The Powerful Mindsets of Pete Sampras
Use your mind to be the best.
*Scroll to the end for 7 Takeaways from this article.*
It’s hard to imagine winning multiple tennis majors. The majority of professional players never even win one. Pete Sampras, one of the greatest tennis players of all-time, won fourteen majors. It didn’t come easy.
He had talent and strong mindsets. In A Champion’s Mind: Lessons from A Life in Tennis, Sampras shows you how to think like a winner. Through early struggles and career obstacles, Sampras tells you the way to glory in any field.
His insights about being great apply to anything you do. You can’t just glide to victory. You have to battle for it. Sampras didn’t grow up in a tennis family that played for years. But, he didn’t let it stop him from pursuing his passion.
When he was a kid, he felt a special connection to the tennis racket. He used it all the time, hitting balls constantly. He felt almost chosen for the sport. His family moved from Washington, DC to California, so he could be closer to tennis culture.
Tennis dominated Sampras’ early life. His father brought old tennis film into the house for study. He would routinely go to school and practice at the tennis club in the afternoon. As a student, he had above-average grades and kept his social circle small.
To be great at tennis, he believed that he had to make it a number one priority. His teacher would often be shocked that he would miss weeks of school for junior tournaments. His junior career taught him many lessons as an adolescent and teenager.
One of the most crucial lessons was about losing and “choking.”
“There were days when I lacked determination, and lost. But choking is different. Choking is being in a position to win, and then experiencing some critical failure of nerve or spirit. That never happened to me. And I can’t help but think it was because I was never afraid to lose.”
When Sampras turned into a pro, he began to feel some pressure. He was a good player, but he still needed some work. His mindset helped his mistakes. “I still had lots of holes, and I would kind of fill those in as I went along, reciting my mantra: It’s all a learning experience.”
In his historic journey to win his first major, he upset Ivan Lendl. He owed his performance to the simplicity of his mindset, “I’m just going to throw the ball up, serve as hard as I can, and hope I hit the line.” His confidence led him to win the US Open final against Andre Agassi.
To win thirteen more majors, Sampras had to overcome health problems, rivals, and confidence issues. He kept his strength and controlled his emotions. While other tennis players were theatrical, Sampras was calm and stoic.
He didn’t want to show too much to competitors. Critics thought that Sampras had a “boring” style of play. But, Sampras believed in himself. He prided himself on his ability to play with ease and grace. He took advantage of the emotions and vulnerabilities of opponents,
“When a guy started losing it out there, I knew I’d gotten to his game or his mind.”
7 Takeaways from the Mindsets of Pete Sampras
-Follow your passion, even if it sets you apart from others
-Immerse yourself in the culture of your passion
-Make your passion your number one priority
-Don’t be afraid to lose or fail
-Treat life like a learning experience when you are starting out
-Keep your cool, even if it means that people look at you as boring
-Understand the mind of your opponent
