Few tennis players in history have dominated the U.S. Open like Pete Sampras.
Sampras, born in Washington, D.C., is one of the best American-born players of all-time. Known for his powerful serve – his right-handed power serve is considered one of the best ever – and his serve and volley style of play, Sampras dominated the 1990s and early 2000s. He won 14 Grand Slams, including five U.S. Open titles and seven Wimbledon titles. Sampras added two Australian Open titles, as well.
Advertisement
While some of the tennis greats, like John McEnroe and Andre Aggasi, have stayed close to the sport with broadcasting work and public appearances, Sampras has mostly kept to himself in private.
Pete Sampras of the United States serves to Michael Chang during their Men’s Singles Final match of the Salem OpenTennis Championship on 14 April 1996 at the outdoor hard courts on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong . (Photo by Gary M. Prior/Getty Images)Gary M. Prior/Getty Images
Sampras, who lives in California, was spotted over the summer, right before the start of the 2025 Wimbledon tournament. Sampras was spotted making a coffee run at a Starbucks in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, June 3.
“Sampras wore a dark gray Nike T-shirt and gray shorts while he carried two drinks in a beverage holder in one hand and a shopping bag in the other,” PEOPLE reported.
Advertisement
Photos of the athlete’s outing can be seen here.
Sampras has chosen to stay private
Sampras, who has only been spotted in public a couple of times over the years, has chosen to stay private. The former men’s tennis star made $43 million in career earnings and likely tens of millions more in endorsements. If he wants to stay out of the public eye, he certainly can.
Outside of his June 2025 spotting, Sampras was spotted at the end of 2024 and, prior to that, during a rare public appearance at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open.
Advertisement
In October of 2023, he spoke out about his wife’s health battle, via a statement from the ATP Tour on X.
“As most have come to know, I am a pretty quiet and private person. However, this past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family, and I have decided to share what’s been going on.”
“Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer,” Sampras continued at the time. “Since then, she has had major surgery, pushed through chemotherapy and continues with targeted maintenance therapy.”
Advertisement
Sampras has been married to his wife, an actress who appeared in movies like “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “The Wedding Planner,” since 1999.
The 2025 U.S. Open continues
The 2025 U.S. Open continues tonight, with No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner taking on fellow Italy native Lorenzo Musetti.
The women’s semifinals matches will take place on Thursday evening, with the men’s semifinals taking place on Friday night.
The championship matches will take place on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Advertisement
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Tennis section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.