"I moved out of my parents' home at 17" - When Pete Sampras opened up about his 'abnormal' life that led to him maturing at the young age of 22

Pete Sampras once opened up about how leading an 'abnormal' life led to him attaining maturity at a very young age. The American tennis star left his parent's home at the tender age of 17 and was a five-time Grand Slam champion by the age of 22.

Sampras is one of the most acclaimed tennis players to ever touch the racket. He was the man with the most Grand Slam titles at one point, 14, before Roger Federer surpassed him. The American burst onto the scene at a very young age, winning his first Grand Slam at the age of 19 years and 28 days.

However, the foundation for success was laid very early on in the 53-year-old's life as he once revealed, when he was 22 years old, that he moved out of his parent's house at the age of 17 which helped him gain self-confidence and grow up quicker. Interestingly, the American legend also dropped out of high school, a decision he later admitted he regretted.

"I turned pro at 16 and moved out of my parents' home at 17 and got a place for myself in Florida. It was really like going away to college. I didn't have my parents around me too much and I've been on my own for the last three or four years. Maybe now I have more confidence in myself. But I am just 22 and doing something that is very abnormal. So you just have to understand the situation and grow up much quicker. And I think the fact that I moved out of my parents' home at 17 has been really good for me and my tennis."

Pete Sampras also said that he was a meticulous person. he wasn't a perfectionist.

"It doesn't annoy me when people get things wrong" - Pete Sampras on whether he is a perfectionist

Pete Sampras - Source: Getty

Continuing his thoughts, Pete Sampras also stated that though he was a meticulous person, he left the perfectionist in him on the tennis court. He didn't mind people making mistakes.

"I am pretty organised. I like to be as organized as possible, I like to have everything taken care of and just play my tennis and concentrate on giving my best on court. I leave the other stuff to others and let them worry about that. But it doesn't annoy me when people get things wrong. I am not that much of a perfectionist. I understand people are going to make mistakes. I am not obsessed with perfection off court. On court, yes."

Pete Sampras won his his final Grand Slam title at the 2002 US Open following which he didn't participate in any tournament. Ahead of the 2003 New York Major, he announced that he was bidding tennis adieu, becoming the only man to win the final Grand Slam tournament of their career.