Tennis Legend Pete Sampras, 53, Married His Beloved Wife, Actress Bridgette Wilson, Who Is Battling Ovarian Cancer, Just One Year After Seeing Her Starring Role in ‘Love Stinks’

Sampras, 53, previously spoke about the sweet moment he realized he was interested in Bridgette, during a Guardian Q&A session in 2007, Sportskeeda reports.

He recounted seeing the movie with his friend John Black, the former Vice President of Public Relations for the Los Angeles Lakers, which prompted him to try and connect with the blonde movie star.

Sampras explained in the interview, “In 1999, I went to the movies with some friends. Somebody suggested we see Love Stinks, in which she was starring. That decision changed my life.

“I had seen the face before but didn’t know the name. When we came out of the theatre, I told one of my friends that I really wanted to see her. Fortunately, he was able to set it up and we married the following year.”

Additionally, Sampras shared the story in his 2008 book called “A Champion’s Mind,” according to People, saying, “There was a bright spot to that otherwise terrible late summer — my injury was directly responsible for my wife and me meeting.

“While I was hurt, I was watching this movie, Love Stinks, with a friend, John Black. 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 also sweetly admitted he was certain Bridgette was “the one” for him during their first date, and nine months later they wed. Now they have two kids, their first-born son Christian, who they welcomed in 2002 and their second son Ryan, who was born in 2005.

He writes in the book, “Our first meeting was almost painful, it was so awkward. We were both tongue-tied, and we barely made eye contact. It was comical, or at least it would have been to anyone who wasn’t us.

“I suggested dinner at an Italian restaurant. The change of scenery … helped. Gradually, we loosened up and had a wonderful dinner. Back at home after our first date I was smitten — and I knew she was the one.”

Bridgette Wilson-Sampras’ Diagnosis

It’s wonderful to know Sampras and his wife’s love story, especially because the pair have not only been supporting each other through the years, but also now amid Bridgette’s ovarian cancer battle.

Advances in Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Her diagnosis was first announced in a statement by Sampras via the ATP Tour on X (formerly Twitter), as the athlete does not have social media.

“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,” Sampras said.

“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.”

A message from Pete ? pic.twitter.com/ZReXGOCUQs

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 29, 2023

Sampras, who shares two sons with his wife of 24 years, also know for her role opposite Adam Sandler in “Billy Madison” (1995) added, “It is hard to watch someone you love go through a challenge like this. However, seeing our boys step up and be such strong supporters of Bridgette, myself and each other has been amazing.”

He continued, “Watching Bridgette continue to be an incredible mom and wife through it all has been inspiring … I have also learned that it is very hard to reach for support when something is simply too hard to talk about.”

Treating Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is called the “cancer that whispers” because women often don’t experience symptoms until their cancer has already reached its late stages, making treatment more difficult. However, when it comes to the standard of care for treating ovarian cancer, surgery is often considered to be the first step.

If a doctor is confident that they can remove the ovarian tumor completely without initial cycles of chemotherapy, the doctor will go ahead with a surgical procedure. “If we think we can do that, we do what we call a debulking procedure or cytoreductive surgery,” gynecological oncologist Dr. Rauh-Hain explains. “That’s usually through an open incision.”

This surgical procedure often does not remove the tumor entirely. Ovarian cancer patients undergoing the debulking procedure usually undergo chemotherapy after the surgery to make sure the cancerous tissue is fully treated in a process called adjuvant chemotherapy. This process treats microscopic diseases that cannot be seen with the eye, which the clinician knows will persist in the body after an optimal surgical cytoreduction.

Dr. Dana Chase, gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, says that “80% of patients” go into remission after chemotherapy for “at least a period of time.”

The standard treatment for ovarian cancer is made up of two drugs working in combination for “initial chemotherapy” — Carboplatin and Paclitaxel. The typical course of chemotherapy is made up of three to six treatment cycles based on what stage of cancer the patient has, but different drugs have different treatment cycles.

RELATED: A Comprehensive Guide to an Advanced Form of Ovarian Cancer Known as ‘Folate Receptor-Alpha Positive’

After initial treatment, patients may receive maintenance therapy to help ensure the cancer does not return.

“We use some maintenance therapies with chemo and then continue them after chemo, such as Avastin, while others we use after chemo, such as Olaparib,” Dr. Chase says.

WATCH: How PARP inhibitors impact ovarian cancer treatment.

PARP inhibitors are options for women as maintenance therapy after the first chemotherapy or platinum-sensitive recurrence or as a treatment for recurrence. PARP inhibitors stop rapidly dividing cancer cells from repairing their own genetic damage, preventing them from replicating.

The benefit a woman may see from PARP inhibitors varies greatly, with the biggest determinant being the presence of an inherited or tumor mutation in BRCA. BRCA gene mutation increases a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Experts tell SurvivorNet that every woman with ovarian cancer should get a genetic test to determine if they have a BRCA gene mutation because the mutation enables PARP inhibitors to function much more powerfully.

Advancements in Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Promising advancements have offered new hope to patients who typically haven’t had many options. Remember, many ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed once the cancer has advanced into later stages. Cancer that has spread to other body parts is more challenging to treat.

MORE: Treating Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

For advanced ovarian cancer that has a tendency to come back and has become resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy, more has to be done during treatment.

Cancer that comes back within six months of treatment with a platinum-based chemotherapy drug is called platinum-resistant. If the cancer returns after six months following platinum-based chemotherapy is finished, it is called platinum-sensitive.

Women with these stubborn tumors have additional treatment options thanks to advancements in ovarian cancer treatment. The cancer drug Elahere (molecular name mirvetuximab soravtansine) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for certain patients with platinum-resistant disease who had received one to three previous treatments.

Dr. Anna Berkenblit, Chief Medical Officer at ImmunoGen, explained to SurvivorNet what Elahere, an antibody-drug conjugate, did for patients in a pivotal trial called MIRASOL.

“We have longer progression-free survival, which means the patients are living longer without their cancer progressing. And most importantly, we have demonstrated that patients are living longer,” she said.

WATCH: Investigating New Ovarian Cancer Treatments

Elahere targets the folate receptor alpha protein located on the tumor cell’s surface. It offers effective treatment for a large population of women with advanced ovarian cancer.

“It is approved now for patients with high folate receptor alpha level expression, and that’s about 35% to 40% of all ovarian cancer patients,” Berkenblit explained.

“Available therapies for these (platinum-resistant) patients are typically single-agent chemotherapies. And now we’ve shown that Elahere is better than the available therapies,” Dr. Berkenblit said.

The MIRASOL trial looked at how Elahere performed compared to giving chemotherapy alone in patients with folate receptor alpha-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

In the trial, more than one-third of patients (36%) receiving Elahere (who had previously been treated with the targeted therapy bevacizumab) experienced improved progression-free survival (how long a patient goes without their disease worsening), and more than one-fourth (26%) experienced improved overall survival (how long the patient lives).

In another, smaller group of patients who had not previously been treated with bevacizumab, progression-free survival was 34% better, and overall survival was 49% better than when patients received standard chemotherapy.

Supporting a Spouse During Cancer

A life-altering diagnosis can impact the patient and their loved ones emotionally and physically.

Research published in The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine studied the impact of a cancer diagnosis or disease on family members. It found, “Most chronic diseases have similar effects on family members including psychological and emotional functioning, disruption of leisure activities, effect on interpersonal relationships, and financial resources.”

Feelings of “helplessness, lack of control, guilt, anger, embarrassment” are some common emotions parents, siblings, and other relatives within the household of someone battling a health condition may experience, according to researchers.

MacMillan Cancer Support, a charity that advocates for cancer patients, says communication is a vital tool in helping support a partner with cancer, and it could help a couple understand each other better.

“It can help to ask your partner what support they would like and find useful. This makes sure you help where it is most wanted and needed. It can also help you avoid misunderstandings,” the charity said.

Communicating your feelings is something licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin also believes is vital to helping couples dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

She adds that people faced with cancer should “surround [themselves] with individuals who care and support [them]” throughout treatment while also acknowledging their limits on what they can handle.

“Going through [cancer] treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience,” Dr. Strongin wrote in a column for SurvivorNet. “Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much [is] extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.”

Supporting Your Partner as a Caregiver

Cancer patients need to have a robust support system. Having a partner, friend, or family member to help care for and support you through a health struggle can be advantageous.

Although many partners assume a caregiving role when their loved one is diagnosed with cancer, anyone close to the patient can become a caregiver. It’s prudent that caregivers understand their loved one’s diagnosis and assist them when following cancer-care instructions.

Dr. Jayanthi Lea, a gynecologic oncologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet, “I encourage caregivers to come to visits with my patients because, in that way, the caregiver is also listening to the recommendations about what should be done between these visits, any changes in treatment plans, any toxicities [side effects] that we need to look out for, changes in dietary habits, exercise, etc.”

If you are a caregiver of a cancer patient, it is important to maintain your own mental and physical health as well.

“Caregiving is the most important job in the universe because you are there through the highs and lows,” Julie Bulger, manager of patient and family-centered care at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.

“You are there to support your loved one, to manage all of the daily tasks as everything is changing in your life,” Bulger added.

Julie Bulger gives some tips on how caregivers can care for themselves.

Caregivers must also watch out for “caregiver burnout,” where stress, anger, fatigue, and illness emerge from putting another person’s needs ahead of their own.

Caregivers who find themselves struggling to care for a cancer patient should seek out a therapist or a support group of their own, either online or in person.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

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