‘My Swagger Went Away’ – Pete Sampras Narrated Agonizing Career Moment and How His ‘Therapist’ Wife Came to the Rescue With a Difficult Decision

Pete Sampras was undoubtedly the undisputed tennis king of the 1990s! And as a tennis legend who has 14 Grand Slam titles under his name, he was arguably one of the best tennis players the sport has ever seen. However, his tennis career was not as smooth as it appeared; he had his own ups and downs, which caused him to retire early at the age of 32.

During his retirement, when he was losing inspiration and passion for the sport, his wife, Bridgette Wilson, was there to support and help him make the most difficult decision of his life. In his memoir, “Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited,” the American tennis legend gave us an inside look at how his wife served as his unofficial therapist during his tough times.

When Pete Sampras’ ‘therapist’ wife came to his rescue 

The 51-year-old American tennis legend was always a quiet figure. Unlike the other tennis celebrities, he did not spend much time becoming the highlight of the news at that time. Well, similarly, he kept his personal life under wraps and married someone quite like him. In Steve Flink’s book, ‘Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited‘, there are a lot of instances where he talked about his wife’s unconditional support.

When the 14-time Grand Slam champion weighed in on the shocking Wimbledon exit he faced in 2002, he talked about when things were falling apart for him, following his split with his coach. Further, he shared how the former American actress was someone who brought him to a very safe place during his toughest time.

He recalled, “I was still putting in the time and effort but maybe my swagger went away. It really hit me hard and coming home was not easy. I had to do some soul-searching. I was talking to my wife, Bridgette, quite a bit, I always felt in a safe place talking to her and she was almost my therapist. Jose and I had a talk and decided it was best to end it.” 

READ MORE – ‘Don’t Need to Be at Wimbledon or the US Open’ – ‘Father of Two’ Pete Sampras Declared Blunt Family Decision as He Reveals Ultimate Tennis Verdict

In his biography, there are other instances where the former world number one talked about how he made the decision to spend eternity with Wilson, just after 9 months of dating.

When Sampras knew Wilson was the one 

In the same biography, the 51-year-old American tennis legend shared an instance from his awkward first date at an Italian restaurant that turned into a marriage of more than 22 years that is still going strong. He said that the American actress was someone who is ready to put her career aside after marriage, just like someone who he wanted.

WATCH THIS STORY – Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer

Not only that, he revealed how his wife always wanted to be a mother, and that was the point at which he knew that she was the one for him. Subsequently, he revealed that she was quite good at her work and did 30 movies, but ultimately wanted to be a wife and mother, leaving the other parts aside.

And ever since giving birth to their first child, both of them have lived a quiet life, away from the spotlight.