Pete Sampras

In 1995 Sampras faced a personal crisis that played out in front of the spectators at the Australian Open. Prior to his quarterfinal match with Courier, Sampras found out that Gullikson, his coach and good friend, had terminal brain cancer. Down two sets to none to Courier, according to Los Angeles Magazine, a fan called out "Come on, Pete do it for your coach." Sampras began to cry, then served an ace. He staged an emotional comeback to defeat Courier in five sets, and following his win, the stoic Sampras broke down and sobbed, giving a brief if uninvited glimpse into his deepest emotions. Meeting Agassi in the finals, Sampras could not pull off a victory and lost in four sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-7, 4-6. For a period following the Open, Sampras gave over his top ranking to Agassi. After losing in the first round of the French Open, Sampras rebounded to win his third consecutive Wimbledon championship and his third career U.S. Open title, successfully regaining his No. 1 ranking.

Gullikson lost his battle with brain cancer in May 1996, and although Sampras had his career-best showing at the French Open where he reached the semifinals, he went without a Grand Slam title until the U.S. Open. Facing Chang in the finals, Sampras won in straight sets to claim his second consecutive, and third career, U.S. Open. The following year he took his second Australian Open championship and his fourth Wimbledon title. The Wimbledon win gave 25-year-old Sampras his tenth Grand Slam title, just two shy of Roy Emerson's record 12 titles and one short of Bjorn Borg and Laver's 11 Slam titles.