluding Pete Sampras until his retirement in 2003. The red dirt did to a certain extent jinx his performances at Roland Garros. Pete Sampras was predominantly a master of grass courts, especially at Wimbledon. A major share of his then world record of 14 Grand Slam titles could be attributed to the number of crowns he won at the Wimbledon. At one point during his career, Sampras was called the undisputed king of grass court tennis.
The autobiography has the first few pages dedicated to the tennis champ's early professional and personal life, then on every turning page gives a brief account on the various challenges faced by him, both mentally and physically, to keep himself motivated to be at the top of his game. A legend in the book has it that he went to an extent of setting up a training camp for himself away from his family to sort out his game and dedicate full time to preparation for majors (read as Grand Slam tournaments). He also writes about his coaches from different phases of his life and career, the likes of Peter Fischer, Joe Brandi, Tim and Tom (Gullikson brothers), Vitas Gerulaitis, Paul Annacone, José Higueras; and the positive impact their stints with him had had on his game, technique, and style of play. He divides the entire autobiography into parts framing different chapters, listing a few key matches and their result only to end up giving a gist about the matches, with a commendable degree of precision & attention to detail. In short, Sampras has kept his autobiography confined and conforming mostly to his experience as a tennis professional.
In his work, Pete Sampras has managed to undermine his status and abilities as an American tennis superstar and on more occasions than one, in complete contrast, imposed and established his authority and superiority over his contemporaries describing the encounters he has had with them during the different phases of his career as low-key affairs. Pete Sampras reveals his introverted nature helped him in more ways than one to keep himself match fit and ready to get going. The book ably enclosing the facts articulated by Peter Bodo is a must read for every tennis fan of the Open era. Pete Sampras's deceiving, expressionless appearance on the tennis court caught his rivals completely off guard most of the times. Such was the aura surrounding the great champ, that very seldom did he lose his calm composure in intense moments during crucial matches. Among the very many players to have graced this great game during the Open era; Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter stand out for their display of on-court aggression and flamboyance. The presence of aggressive characters on the tennis arena forced Sampras to maintain a low profile and get into a nutshell. He would often walk out on the court quietly like an underdog and surprise the opponents by his propensity putting forth a challenging, intimidating, and formidable degree of play; and on most occasions emerge as the winner much to the awe of his rivals and the crowd. This read also reveals another interesting aspect of being Pete Sampras - the art of knowing one's priorities thoroughly and oneself in and out. Sampras is one off the few players, who gave an impression that he is in control and knew what he was doing, both on and off the tennis court. He had a good, firm thinking head on his shoulders which reflected in his mannerism and the way he carried himself on the tennis stadia. For a major part of his career, his conduct went unquestioned and undisputed. Such was the degree of discipline exhibited by this calm and cool headed tennis star. Having said this, he did have his own fair share of altercations during a career spanning close to a decade and a half (1988-2003). In the book, Pete never shies away from calling a spade, a spade while accounting for the minor controversial events those took shape and shook his career prospects, in a brutally honest manner. He has put on a bold front while giving an account on the diminished professional relationship with Peter Fischer, his coach from the juniors, during the later half of his elite career. Yet, his approach towards maintaining a certain degree of sanity on matters of professional relevance commands appreciation. Pete Sampras admits that Andre Agassi was not the only contemporary, who succeeded in giving him sleepless nights. There were others like Goran Ivanevisic and Patrick Rafter, who gave him a good run for his money. Sampras considered Goran Ivanevisic his major nemesis for the latter's ability to pull off major upsets during crucial Grand Slam ties.
The compilation also includes his take on various Davis Cup ties he was a part of and the stress upon the need for team compatibility during the annual tennis tournament. However, he readily confesses that Davis Cup always came second in his list of preferred tennis tournaments during his entire tennis career as a pro, and further adds that as an introverted person he was comfortable and always found more solace in channelling his energy on winning majors. His association in Davis Cup with professional players of the calibre of John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and with Andy Roddick late in his career before hanging up his boots proved to be memorable experiences for him. He recalls several Davis Cup Singles and Doubles clashes involving United States, Russia, Switzerland, and Italy and wraps up the story giving away delightful nuggets of information about these tennis encounters and the lessons learnt from them. According to Pete Sampras, the key to success in Davis Cup is a compatible team equipped with hard working players and backed by an adorable and commendable team work ethics. Without these important essential elements, the fruits of Davis Cup act rough on the players and tough on the teams, even if they're star studded, with top ranked players turning out to play for them. He is also quick to point out that during his various stints at Davis Cup, he was mostly a part of the US team that boasted of big names from the tennis world - Michael Chang, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier. He further adds that it was often close to impossible for each of the four players to push themselves hard after the energy draining majors in the grass and hard court seasons. Thereafter, he swiftly resuscitates to conclude, stating the gap between the start and end of Davis Cup (played and spread over a period of nine months during a calendar year) helped the players recuperate and proved to be a breather for most players. Turning to the last page of the section including his elaboration on Davis Cup experience in the book helps the readers, absorb the tennis great's contentment with his exploits at the annual tourneys, expressed by him in his own way.
A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis is a book for those readers who are looking for a reason to follow the game of tennis, and for the tennis lovers of course. This extraordinary elucidation on the life, career, and struggles of Pete Sampras (considered as one off the greatest players to have graced the game of tennis) in his own words, gets a fiver on my rating scale of 5. A humdinger of a reading experience. Not surprisingly, this compilation keeps the mind of sport lovers completely occupied until the last page, the last line, and the last word is marked as gulped down by the readers. A definite tennis bible from a very indeterminate yet charismatic character and ambassador of the game called tennis - Pete Sampras. One of the most self-righteous living legend of tennis, who rightly finds himself induced into the Tennis Hall Of Fame as he cools his heels in the post retirement life. Hail Pete Sampras. Hail the aficionado in him. Hail the game of tennis. This tennis gem's not to be overlooked.
The autobiography has the first few pages dedicated to the tennis champ's early professional and personal life, then on every turning page gives a brief account on the various challenges faced by him, both mentally and physically, to keep himself motivated to be at the top of his game. A legend in the book has it that he went to an extent of setting up a training camp for himself away from his family to sort out his game and dedicate full time to preparation for majors (read as Grand Slam tournaments). He also writes about his coaches from different phases of his life and career, the likes of Peter Fischer, Joe Brandi, Tim and Tom (Gullikson brothers), Vitas Gerulaitis, Paul Annacone, José Higueras; and the positive impact their stints with him had had on his game, technique, and style of play. He divides the entire autobiography into parts framing different chapters, listing a few key matches and their result only to end up giving a gist about the matches, with a commendable degree of precision & attention to detail. In short, Sampras has kept his autobiography confined and conforming mostly to his experience as a tennis professional.
In his work, Pete Sampras has managed to undermine his status and abilities as an American tennis superstar and on more occasions than one, in complete contrast, imposed and established his authority and superiority over his contemporaries describing the encounters he has had with them during the different phases of his career as low-key affairs. Pete Sampras reveals his introverted nature helped him in more ways than one to keep himself match fit and ready to get going. The book ably enclosing the facts articulated by Peter Bodo is a must read for every tennis fan of the Open era. Pete Sampras's deceiving, expressionless appearance on the tennis court caught his rivals completely off guard most of the times. Such was the aura surrounding the great champ, that very seldom did he lose his calm composure in intense moments during crucial matches. Among the very many players to have graced this great game during the Open era; Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter stand out for their display of on-court aggression and flamboyance. The presence of aggressive characters on the tennis arena forced Sampras to maintain a low profile and get into a nutshell. He would often walk out on the court quietly like an underdog and surprise the opponents by his propensity putting forth a challenging, intimidating, and formidable degree of play; and on most occasions emerge as the winner much to the awe of his rivals and the crowd. This read also reveals another interesting aspect of being Pete Sampras - the art of knowing one's priorities thoroughly and oneself in and out. Sampras is one off the few players, who gave an impression that he is in control and knew what he was doing, both on and off the tennis court. He had a good, firm thinking head on his shoulders which reflected in his mannerism and the way he carried himself on the tennis stadia. For a major part of his career, his conduct went unquestioned and undisputed. Such was the degree of discipline exhibited by this calm and cool headed tennis star. Having said this, he did have his own fair share of altercations during a career spanning close to a decade and a half (1988-2003). In the book, Pete never shies away from calling a spade, a spade while accounting for the minor controversial events those took shape and shook his career prospects, in a brutally honest manner. He has put on a bold front while giving an account on the diminished professional relationship with Peter Fischer, his coach from the juniors, during the later half of his elite career. Yet, his approach towards maintaining a certain degree of sanity on matters of professional relevance commands appreciation. Pete Sampras admits that Andre Agassi was not the only contemporary, who succeeded in giving him sleepless nights. There were others like Goran Ivanevisic and Patrick Rafter, who gave him a good run for his money. Sampras considered Goran Ivanevisic his major nemesis for the latter's ability to pull off major upsets during crucial Grand Slam ties.
The compilation also includes his take on various Davis Cup ties he was a part of and the stress upon the need for team compatibility during the annual tennis tournament. However, he readily confesses that Davis Cup always came second in his list of preferred tennis tournaments during his entire tennis career as a pro, and further adds that as an introverted person he was comfortable and always found more solace in channelling his energy on winning majors. His association in Davis Cup with professional players of the calibre of John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and with Andy Roddick late in his career before hanging up his boots proved to be memorable experiences for him. He recalls several Davis Cup Singles and Doubles clashes involving United States, Russia, Switzerland, and Italy and wraps up the story giving away delightful nuggets of information about these tennis encounters and the lessons learnt from them. According to Pete Sampras, the key to success in Davis Cup is a compatible team equipped with hard working players and backed by an adorable and commendable team work ethics. Without these important essential elements, the fruits of Davis Cup act rough on the players and tough on the teams, even if they're star studded, with top ranked players turning out to play for them. He is also quick to point out that during his various stints at Davis Cup, he was mostly a part of the US team that boasted of big names from the tennis world - Michael Chang, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier. He further adds that it was often close to impossible for each of the four players to push themselves hard after the energy draining majors in the grass and hard court seasons. Thereafter, he swiftly resuscitates to conclude, stating the gap between the start and end of Davis Cup (played and spread over a period of nine months during a calendar year) helped the players recuperate and proved to be a breather for most players. Turning to the last page of the section including his elaboration on Davis Cup experience in the book helps the readers, absorb the tennis great's contentment with his exploits at the annual tourneys, expressed by him in his own way.
A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis is a book for those readers who are looking for a reason to follow the game of tennis, and for the tennis lovers of course. This extraordinary elucidation on the life, career, and struggles of Pete Sampras (considered as one off the greatest players to have graced the game of tennis) in his own words, gets a fiver on my rating scale of 5. A humdinger of a reading experience. Not surprisingly, this compilation keeps the mind of sport lovers completely occupied until the last page, the last line, and the last word is marked as gulped down by the readers. A definite tennis bible from a very indeterminate yet charismatic character and ambassador of the game called tennis - Pete Sampras. One of the most self-righteous living legend of tennis, who rightly finds himself induced into the Tennis Hall Of Fame as he cools his heels in the post retirement life. Hail Pete Sampras. Hail the aficionado in him. Hail the game of tennis. This tennis gem's not to be overlooked.
August 30, 2024
"What you see is what you get" is how I would characterize both Pete Sampras and his memoir. No revelations, no "ah-ha" moments. Basically, no there there. Sampras was an incredible talent on the court and lived a drama-free life off the court, surrounded by a loving, supportive and very functional family, dedicated coaches, and, eventually, a model/actor wife who was willing to put her career on hold and support him in the twilight of his career. Even their romance was "easy." Pete told a friend he wanted to meet her and, voila, the friend procured her phone number and love blossomed quickly. Contrast this with Agassi's misguided first marriage to Brooke Shields and prolonged pining after Steffi Graf and McEnroe's tumultuous first marriage to Tatum O'Neal and eventual union with a literal rock star, Patty Smyth.
Like other tennis memoirs (McEnroe's, Agassi's), Sampras uses a LOT of ink and pages taking us through the minute details of important matches during his record breaking/setting career. These almost play-by-play accounts comprise 90% of the book and are probably most interesting to either diehard Sampras fans or amateurs who can take heart that even those at the very very top of their sport go through alternate streaks of doubt, torture, and in-the-zone play just like club hackers. But a half dozen of these vignettes would've been sufficient.
We get a peek at injuries and/or health issues mostly endured confidentially that affected his performance in certain matches, but no real insight about how he worked through them. Sampras is a little more vulnerable about his emotions when discussing coach Tim Gullikson's sudden, unexpected, and heartbreaking illness and subsequent death. But, again, we don't get much of a sense about how he pulled through what must have been heart-wrenching times for a relatively young, isolated public figure with a global sports spotlight on him. Surely people with professions that demand every last ounce of physical, mental and emotional fortitude a human can access must also have something special in reserve for trying times. But we don't know any more about what that is after reading about this champion's mind.
Sampras had the raw talent and singularity of focus to have an incredible career. For his book, he couldn't manufacture drama where none existed nor would readers want him to. But neither does he seem to be able to muster true vulnerability in a way readers expect from a memoir and want from their icons.
Like other tennis memoirs (McEnroe's, Agassi's), Sampras uses a LOT of ink and pages taking us through the minute details of important matches during his record breaking/setting career. These almost play-by-play accounts comprise 90% of the book and are probably most interesting to either diehard Sampras fans or amateurs who can take heart that even those at the very very top of their sport go through alternate streaks of doubt, torture, and in-the-zone play just like club hackers. But a half dozen of these vignettes would've been sufficient.
We get a peek at injuries and/or health issues mostly endured confidentially that affected his performance in certain matches, but no real insight about how he worked through them. Sampras is a little more vulnerable about his emotions when discussing coach Tim Gullikson's sudden, unexpected, and heartbreaking illness and subsequent death. But, again, we don't get much of a sense about how he pulled through what must have been heart-wrenching times for a relatively young, isolated public figure with a global sports spotlight on him. Surely people with professions that demand every last ounce of physical, mental and emotional fortitude a human can access must also have something special in reserve for trying times. But we don't know any more about what that is after reading about this champion's mind.
Sampras had the raw talent and singularity of focus to have an incredible career. For his book, he couldn't manufacture drama where none existed nor would readers want him to. But neither does he seem to be able to muster true vulnerability in a way readers expect from a memoir and want from their icons.
July 31, 2019
I judge all biographies by Andre Agassi's Open and so far nothing seems to beat that. Of course, these people are sports players, not writers, but the minute you decide to write a book, you will be judged by style as much as by content.
Sampras's book is just like Sampras - cold, distant, completely lacking emotion. Here and there. there may be a passage where he shows something other than his usual detached attitude, but those are rare and precious moments. The entire book is a very realistic and mechanical approach on tennis.
That's not a bad thing, as sports books go. I gave this book 3 stars particularly for this reason - it talks about the sport more than other biographies (Monica Seles' comes to mind since it's the latest I've read, and it's a hot mess of anything other than tennis). The tennis part I likes quite a lot - Sampras shows to be a good analyst and it's great to get a glimpse of how he thinks, how he analysed his opponents and his step by step journey towards greatness.
But he is quite the arrogant ass throughout the entire book and it is hard to see him as anything else that the cold distant player who somehow managed to put everything else aside in order to break records. I admit I have never liked him as a player and this book does nothing to change my impression - he's too inhuman for my tastes. I guess it's hard to like someone as long as you idolise his rival - and I completely idolise Andre Agassi. But I would have hoped to at least soften my view on him, which did not happen.
I hate how he continued to refer to himself as a champion, superhuman, god. He is great, yes, but a little humility did not kill anyone. I also hate how he did nothing to allow us to snoop behind the curtains. He remains on a pedestal even after this "confession".
But from a tennis fan perspective, this book is a gem. It's a cold analysis of the game in his era and of most important tennis players whom he encountered during his career. Very much a book for tennis fans and Sampras fans, but people who just want to know about the man, not the game will be quite disappointed.
Sampras's book is just like Sampras - cold, distant, completely lacking emotion. Here and there. there may be a passage where he shows something other than his usual detached attitude, but those are rare and precious moments. The entire book is a very realistic and mechanical approach on tennis.
That's not a bad thing, as sports books go. I gave this book 3 stars particularly for this reason - it talks about the sport more than other biographies (Monica Seles' comes to mind since it's the latest I've read, and it's a hot mess of anything other than tennis). The tennis part I likes quite a lot - Sampras shows to be a good analyst and it's great to get a glimpse of how he thinks, how he analysed his opponents and his step by step journey towards greatness.
But he is quite the arrogant ass throughout the entire book and it is hard to see him as anything else that the cold distant player who somehow managed to put everything else aside in order to break records. I admit I have never liked him as a player and this book does nothing to change my impression - he's too inhuman for my tastes. I guess it's hard to like someone as long as you idolise his rival - and I completely idolise Andre Agassi. But I would have hoped to at least soften my view on him, which did not happen.
I hate how he continued to refer to himself as a champion, superhuman, god. He is great, yes, but a little humility did not kill anyone. I also hate how he did nothing to allow us to snoop behind the curtains. He remains on a pedestal even after this "confession".
But from a tennis fan perspective, this book is a gem. It's a cold analysis of the game in his era and of most important tennis players whom he encountered during his career. Very much a book for tennis fans and Sampras fans, but people who just want to know about the man, not the game will be quite disappointed.
January 13, 2025
7.5
This is barely a 4 star book for me and only because I am a fan of the game and the player and I am fascinated by psychological case studies, which this most definitely is (whether Sampras realizes it or not). My hope with this review is to temper expectations, raise some caution, and hopefully help you decide if you should take a look into this particular champion's mind.
First of all, if you are not a fan of tennis, I'm not sure why you're here. This book goes into a lot of the nuances that some readers (aka me) would like to hear about from the perspective of one of the greatest to play the game. There is a lot of tennis talk as (I hope) you'd expect.
If you are fan, and specifically a fan of Pistol Pete, then I want to point out some potential turn offs:
1) This is a fantastic example of "Don't meet your heroes". Sampras comes off as quite unlikeable. In his defense, he is aware of this and does address it, which ultimately made him more endearing to me personally and is truly fascinating from a psychological perspective. Be warned though, if you can't offer him the understanding of his unusual life circumstances and how that led to some blunting in personality development, then you will come away with a bad taste in your mouth.
2) The writing is borderline unreadable. I have too many complaints to go over all of them here, but it's not well written. It's actually a 2 star book for me from this perspective, but luckily the book offered me enough in other avenues to eek out 4 stars in a 5th set tiebreaker.
Now if you haven't been turned off yet, then I do want to end on a positive. This is a memoir of Pete Sampras reflecting on his tennis career. That's bad ass. Whenever the book frustrates you, remember, this is a bad ass thing to be able to experience so cherish the privilege or gtfo the court.
This is barely a 4 star book for me and only because I am a fan of the game and the player and I am fascinated by psychological case studies, which this most definitely is (whether Sampras realizes it or not). My hope with this review is to temper expectations, raise some caution, and hopefully help you decide if you should take a look into this particular champion's mind.
First of all, if you are not a fan of tennis, I'm not sure why you're here. This book goes into a lot of the nuances that some readers (aka me) would like to hear about from the perspective of one of the greatest to play the game. There is a lot of tennis talk as (I hope) you'd expect.
If you are fan, and specifically a fan of Pistol Pete, then I want to point out some potential turn offs:
1) This is a fantastic example of "Don't meet your heroes". Sampras comes off as quite unlikeable. In his defense, he is aware of this and does address it, which ultimately made him more endearing to me personally and is truly fascinating from a psychological perspective. Be warned though, if you can't offer him the understanding of his unusual life circumstances and how that led to some blunting in personality development, then you will come away with a bad taste in your mouth.
2) The writing is borderline unreadable. I have too many complaints to go over all of them here, but it's not well written. It's actually a 2 star book for me from this perspective, but luckily the book offered me enough in other avenues to eek out 4 stars in a 5th set tiebreaker.
Now if you haven't been turned off yet, then I do want to end on a positive. This is a memoir of Pete Sampras reflecting on his tennis career. That's bad ass. Whenever the book frustrates you, remember, this is a bad ass thing to be able to experience so cherish the privilege or gtfo the court.
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