By STEPHEN A. SMITH, Philadelphia Inquirer
Sunday, 24 August, 2003
On a Sunday late in the summer of 2002, beneath a sun that appeared to be descending almost as quickly as his skills were declining, on a tennis court in a stadium named after a man renowned for his decency as much as his talent, Pete Sampras was reborn.
There were 129-m.p.h. serves that proved that age had not robbed Sampras of everything, overpowering serves that produced 33 aces.
Against his great rival, Andre Agassi, Sampras carved out a four-set victory in a place named after Arthur Ashe. That victory gave him a fifth U.S. Open title and extended his record number of Grand Slam singles titles to 14. Much to our chagrin, it would also serve as a swan song for the greatest tennis player who ever lived.
People can praise such a champion as Michael Jordan, forgetting Scottie Pippen. They can laud the accomplishments of Muhammad Ali, a three-time heavyweight champion, forgetting he had to lose the title twice in order for three to be a charm. They can bring up the names of Joe Montana, Vince Lombardi, Bill Russell or John Wooden.
Just don't expect the tennis world to join them.
At a news conference today, Sampras is scheduled to officially announce his retirement. He then will be honored at Arthur Ashe Stadium on opening night of the U.S. Open.
In that stadium and in that tournament, at age 19, Sampras won his first major title, beating Agassi in 1990.
In that stadium and in that tournament, at age 31, Sampras captured his last title of any kind, beating Agassi in 2002.
In all, Sampras won 64 singles championships and more than 760 matches in arguably the most illustrious career in sports annals.
"I've said the same thing for years now," Agassi told reporters after his defeat at the hands of Sampras in last year's Open final. "(Sampras') game is able to raise itself at the right time. While the discipline and the daily grind of what it takes to be at the best, at the top, has obviously gotten tougher for him, there's still a danger in the way he plays and how good he is. Anybody that says something different is really ignorant."
For a while, we all were. Weren't we?
In July 2000, after beating Patrick Rafter in the final at Wimbledon, breaking Roy Emerson's mark of 12 major titles, Sampras went 26 months without winning another tournament.
This was the same man who finished with the No. 1 world rankings for six straight years (1993-98), who had won seven Wimbledon titles. But now he was getting humiliated by 20-year-olds.
Supposedly, some fat lady was singing.
Supposedly, Sampras was finished.
Age had crept in. Sampras' commitment to tennis had leveled off. His marriage to actress Bridgette Wilson was contributing significantly to his travails on the court. At least that's what many believed.
So Sampras had to remind us of his greatness one last time, summoning all the gusto and intestinal fortitude he could muster. He did so with a serve that would blind most of us, taking out Andy Roddick in straight sets in last year's Open quarterfinals. He did so again in the final, using dizzying serves, crisp volleys and athleticism from baseline to net that belied all those things the world - outside of tennis - had assumed about him.
Before the curtain lowered on last year's Open, with Sampras' pregnant wife cheering jubilantly in the stands, Sampras said that the victory "might be my biggest achievement."
Which explains why he's retiring today at the Open.
"He was just one of the most graceful players of all time, one of the most quietly competitive players of all time, one of the best pressure players of all time," Roddick, who is seeded fourth in this year's Open, told reporters last week. "The bigger the match was, the better he played. He just made his name by winning."
Roddick, 21, labeled the next great American hope but without any major titles to this point, is hoping to do the same. Lleyton Hewitt, going for his second Open crown in three years, is hoping to continue making a name for himself. So are Roger Federer and Juan Carlos Ferrero. Agassi is going for his ninth Grand Slam title and his 59th singles title overall.
Any of them can win and it won't make a difference, at least for today.
Today belongs to Sampras, who played his first professional match in 1988 in Philadelphia at the U.S. Pro Indoor Championships and won his first pro title - same place, same tournament - in 1990.
Some people deserve applause.
Others deserve a bow.
Sampras, exhibiting dominance for a decade with the kind of class and grace that would make Arthur Ashe proud, deserves both.
Today more than any other time.