A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis

I finished this book in two nights and still wanted more. This is the best tennis player's biography I've ever read, even better than McEnroe's "Serious". It is true that there is not much Pete can tell you about his personality cause, as he said himself, he is a boring tennis kid. But his opinions of other major players in his era are very very interesting.

Pete Sampras' "A Champion's Mind" is indeed a 15th grand slam. It never ceases to amaze me how generally people that move quiet, are soft spoken and calm are, turn to be the best writers, authors and talkers. Sampras' may have got a bit of help from his editor, but still it is impressive how relaxing and smooth this book can be... pretty much as his tennis was. It is an interesting read that I recommend not only to tennis fans but also to people that are into knowing what is it that spins around the brain of successful people: from their first steps, through their growth, their falls, their peaks and finally their retirement. Pete basically gets naked on subjetcs as his family, coaches, trainers, friends, competitors, basically everything he never talked about during his days on the tour. Another fun point worth every penny is Sampras' sarcastic sense of humour. Sometimes I felt I was reading something written by Conan O'Brien or David Letterman. Probably it is because as I said earlier you have this serious, non-emotional guy telling you this unexpected line at a very uptight situation. One example is what Sampras thought when he met Bridgette Wilson (whoever read the book will know what I'm taking about). Objetive and no auto-flattering behavior, Sampras shows respect for himself, his peers and his predecesors as well as the new school of tennis players. One thing I would really like to ask Pete is why he placed Ivan Lendl as one of the GOAT, instead of perhaps the one player people relate him most -Pancho Gonzales-; the others named I agree. From my read, it seemed like Sampras had a bit more of respect for Lendl because of Ivan being so friendly and helpful to him during his first days on the tours. Who knows. After all, a few chapters into the book you realize that Pete is human, has a heart, has feelings and emotions, and may be a little subjective at times. Yet I wouldn't argue with him as I'm not even a Pro Tennis Player. A Champion's Mind deserves 5 stars and no less, because it delivers what it says and it delivers what people would always expect from Pete Sampras: nothing else but 100% high quality.

I cracked open the book on a transatlantic red-eye flight thinking that I would read a couple of chapters to put me to sleep. Boy, was I wrong! I finally slept but only after finishing the book. I am a tennis nut but I thought the content would be appreciated even by people that aren't tennis nuts. He covers his career and key matches but there is a lot of coverage given to people, his relationships and what made him a champion. It is difficult to walk the fine line of sounding confident without coming across as arrogant but Pete Sampras does a good job of that throughout the book like he did/does in real life - he talks about the Gift and how he went about harnessing it. He has very candid commentary about a number of other fellow pros like McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Federer, etc. He talks about his relationships and competition with his generation of American players (Agassi, Courier and Chang) in a lot of detail as well as his relationship with his coaches through the years. All in all, if you are a tennis fan (or follow sports in general), this is a must read!

This book gives a clear picture of Sampras' personality which is pretty similiar to his game-straight forward, aggressive when necessary, and well rounded. Sampras tells of his parents' sacrifice so that he could become a champion, and his admiration of their values is evident throughout the book. He also tells of small sibling rivalries; helping his sister deal with Robert Landsorph, who seems to lose all of his students from Austin to Davenport to other coaches because of his belligerent demeanor; and the desinegration of his relationship with Pete Fisher after Fisher's arrest for child molestation. Tennis attracts a strange crowd, and the Sampras family may have found the strangest in Fisher who has taken more credit for Sampras' game than Pete gives him here. Who is to say which of the two is correct? In regard to his rivals, Sampras speaks in detail and honestly. His page or so that he gives to Connors is probably longer than any conversation between the two. Sampras also does a good job of showing the Jekyll and Hyde personality of McEnroe. He gives Lendl his due as an underated champion whose accomplishments are perhaps greater than Connors' or McEnroe's, a kind person, and someone who took time to help a future champion, Sampras at the age 17(Yes, the time with Lendl may have caused the bias). He also thoroughly analyzes the games, friendships, and rivalies with Agassi, Courier, Chang, and Martin. Finally, he nods to Federer as a worthy player to break his records, classy again. As far as romantic relationships, an important point to make is that unlike McEnroe, Sampras does not tell anything of his first girlfriend Delana Mulcahy who is substantially older than he and left Sampras for someone even younger or of his relationship with Kimberly Williams. For his not telling the dirt, he has certainly more class than McEnroe whose children will someday read what dad said about all the cokeheads he dated and the disturbing marriage to mom, Tatum O'Neal. Sampras does state that tennis took a priority and cost him until he met Bridgette Wilson. On a different note, one complaint-somebody needed to do a better job on the proofing. There are a number of cliches, and there seems to be no understanding about the difference between I and me, an English teacher's complaint. Regardless, Sampras' book reveals a champion and person of great character.

Pete Sampras was not just a great tennis player. He is one of the classiest athletes to ever compete in big-time professional sports. The fact that he was polite, soft spoken, and exceedingly decent probably reduced his overall fame and appeal in this strange upside-down celebrity culture of ours. We should all appreciate athletes like him when they come along. I highly recommend this book, not just for tennis fans but for everyone. It offers a peek inside an amazing career that was not only high-pressure and often filled with glory but also totally dependant upon hard work. Sampras may not have been flashy but he was the real deal, a talented player who worked harder than most of us can ever imagine. His reward is a legacy of both class and greatness. --Guy P. Harrison, author of Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know About Our Biological Diversity and 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God