Tennis icon Pete Sampras has shocked fans with a completely different look – over a decade after retiring from the world of professional sports.
The 14-time major winner is widely regarded as one of the best to ever play tennis. He celebrated his last Grand Slam at the US Open in 2002, shortly before he gave it all up.
Now, at the age of 52, Sampras is famously private and rarely engages in television – choosing to stay out of the spotlight and keep his private life to himself.
That may be even more the case now, three months after Sampras' heartbreaking revelation that his wife Bridgette is battling ovarian cancer.
In a statement ahead of the ATP Tour in October, the American legend said: “As most people know, I am a fairly quiet and reserved person.” However, the past year has been an exceptionally challenging time for my family and I have decided to share, what's happened.
Pete Sampras was spotted drinking coffee at his local Starbucks in California
The tennis legend is notoriously private and hasn't been seen much since his retirement
Sampras has won Wimbledon seven times, but after hanging up his racket he looks very different
“Last December my wife Bridgette was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Since then, she has had major surgery, undergone chemotherapy and continues targeted maintenance therapy.
“It's hard to watch someone you love go through such a challenge. “However, it was great to see our boys step up and show such strong support for Bridgette, me and each other.”
Since then, there has been very little news about the condition of the former Miss Teen USA, who went on to become a successful actress, starring alongside the likes of Adam Sandler, Sarah Michelle Geller and Jennifer Lopez.
However, now Sampras was spotted grabbing coffee from Starbucks at the Beverly Glen Shopping Center in Beverly Hills, California.
Sampras gave photographers a smile as he left the Starbucks restaurant
Sampras and his wife Bridgette have two children and have both retired to focus on family life
Bridgette, the former Miss Teen USA, is currently battling ovarian cancer
The tennis legend wore blue jeans and a green Nike zip-up jacket and had three iced coffees with him as he left the restaurant.
Sampras was seen giving onlookers a quick smile as he walked past photographers who took a rare photo of him.
He and Bridgette have two children from their 23-year marriage – Ryan and Christian – and the family still lives in California.
During his career, Sampras was the best player in the world, winning two Australian Open titles, five US Open titles and an incredible seven Wimbledon victories.
He has a total of 64 career singles titles – ninth best in the Open Era – and earned over $43 million in prize money over the course of his career.
Sampras smiles after defeating his bitter rival – and compatriot – Andre Agassi at Wimbledon
American tennis legend Sampras plays a backhand during his heyday in the 90s
He officially retired in the summer of 2003 and appeared sporadically in friendly matches over the following years.
In November 2010, Sampras announced the sad news that many of his trophies and memorabilia had been stolen from a public storage facility in California, including an Olympic ring, an Australian Open trophy and two Davis Cups.
In the following months, the police were able to recover most of the stolen items.
After the birth of their second son in 2005, both Sampras and his wife Bridgette retreated from the spotlight to focus on family life.