Sampras says will never play French Open again

[June 14, 2003 Reuters] Pete Sampras says he will never again play at the French Open, the only grand slam tournament he has not won.

The record 14-times grand slam winner, who has not played since beating old rival Andre Agassi in September to win his fifth U.S. Open title, said he had put too much pressure on himself to win in Paris.

"That's that. I won't be seen at Roland Garros anymore," the 31-year-old said in an interview with sports daily L'Equipe on Saturday.

"I did everything I could to win the title, so I am giving it up without regret. I changed my preparation, playing a lot on clay before the French Open, or less, but there was always something wrong," Sampras said. "I came every year for nearly 15 years, I did everything I could to win this title, so I can forget it without having any regrets."

"When I came back to Flushing Meadows last year, everyone thought I couldn't win. Then I did win. So when I beat Andre in the final, it meant something enormous to me.

"I wanted to prove something, that I was still able to win a 14th grand slam tournament," he added.

Sampras said he had planned to return to Wimbledon this year. The American has pulled out of this month's grasscourt event, which he has won seven times, but has not ruled out a possible return.

"If I had made a comeback in the middle of the season, I've have done it at Wimbledon. Two months ago I started training again seriously with the aim of going back to Wimbledon. But it didn't last, my heart wasn't in it any more.
"This decision not to go to Wimbledon was followed immediately by that not to play in 2003, because If I can't motivate myself for the tournament that I put above all the others, it's not even worth thinking about the rest.

"I said to myself: 'What do you have to prove?' And I said 'stop'. I stayed at home, I stopped training. I didn't have any aim, I can no longer have any aim after all that I achieved in my career and what happened in the US Open."

And he admitted he will be tormented about not being at Wimbledon this year.

"When I think about tennis it's usually about Wimbledon.

"At the moment I've no feelings. But the first day of the tournament I know that I'm going to be thinking about it a lot, it will even torment me."

Asked why he did not announce his retirement, Sampras said: "I did not want to close the door for good. I will see at the end of the year if I will quit or not. Maybe in November or December, after more than a year without a competition, I will have the desire to play a few tournaments.

"With a bit of luck, it will be for the US Open or Wimbledon in 2004."