Born August 12, 1971 in Washington, D.C., Pete Sampras is a former professional tennis player. Sampras is the third son of Sam and Georgia Sampras, Greek immigrants, and often considered to be the greatest tennis player in history. From a very early age, Sampras displayed signs of outstanding athletic ability.

A young Sampras would discover a tennis racquet in his parents' basement, and spend hours a day hitting the balls against the wall. At only 7 years of age, Sam and Georgia moved the entire family to Palos Verdes, California, so their son could develop his talent for tennis in a warmer climate.

Shortly after the move in 1978, The Sampras' joined the Peninsula Racquet Club, where young Pete's talents would become evident to everyone. At the ripe young age of 11, Sampras had already learned the solid serve and the volley tactic, which would become the trademark of his tennis game.

Sampras continued to hone his talents, and at the age of 16 in 1988, he began his professional career. Two years later, Sampras would earn his first Grand Slam victory in the U.S. Open when he defeated Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, and John McEnroe en route to his win. At 19 years and 28 days, Sampras was the youngest player in history to win the U.S. Open Men's title.

Sampras' win at the U.S. Open did more than introduce his talents to the world of professional tennis; it also marked the beginning of a long and heated rivalry between Sampras and Agassi. The rivalry between the two lasted throughout the 1990s, and Sampras would dominate the majority of matches, especially at Wimbledon.

Sampras crushed the competition at Wimbledon to win titles in 1993, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, and 2000. But Wimbledon wasn't the only place Pete Sampras was winning. In 1991, Sampras won the IBM World Championship, and in 1992, he helped his team win the Davis Cup. In 1993, Sampras set a new ATP Tour record by becoming the first player to serve over 1000 aces in a single season.

Throughout his professional career, Sampras' only weakness was on the clay courts. The slower surface worked against him, negating his natural attacking style and serve-and-volley game. Sampras would never make it past the semi-final round at the French Open - the only blemish on his professional record.

Off the court, Sampras also bore the brunt of criticism for his lack of personality. Though he dominated Agassi, Andre was always the bigger star, involved with celebrity nightlife and receiving many commercial endorsements. Sampras' “all-business” attitude didn't pull in many fans.

When Sampras retired in 2002, he had earned a staggering $43-million in prize money, making him 1st all-time in that category. He also has a 77.44 lifetime winning percentage, winning 762 games and only losing 222.

Sampras has won the Australian Open twice, Wimbledon 7 times, the U.S. Open 5 times, and the Masters Cup 5 times. Nicknamed Pistol Pete and the King of Swing, Pete Sampras is one of the greatest tennis players to ever play the game.