A ceremony honouring American tennis ace Pete Sampras will be held on Monday at the US Open, as the seven-time Wimbledon champion formally announces his retirement.
Pete's withdrawal from the game means he's going out on top. His last match, a resounding US Open victory over Andre Agassi in 2002, marked his fifth title at the tournament and made him, at 31, the oldest player ever to triumph in the competition.
Though the official announcement has not yet been made, it has long been expected that the athlete, who holds 64 singles titles, would not return to the court. In July, Pete said that pulling out of 2003 competitions "hasn't made me miss tennis enough". He continued: "This tells me it's a sign to say, 'It's probably time'. I miss it, but it's time probably to give up."
While it's unknown what Pete's future has in store for him in the professional world, one thing he'll be able to enjoy during his time off is his growing family. He and his wife of three years, The Wedding Planner star Bridgette Wilson, welcomed a baby boy last November.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
