Sampras is back!
It looks like he is scheduled to play twice this year - the second tour event he’ll play in is not yet announced, but the first is rumored to be the Outback Champions Series, May 2-6 at Boston University’s Agganis Arena. The formal announcement appears to be scheduled for tomorrow.
“This is kind of my first dive into the waters, so to speak, to see how I feel and play a match I really want to win,” Sampras, owner of a record 14 Grand Slam singles titles, said in a telephone interview with the AP.
“I still love the sport — I practice two, three times a week — but I don’t miss the grind. This is a time to catch up with old competitors, old friends, and see if I still have a few things left in the bag,” he said. ESPN
Here’s some good info about the other contenders (from the same source):
John McEnroe and series co-founder Jim Courier also will be in the eight-man field in Boston, where there will be $142,000 in prize money. Michael Chang, Goran Ivanisevic and Mats Wilander are other major champions who have participated in the Outback Champions Series, which is entering its second full season. To qualify, a player must have reached a Grand Slam singles final, been ranked in the top five, or played singles on a Davis Cup championship team.