Five-time US Open champion who retired 22 years ago after $43m career has rarely been seen in public since

Pete Sampras is the invisible man when it comes to tennis.

Since the 54-year-old retired 22 years ago, fans have only caught a fleeting look at the five-time US Open champion.

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And so, when pictures of Sampras out in Beverley Hills recently surfaced online, you can forgive fans for having to do a double-take.

Photos caught the 14-time Grand Slam champion plainly dressed in a loose-fitting Nike tee and some black shades.

The former athlete has made an effort to hide away from the lifestyle that typically wealthy former athletes have.

According to the Daily Mail, an insider told them that Pete likes being an ordinary person.

“Pete has always shied away from taking on all the benefits of being a celebrity as he has always considered himself a tennis player and a regular dude,” the insider told the Mail. 

“He loves being a homebody and only selectively is he seen when he goes out, and he loves it. He loves being able to visit his sisters and brother who he is very close with and just more about being a husband and a father and just taking things day by day. “

The last time Sampras, who earned $43 million in prize money and has inspired the new generation of stars including Ben Shelton, was seen at a public event was when he was at Indian Wells in 2019.

Before that, he appeared at a Nike event in 2015 with the likes of Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Unlike many other former tennis players, Sampras has also undertaken very little TV work, although he did once appear in a Nike commercial with rival Andre Agassi.

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Sampras has always been a private individual

Even when the tennis icon won the 2002 US Open, the last tournament of his career, he jetted home to California and declined all media requests.

In his career biography, written by Steve Flink, Sampras explained to the author why we see so little of him.

“Everyone has a different personality, and I was more like Bjorn Borg or Stefan Edberg, the kind of role model where we keep our head down and just play,” Sampras told Flink.

“I was raised to be a tennis player – not a celebrity. That was who I was.”

But Sampras’ disdain for public attention should not be mistaken for insecurity.

“As uncomfortable as Pete would seem in public, I always got the sense he was as comfortable in his skin as anyone could be,” former tennis player Todd Martin, told Sports Illustrated.

Sampras shares devastating news about his wife

Sampras made a rare public statement when he revealed in October 2023 that his wife, Bridgette Wilson, was battling ovarian cancer.

“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,” he said in a statemnt to the ATP tour.

“Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Since then, she has had major surgery, pushed through chemotherapy and continues with targeted maintenance therapy. 

“It is hard to watch someone you love go through a challenge like this. However, seeing our boys step up and be such strong supporters of Bridgette, myself and each other has been amazing.”

Sampras and his wife have been together for 25 years and have two children who all reside with them in California.