Love Stories: A broken leg and a '90s movie kickstarted Pete Sampras and Bridgette Wilson's romance
By Kate Kachor|
When Pete Sampras put down the phone, he had a number in his possession he thought was part of an elaborate prank.
It was September 1999 and the legendary tennis player had been chatting with John Black, a friend and high-profile PR executive. Black was calling to deliver a request Sampras had made on a whim. It would kickstart a decades-long love story.
Days before the phone call, the friends went to the movies. Sampras was on a forced break after a leg injury ended his 24-match winning streak.
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Love Stinks, a romantic comedy starring French Stewart and Hollywood It girl, Bridgette Wilson, proved a bright spot at a terrible time for the then world's top-ranked player.
"Bridgette Wilson, an actress in the film, caught my eye. Actually, she blew me away when I saw her. I thought she was stunning," Sampras wrote in his 2009 memoir, A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis.
It was at this moment that the then 28-year-old made his request, sarcastically asking Black that if he really wanted to impress him he'd get him a date with "that Wilson girl".
Black called with the Billy Madison star's number. Sampras was sceptical, believing it was a prank. A few days passed before he phoned the number. A date was set.
Sampras describes the first date with his future wife as comical.
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They met at the tennis ace's home – at Wilson's request. Yet, with both of them tongue-tied and scarcely making eye contact it was not a smooth meeting.
"I had never watched tennis, so I wasn't familiar with him," Wilson told Instyle Magazine in 2000 of Sampras' interest in her.
"But when I saw his picture, I was like, 'Oh yeah, he's a cutie.'"
Their second date was another story.
"I suggested dinner at an Italian restaurant. The change of scenery – and getting onto neutral turf in a public place – helped," he wrote.
"Gradually, we loosened up and had a wonderful dinner. Back at home after our first date, I was smitten – I knew she was the one."
The couple dated for a year before Sampras proposed with a Cartier platinum ring with an oval-shaped diamond.
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They tied the knot in the back garden of the couple's $6 million home in Beverly Hills.
British music icon Elton John performed for 45 minutes at the reception in front of an intimate crowd of guests.
Wilson, then 26, walked down the aisle in a low-backed Vera Wang gown which was reportedly encrusted with $400,000 in diamonds.
"When you win matches, it's a short-lived high," Sampras told Instyle Magazine.
"This was something I was committing to for life. Tennis will one day stop, but I'll always have Bridgette. That's the biggest reward of all."
In 2002, the couple welcomed their first child together when their son, Christian Charles, was born. Three years later their second son, Ryan Nikolaos, was born.
Sampras retired from the professional circuit in 2002, after 14 years at the highest level.
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Wilson-Sampras continued acting until 2008, starring in popular films and TV projects such as The Wedding Planner, The Street and Shopgirl.
She then took a step back from the limelight to spend time with her family.
In October this year, the couple returned to the headlines with Sampras revealing his wife is battling ovarian cancer.
''As most have come to know, I am a pretty quiet and private person. However, this past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family and I have decided to share what's been going on," he said in the statement shared by the ATP tour.
''Last December, my wife, Bridgette, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
"Since then, she has had major surgery, pushed through chemotherapy and continues with targeted maintenance therapy."
He said it was hard watching "someone you love" go through this challenge.
"However, seeing our boys step up and be such strong supporters of Bridgette, myself and each other has been amazing," he said.
He praised his wife for her strength through her battle, saying she has been "an incredible mum and wife through it all".
"I have also learned that it is very hard to reach for support when something is simply too hard to talk about," he said.
''With that said, I will end this by humbly asking for good thoughts and prayers for our family as Bridgette continues to thrive on her healing journey. Thank you."
