"Pete doesn’t need to look in the stands asking, 'Where’s my mother, father?'" - When Pete Sampras' father spoke about not attending his son's matches

Pete Sampras' father Soterios once opened up about the decision he and his wife Georgia took to distance themselves from their son's tennis career. He clarified why they didn't feel the need to attend their son's matches, despite his success on the court.

Just two years after joining the professional circuit, a 19-year-old Sampras won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 1990 US Open, beating arch-rival Andre Agassi 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the final. However, the American's parents weren't present to witness his monumental victory. They even made a conscious effort to stay out of the spotlight by refusing interview requests and avoiding being photographed to ensure that the attention remained on their son.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times days after his triumph at the New York Major, Pete Sampras' father Soterios emphasized that he and his wife wanted their son to enjoy his moment without them.

"The only picture we want in the paper is Pete’s picture. We want all the glory and happiness to be Pete’s. We didn’t work hard hitting balls over a net. He did. Let him enjoy it," Soterios said.

While Sampras' rivals like Andre Agassi and Michael Chang typically enjoyed their family's presence at tournaments, Soterios disclosed that he preferred for his son to not need that support.

"(But) Pete doesn’t need that. Pete doesn’t need to look in the stands asking: 'Where’s my mother, where’s my father?'" he added.

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"I don’t have to be there and Pete Sampras doesn’t have to have me there" - American's mother Georgia

Pete Sampras with his family - Source: Getty

During the same interview, Pete Sampras' mother Georgia echoed his father Soterios' sentiments, explaining that she didn't need to be there in person to support her son because he knew she was with him in spirit.

"If you love the person, you’re thinking about them and your spirit always is with them. Pete knows that. He knows I adore him and that’s enough. So as long as I know he is happy and healthy, I’m happy. I don’t have to be there and he doesn’t have to have me there," Georgia said.

Sampras himself wasn't bothered by his parents' absence, seeing it as an opportunity to enjoy himself at tournaments without any supervision or restrictions.

"Because when I’m playing a tournament, I kinda get to do what I want to do. If I want to have room service and stay in and watch TV all day, I can do that. I don’t have to worry about parents. If you know what I mean," Pete Sampras said.

Nevertheless, Pete Sampras emphasized that his parents were the "people he trusted most in the world" and acknowledged all the sacrifices they made to help him achieve his tennis dream.