Picture: Getty
Although he hated tennis, Andre Agassi wins everything there is to win in his career. Today the American turns 50. A career full of contrasts.
“To understand me, you have to be able to imagine the pressure I was under as a little boy,” says Andre Agassi about his own childhood. His father Emmanuel, a former Iranian boxer who took part in the Olympic Games in 1948 and 1952, was responsible for this.
He drives his son to top performances at a young age – or forces him to do so: “At home, the mood was dependent on whether I trained well or badly, whether I won or lost,” recalls Andre. The relationship with his father made tennis almost a prison for Agassi. That’s why he always hated this sport.
However, he has plenty of talent. As a 15-year-old, he stepped onto the entire large tennis stage in 1986. With wild hairstyles, colorful clothing and regular visits to McDonalds, the American outplayed his shyness at the time; in the tennis scene, he quickly became a bird of paradise.
The breakthrough in Wimbledon
But Agassi also draws attention to himself with his temperament. After making his debut at the traditional Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon (1987), the teenager is terribly annoyed by the strict clothing regulations. «What does it matter to people, what kind of clothes do I wear? I would rather hug my father again than return here. »
Five years later, Agassi won his first Grand Slam title on Church Road, and in the final he wrestled Goran Ivanisevic in a five-set thriller. When he then contacts his father, he only replies on the phone: “What did you think about losing the fourth sentence?”
As a result, Agassi gradually established itself at the top of the world. He won the US Open for the first time in 1994 as a seedless player. And after shaving his long hair – his previous trademark – he triumphed at the Australian Open the first time he took part in 1995. Four months later he climbed the tennis throne for the first time.
The following 1996 season did not work out as he wished, but winning the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta made up for some bitter defeats. But then the low point follows.
Agassi falls into a deep hole
Due to injury concerns, lack of motivation and marriage problems, the career stalled. In his biography published in 2009, Agassi admits that during this time he had consumed the stimulant Crystal Meth. It may be an attempt to break out of tennis jail, but it ends in a positive drug test. According to his own statement, Agassi only escapes a ban because he sends a letter to ATP and explains that he accidentally took the intoxicant. Nevertheless, the American falls to 141st place in the world rankings before deliberately opting for tennis in 1998.
Agassi changes its training program and behavior on the pitch. He fights back to the top of the world in second-class tournaments – and is even more successful than before. With his triumph in Paris in 1999 he completed his career grand slam, being only the fifth player in history to win every major tournament at least once. A month later, the American is world number 1 again, but he should celebrate his greatest success off the pitch.
Steffi Graf as “strongest light”
After the hapless marriage to actress Brooke Shields, Agassi gets to know and love German tennis player Steffi Graf. Until her heart is conquered, the admirer has to be patient. After several rejections, a birthday greeting made from the menu on the plane finally leads to success. “How do you know it’s my birthday?” The German should have asked in amazement when she was presented with the converted menu in 1999 in Wimbledon. The marriage follows in October 2001. “It is the strongest light of my life,” says Agassi about his great love. Today the two parents are of two children and live in seclusion in Las Vegas.
Picture: Getty
Andre ended his career at the 2006 US Open with a loss in the third round. «The scoreboard says that I lost today, but what the scoreboard does not clarify is what I have gained in the past 21 years: loyalty, inspiration, the affection of this audience, on whose shoulders I could only grow towards this player» , Agassi says goodbye to the big tennis stage.
At the end of his career, there were 60 tournament victories, eight Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. In addition, there are 101 weeks at the top of the world rankings. Not a bad record for a player who has not volunteered in this sport for a long time.
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