Fans on X (formerly Twitter) slammed a media outlet, DailyMail, for an insensitive story about Pete Sampras. They sprang to defend the American icon, also sympathizing with him as his wife battles cancer.
After retiring in 2003 with 14 Grand Slam titles, Sampras featured in many exhibition games to keep fit. However, he has been out of the public eye for some time.
The United States version of a popular news house, with over 460,000 followers on X, shared a recent photo of Sampras with an inconsiderate headline. They claimed he looked ‘unrecognizable’, a callous dig at his appearance. The post backfired as other X users criticized the coverage.
Fans said Sampras looks perfectly normal for a 52-year-old man, refuting the claim that he looked ‘unrecognizable’. Among the comments, retired doubles No.1 Rennae Stubbs also attacked the outlet, calling them ‘pathetic’, a sentiment echoed by many fans.
You guys are TRASH! Firstly he looks fine. Secondly wtf kind of journalist is this. I could go into all the reasons why but it’s pointless. You’re pathetic!
— Rennae Stubbs (@rennaestubbs) January 28, 2024
Breaking news ex athlete who stopped being an athlete 20yrs ago no longer looks like an athlete. Also anyone that’s watched tennis can see it’s Pete Sampras. https://t.co/HEpdUey0ed
— Shashank (@ShashKetchum) January 29, 2024
For being so “unrecognizable”, it seems all of us tennis fans can recognize him quite easily. He owes nobody anything and can live his life anyway he wants. I often look much worse than this when I run out for a coffee
— Preston Prestoff (@ironstanfan1) January 29, 2024
Unrecognizable to whom? Only to those who don’t follow tennis, come on, let’s not be sensationalist. Everyone ages, my dear, including you, and people probably will not be able to recognize you. But Sampras? No matter how he looks, every tennis fan will recognize him.
— Celia (Kitty de Melo) (@kittydemelo) January 27, 2024
Journalistic malpractice
— ECK (@eckirkland) January 28, 2024
Unrecognisable? Hardly! He has aged extremely well. Leave him alone. https://t.co/APwb4paIzf
— Shaunak Agarkhedkar (@ShaunakSA) January 29, 2024
The man is a fucking legend with arguably the best serve that not even the great Roger Federer can best so put some respect on Pistol Pete and leave the man alone instead of stitching your two bit stories using his name. Find other soundbytes ya fucking parasites… https://t.co/RTaNooErIl
— Bharat_U (@DjokerGunner99) January 28, 2024
He seems pretty recognisable to me. That’s Pete Sampras looking exactly like I would expect a 52-year-old Pete Sampras to look like 20+ years after he retired from tennis.
— Joe Ashdown (@Joeash78) January 28, 2024
Many fans mentioned how Pete Sampras and his family are going through a tough time. His wife, Bridgette Wilson, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October 2023. They slammed the news house for carrying this insensitive and unsympathetic headline.
Sigh…the man is in his early 50’s, retired from tennis 21 years ago and more importantly his wife is battling cancer. Who cares what he looks like now cause he could care less? Why can’t media f*%k off & leave people alone, especially one who doesn’t like the attention #Sampras https://t.co/yYhFhxbz9N
— DimiChard (@Dimichard_) January 28, 2024
@DailyMail if he’s completely unrecognizable, how are you saying it’s Pete? How do you expect him to be up to your standards? C’mon guys, give this legend some privacy and he/his family is going through a lot.
— varunkumar.eth (@varunsureshkumr) January 29, 2024
His wife is going through cancer and this is how you portray him? Beyond appalling.
— DD (@DD56381017) January 28, 2024
I would ask you if you had no shame but I already know you don’t and you’d lie about it anyway.
Leave Pete Sampras alone.
You know what his wife and family are going through right now.
Disgusting, classless behavior.#AusOpen #Tennis #Tabloid— Jack Dent (@JackDentsTweets) January 29, 2024
He is easily recognizable and if just aging like the rest of us.
This is extremely disrespectful and hateful.
Please leave the man alone as he attends to his wife.
— Trudy Seivwright MD (@SeivwrightTrudy) January 29, 2024
You people from the Daily Fail are sick ! I swear nobody normal would work there.
His wife is terribly sick , he’s in his mid fifties I don’t know wtf do you want from him!!?
Ps. I recognised him right away !! https://t.co/8gNLxWjRFC— Lena T (@jt22145225) January 28, 2024
Pete Sampras had revealed displeasure over his wife being blamed for his poor results
Despite making the occasional appearance and playing the odd exhibition match, Sampras has largely remained away from the public spotlight since his retirement in 2003. The 2002 US Open final was the last match he played. Coming off a lean patch, he surprised everyone by defeating compatriot Andre Agassi to win his 14th Grand Slam title, a record that stood until the Big 3 decimated it.
Pete Sampras shed light on his retirement and his choice to keep private after hanging up his boots. He married Bridgette Wilson in 2000 and around the same time, his lean patch of form began. He said he was annoyed by the frequent questions about his retirement and marriage. The former World No.1 said despite his wife stalling her career to be with him, she was blamed for his poor run of results.
“My wife pretty much put her career on hold to travel with me because we wanted to be together. But it was hard, it was taxing on our marriage. There’s no question. I wasn’t doing well, few people in the press blamed her, and that bothered me. You can criticize me but don’t criticize my family.”
After his 2002 US Open win, Sampras was glad to shut all rumors down by deciding to retire.
“As I won it and I came home and was sitting with all these interviewers asking me these questions. I was just like I shut them all up. Like I had the last laugh. And that really felt good for me.”
