Andre Agassi

“Image is everything.” Those was the three words that described this individual from Las Vegas. Bright attire, long hair, he had the anti-establishment look which made him one of the favorites in the 80s and the early 90s. Such was his contempt for traditionalism that he had the audacity to even skip Wimbledon for three years because of the traditional white dress code that athletes had to adhere to. But, beneath that colorful exterior, there was a tennis brain that challenged opponents every single time. Andre Agassi was simply in four words, the ‘G.O.A.T.’ In an era that became surface specific, Andre Agassi conquered them all. 

In a way, Tennis evolved into a much more marketable sport due to Agassi’s temperament. From 1990, when he established himself as a teenage prodigy, the evolution was natural. In the middle part of his career, he endured the tremendous highs and lows that accompany every sportsman. Towards the end, Agassi cemented his reputation as one of the best in the business. His rivalry with Pete Sampras and several other stars defined Tennis in the 90s. 

Born in Las Vegas on April 29, 1970, Agassi came from a mixed background. His father had Iranian roots. The middle name of Kirk was actually very interesting. At the age of 12, Agassi was a waiter at Tropicana Las Vegas. There, he met Armenian American billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. He was impressed by his contributions and that is why, Agassi’s father kept his middle name, Kirk.

Agassi was immediately interested in Tennis and he won the National Indoor 14s Doubles tournament. But, when he was sent to Nick Bollettieri's Academy in Florida, he went just for three months. Agassi’s father stated that he could afford only to keep him for a short time at an academy. But, when Bolletierri saw Agassi’s talent, he reportedly returned the cheque and said Agassi would be at the Academy for free.

It was at Bolletierri’s academy where he honed his skills brilliantly. He was predominantly a baseline player with the two-handed backhand as his ultimate weapon. But, what made Agassi brilliant was his excellent ability to return back the hardest of serves. In addition to great speed that allowed superb court coverage, Agassi was one of the best upcoming players.

His first major years in the circuit was plagued with disappointment, strange incidences and a bit of arrogance. In 1988, Agassi had won six tournaments and his prize money had already reached USD 1 million. In 1988 and 1989, Agassi made it to the semifinals of both US Open and French Open. He did not play in the Australian Open for eight years. Agassi also skipped Wimbledon for three years. 

But, two instances in 1990 changed his perception. In the French Open final that year, he was tipped to win against Ecuador’s Andres Gomez. But, he inexplicably lost in four sets to the Ecuadorian. The reason for his loss – apparently he was scared that his wig would fall off and that distracted him! In that same year, Agassi defeated defending champion Boris Becker in the US Open semifinal and he met Pete Sampras. A year earlier, Agassi had crushed Sampras in a tournament. After that, he said that he felt sorry for Sampras as he felt he was never going to become a professional player. That arrogance and condescendence hurt Agassi in a big way. Agassi lost in the final in three sets and his attitude had taken a beating. 

Agassi finally participated in Wimbledon in 1991, wearing white clothes. He entered the quarterfinal but lost to David Wheaton. But, in that year, prior to Wimbledon, Agassi endured another heartbreak at the French Open where he lost in the final in five sets to Jim Courier. But, in 1990, Agassi had helped the USA win the Davis Cup after a gap of eight years. 

1992 was the breakthrough year for Agassi. In Wimbledon, he managed to beat Boris Becker and John McEnroe to enter the final. In that match, he faced left-arm big server Goran Ivanisevic. Agassi put on a fabulous display and achieved his first Grand Slam title. Many had not expected Agassi to win but he had silenced his critics. In that same year, Agassi would help the USA win the Davis Cup for the second time. 

The year 1993 proved to be troublesome as he required wrist surgery. In 1994, Agassi achieved the ultimate glory. Coming into the tournament as an unseeded player, Agassi beat five seeded players before entering the US Open final. In the summit clash, he beat Michael Stich to win the US Open for the first time. After years of missing the Australian Open, Agassi participated for the first time in 1995 and won. He defeated Sampras in four sets to win his third Grand Slam title.

The year 1995 would see Agassi as the World No.1. He won 73 and lost only nine games that year. But, from the high, came the low. Agassi did not win any Grand Slam in 1996. The only high point was the Atlanta Olympics gold medal when he beat Sergei Bruguera. Everything that could go wrong for Agassi in 1997 went wrong. He failed a dope test, his marriage with Brook Shields had failed and his wrist injury flared up. All that culminated in a ranking of 141 by the year-end. It seemed Agassi’s career had ended.

Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi

Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi married in 1997. It was a fairytale marriage that had the heady mix of stardom from athletics and Hollywood. Both were superstars in their own rights and the limelight took its toll on them and they divorced in 1999.

After the high, came the low. Agassi adopted a strict fitness regime and the success showed. From 110, he reached number six by the end of 1998. But, in 1999, he created history. After being down by two sets to love, Agassi staged an epic fightback and won the French Open final against Andrei Medvedev. He had completed the Career Slam and in addition to the gold medal and year-ending championship, Agassi was now the Super Slam winner. He became only the fifth player in history at that time to win all four Grand Slams.

In 2000 and 2001, Agassi won the Australian Open but his form dipped. Australia continued to be a good hunting ground for Agassi as he won for the fourth time in 2003. At the age of 33, Agassi was number one. But, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal emerging, his time was limited. Back pain in 2006 worsened but he had a memorable run in the US Open. His final match was against Benjamin Becker. But, when he lost, he was given a standing ovation.

Agassi has authored a book called ‘Open’ in which he has revealed some interesting things about his career. His marriage to Steffi Graf, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, is a match in heaven. Agassi pushed the barriers of endurance in a physical sport. In a way, he is much better than Sampras because of the sheer volume of his Career Slam success.

Grand Slam record

Australian Open: W (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003)

French Open: W (1999)

Wimbledon: W (1992)

US Open: W (1994, 1999)

Olympics: Gold (1996)