In January 1995, the tennis world gathered in Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of the season. For Pete Sampras, however, the tournament would come to mean far more than tennis.

Just days before, his coach and close friend Tim Gullikson collapsed in the Melbourne Park locker room. Doctors soon confirmed the worst: multiple brain tumors, and only months to live. Gullikson had come to Australia to guide Pete through the Open, but instead was forced to return home. For Sampras, the news was devastating. Yet in his grief, he found a new purpose. He wasn’t just playing for a title anymore—he was playing for Tim.

In the quarterfinals, Sampras faced fellow American Jim Courier. The match was punishing, and Pete quickly fell behind two sets to love. He looked drained, his fight slipping away. Then, from the crowd of 14,000, one voice broke through: “Do it for your coach!”

The words hit hard. Sampras broke down on court, openly crying. The arena fell silent, unsure how he could go on. Even Courier, his rival, offered to pause the match and resume later. But Sampras refused. Through his tears, he chose to fight.

Point by point, he clawed back—his shots sharper, his energy fueled by emotion. The tears never fully stopped, but neither did his determination. With the weight of his coach’s battle on his shoulders, Sampras surged through the final three sets and completed one of the most unforgettable comebacks of his career.

That night in Melbourne, Pete Sampras showed the world that champions don’t just play to start, they play to finish.¹

Pete Sampras’s unwavering determination that day was born from more than his athletic ambition—it was shaped by his resolve in a moment of deep personal hardship. In many ways, the journey he faced mirrors a challenge we all encounter: the choice between giving up or persevering when faced with difficult choices or circumstances.

Pete Sampras had grit.

Grit is defined as “firmness of mind or spirit : unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger”² and Angela Duckworth called it “passion and perseverance for long-term goals.”³ This grit is the tenacity to finish what we’ve started.

There was another Peter whose example demonstrates this principle. Simon Peter, Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, showed his grit in three profound vignettes.

Vignette One: Dropping Nets

When the Lord first invited Peter and his friends to follow him, “straightway they forsook their nets and followed him.” (Mark 1:16-18) This was a big deal. Peter and Andrew, James and John forsook their livelihood and trusted Jesus. 

How fast do we drop the nets in our lives to follow the Savior? What nets are we still holding on to that are keeping us from that next level of conversion?

Vignette Two: Walking Together

One day while Peter and the others were fishing, they saw Jesus walking to them on the water. Peter asked the Lord to invite him to come to him on the water. Peter began to walk on the water. (Matthew 14:28-32) But, Peter lost focus of the Lord when the wind began to blow and he started to sink. Peter called upon the Lord to save him, and they walked back to the boat together. 

When the wind begins to blow and we start to sink, when our trials almost seem too much to bear, do we trust the Lord to save us? Do we call to Him? Do we allow Him to walk with us despite the blowing wind and the raging sea?

Vignette Three: Standing Firm

In John 6, Jesus feeds the five thousand and then preaches the bread of life sermon. He essentially tells his disciples that he is the Son of God. This was offensive to many who were listening—to them it was blasphemy. “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:66-69). When it was hard to believe, when it was not the popular thing to do, Peter and the others stood firm.

When it becomes hard to believe, when we receive counsel that is difficult to heed, when standing for truth is not the popular thing to do, will we also go away?

Conclusion

Sheri Dew said, “In the days ahead, a casual commitment to Christ will not carry us through”⁴.

Do we have the passion and perseverance to follow Christ to the end?

We are either starters or finishers. Grit is the difference.

Do you have grit? 

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_{^{Lead image by Ben Hershey on Unsplash}}

1. See “Tearful Determination – How Pete Sampras battled through his darkest moment” and ““Do it for your coach”: Pete Sampras’ night of tears Down Under“. *I used Perplexity AI to smooth this narrative.
2. see “Grit” at Merriam-Webster.com
3. see “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth | TED“
4. Sheri L Dew, “We Are Women of God,” General Conference, October 1999