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Title details for A Champion's Mind by Pete Sampras - Available

A Champion's Mind

Lessons from a Life in Tennis

by Pete Sampras
Peter Bodo
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented number one world ranking for 286 weeks, and whose prodigious talent made possible a record-setting fourteen Grand Slam titles. While his more vocal rivals sometimes grabbed the headlines, Pete always preferred to let his racket do the talking.
Until now.
In A Champion’s Mind, the tennis great who so often exhibited visible discomfort with letting people “inside his head” finally opens up. An athletic prodigy, Pete resolved from his earliest playing days never to let anything get in the way of his love for the game. But while this single-minded determination led to tennis domination, success didn’t come without a price. The constant pressure of competing on the world’s biggest stage—in the unblinking eye of a media machine hungry for more than mere athletic greatness—took its toll.
Here for the first time Pete speaks freely about what it was like to possess what he calls “the Gift.” He writes about the personal trials he faced—including the death of a longtime coach and confidant—and the struggles he gutted his way through while being seemingly on top of the world. Among the book’s most riveting scenes are an early devastating loss to Stefan Edberg that led Pete to make a monastic commitment to delivering on his natural talent; a grueling, four-hour-plus match against Alex Corretja during which Pete became seriously ill; fierce on-court battles with rival and friend Andre Agassi; and the triumphant last match of Pete’s career at the finals of the 2002 U.S. Open.
In A Champion’s Mind, one of the most revered, successful, and intensely private players in the history of tennis offers an intimate look at the life of an elite athlete.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 17, 2008

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781415949627
      • File size: 257743 KB
      • Duration: 08:56:57

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Pete Sampras enjoyed a stint as the world's top-ranked men's tennis player for more than five years. He shied away from the limelight and rarely came close to controversy, on or off the court. So this memoir offered a glimmer of hope for fans to learn more. But steady and straight, Sampras is deliberate in what information he reveals. Narrator Mark Deakins has just the right touch. His tone and emotion never waver. His solid narration keeps the listener interested in anecdotes of matches with assorted rivals. The most interesting parts include discussion of his relationships with his coaches, a section on equipment, and a behind-the-scenes vantage point at Wimbledon. Fans won't get a completely stripped-down revelation of Sampras's life, but will hear a pleasant book. M.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Handsome and talented tennis champion Pete Sampras always preferred to let his racket do the talking. His memoir finally allows tennis fans into the life of this elite athlete. Written in a strictly chronological order, the material includes some stories that belie the calm that Sampras always tried to show on the court. His first meetings with his wife are rather humorous. The descriptions of his matches against Andre Agassi remain as compelling to hear as they were to watch. Narrator Mark Deakins delivers a straightforward narration with no vocal characterizations and tightly controlled energy. Listeners may get the feeling this audio presentation is exactly like watching a Pete Sampras tennis match: perfectly executed, occasionally exciting, sometimes interesting, but rather unemotional. M.R.E. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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