A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis,Books,0307383296,

	A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis by Pete Sampras, Peter Bodo
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Product Details Binding Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number 796.342092 EAN 9780307383297 ISBN 0307383296 Manufacturer Crown Number Of Items 1 Number Of Pages 320 Publication Date June 10, 2008 Publisher Crown Release Date June 10, 2008 Availability Usually ships in 24 hours Product Description 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. “Consider this book Sampras’ 15th Grand Slam. A thoroughly compelling read that–apart from retracing a gilded sport career–really probes the ‘hard drive’ of a champion. It’s as if all the emotion and insight that Sampras sometimes seemed reluctant to express during his playing days comes spilling forth.” —Jon Wertheim, Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated and SI.com 'As the title says, this is a remarkable look into a champion's mind, and maybe one of the best tennis memoirs ever. Pete captures the pressure a player feels once he's reached the top. He puts us next to him on the court, and we get a clear sense of what made him extraordinary: he was supremely determined, dedicated to learning the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents, and committed to never ever yielding a point easily. Pete wrote this book the way he plays tennis: full-out.' —Rod Laver “Even playing at a high level, it’s hard to know what the experience of winning–and trying to stay on top–is like for another competitor. We all react so differently to pressure, to the glow of the spotlight. It is brutally hard to stay grounded, and yet this wonderfully candid book shows that it was Pete’s rare ability to compartmentalize and draw strength from his family that allowed him to reach the sport’s pinnacle. Whether championships are in your past or just live in your dreams, you’ll learn a lot from Pete’s story.” —Monica Seles 'Pete Sampras was always able to rise to the occasion, winning so many big matches at the biggest events. This book provides the reader a glimpse into Pete's remarkable career and how he was able attain his vision of being the best player in the world. We can all benefit from the insight he offers.' —Roger Federer 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. PETE SAMPRAS holds the distinction of being the youngest male player (at age nineteen) to win the U.S. Open. During his career he won sixty-four top-level singles titles (including fourteen Grand Slams, eleven ATP Masters Series titles, and five Tennis Masters Cup titles) as well as two doubles titles. Currently he makes his home in Los Angeles with his wife, Bridgette, and their sons, Christian and Ryan. PETER BODO is a senior editor and chief columnist at Tennis 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. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine Customers who bought this item also bought The Roger Federer Story: Quest for Perfection Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance Wimbledon - The 2008 Finals: Nadal vs. Federer / Widescreen Customer Reviews for: A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis Rating - Better than expected I'm sure co-writer Peter Bodo had a lot to do with making this as readable and revealing as it is, since, even though Pete claims he was misunderstood as 'boring,' he really was, well, dull. But he explains why he seemed that way, and it makes sense. This book is all about Pete's strategies facing various opponents, how he matured after winning the U.S. Open at age 19, and how he went on to his great career. It explains virtually every 'incident' thoughout his career and clears up any misconceptions that may ... Read More Rating - Is anyone there? Excitedly, I picked up this book immediately upon its release. What an opportunity to learn about the inner workings of one of the most enigmatic champions of our era, a man who never revealed much, and kept his emotions and thoughts to himself. Alas, the mind of the champion is vacant. Platitudes, cliches, and minimal insight. A tremendous disappointment. It appears the reason Sampras never said much was he had little to say. Nothing has changed. Rating - Fast reading - good book. You'll probably will only read this book if you're a tennis afficionado. If so, you will read it in the blink of an eye, because this is such an entertaining biography about one of the greatest players of all time. Don't get high expectations: it's all about Pete's tennis life. You'll get only glimpses of his feelings outside a tennis court. And tha't's right for me, I don't care about gossip and Pete makes it clear in the introduction that this is not a "score-settling" book. Very good, almost ... Read More see more reviews See all books by author Pete Sampras, Peter Bodo

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