Pete Sampras Trophies Stolen: Tennis Legend Loses Most Of Collection

LOS ANGELES — Tennis star Pete Sampras says most of his trophies and other memorabilia were stolen from a West Los Angeles public storage facility.

The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Sampras still has 13 of his 14 grand slam trophies.

But thieves took most of the hardware from his 64 tour title wins, two Davis Cups, an Olympic ring and six trophies for finishing world No. 1 in the year-end rankings from 1993 to 1998.

The theft happened three weeks ago. Sampras says he's getting the word out in hopes somebody offers a lead.

Sampras retired in 2003 and said the loss is most upsetting because he would have liked to have shown the trophies to his children.

He says the loss "is like having the history of my tennis life taken away."

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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Tennis star Pete Sampras says most of his trophies and other memorabilia were stolen from a West Los Angeles public storage facility.

The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Sampras still has 13 of his 14 grand slam trophies.

But thieves took most of the hardware from his 64 tour title wins, two Davis Cups, an Olympic ring and six trophies for finishing world No. 1 in the year-end rankings from 1993 to 1998.

The theft happened three weeks ago. Sampras says he's getting the word out in hopes somebody offers a lead.

Sampras retired in 2003 and said the loss is most upsetting because he would have liked to have shown the trophies to his children.

He says the loss "is like having the history of my tennis life taken away."

___

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com

Comments

[veritas88]

02:23 AM on 12/09/2010

I hope he gets his trophies back, but if he doesn't, couldn't he just get new trophies/medals from some of the places that originally awarded them? He probably can't get another Olympic medal because those change with each Games but he could get another US Open trophy to replace a stolen one, I would think.

[iRock]

12:54 AM on 12/09/2010

In the grand scheme of things, children are starving in Ethiopia and dying of malaria elsewhere.

I wonder what Pete Sampras's kids are doin'...

Life just ain't about trophies and hardware you didn't miss until it was gone.

[Sans Octavian]

09:27 PM on 12/08/2010

Why were they in a storage center and not in his home?

[Kathi Ryan]

09:41 PM on 12/08/2010

Check out this article at CNN for more information regarding why they were in storage and also the type of storage facility in which they were stored.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/08/california.sampras.trophies/

[MrSimythe]

05:04 PM on 12/08/2010

I'm devastated to hear this. Pistol Pete was the reason that I started watching tennis. Every year in late June I would tune in to NBC to watch Wimbledon, and root for Pete Sampras. It's amazing that in this day in age with greats like Federer and Nadal that Sapras is still the undisputed king of Wimbledon. To whomever committed this theft, do yourself a favor and return the trophies!

[iRock]

12:55 AM on 12/09/2010

devastated?

[whowhatwhywherewhen]

03:44 PM on 12/08/2010

Not to ruin everyone's "sensitivity"...but it was reported on ESPN that these items were in storage while he was moving between housing arrangements....sooooooooo can we get some sympathy going now?

[Pie7]

02:07 PM on 12/08/2010

There is something you don't leave out of your sights, but hopefully one day he will get them back.

[Kathi Ryan]

02:06 PM on 12/08/2010

I find it curious that most of the post here are critical of the trophies being kept in public storage and very few have reflected any sympathy for the theft of HIS belongings. (As a point of information some public storage is actually in controlled environments.)
The fact that many infer had the trophies been in Pete's home they would still be there displays how few realize how we are all vulnerable to crime.

And should Pete read this post...Sorry, Pete, that the trophies that reflect your hard fought, passion filled accomplishments of your tennis career, were stolen. Though I'm relieved they weren't in your home and no one was physically hurt.

[LogicalMathMan]

02:05 PM on 12/08/2010

Assange did it. That traitor!!!....this is sarcasm.

[escobar]

01:50 PM on 12/08/2010

He certainly has a big enough house to display his treasures.
Guess he didn't care enough to find space.
Now let us hope the thieves can smelt enough gold plate off the
trophies so someone can display their new booty
as new grills for the entire possy !
No matter. They can't take away his money or victories.
He had no space for the stuff, too bad he didn't donate them
as extra trophies for tennis kids in tournaments in his name.

[Howard53545]

01:21 PM on 12/08/2010

You should have kept them in your house dude, not in some smelly old storage shed. Read it and weep.

[JackLewis]

01:23 PM on 12/08/2010

Sure, houses never get burglarized... great comment.

[LogicalMathMan]

02:03 PM on 12/08/2010

Even small houses in LA have alarms that connect directly to the command center and to the local PD and Fire Dept.

[dblan9]

01:40 PM on 12/08/2010

No kidding. If they meant that much to him, why weren't they in the house?

[JoeAmerican]

12:59 PM on 12/08/2010

I would suspect the police would have only a few suspects. Who else would know they were there?

[spaceboobies]

12:38 PM on 12/08/2010

Man, that's horrible. Hope Pete gets his stuff back and these people serve a long time behind bars.

[mmike1969]

12:32 PM on 12/08/2010

It must not of been that important to you if they were in 'storage'.. My brother keeps his garbage like empty DVD cases in storage and YOU keep trophies in the same place. Yeah, they were important to you...

[JackLewis]

01:24 PM on 12/08/2010

Sure Pete Sampras was never that serious about tennis... How stup1d is that.

[jl4141]

01:44 PM on 12/08/2010

You "must not of been" in English class.

[HairFarmer]

12:30 PM on 12/08/2010

Geez sorry to hear Pete... but if the trophies meant so much to you Why the heck did you have them in a storage locker ?? theives suck

[Murphdogg]

11:50 AM on 12/08/2010

Sorry Pete. You were awsome!

I fully contend with Pete's power, speed, agility and hand-eye coordination -- he would have made the best short stop of all time.