Andre Agassi - Tennis Player - Biography.com Tennis Player Andre Agassi is best known for his strong, smart playing style, which helped him win tennis championships throughout the 1990s. IN THESE GROUPS Famous Taureans Synopsis Born in 1970, Andre Agassi won several USTA junior national titles before turning professional at the age of 16. In 1992, Agassi won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. More victories soon followed with a U.S. Open win in 1994 and the Australian Open in 1995. After a career slump, Agassi returned to top form in 1999 with wins at the U.S. Open and French Open. He retired from competition in 2006. Early Life For 20 years, tennis legend Andre Agassi was one of the dominant players in his sport. He first picked up a racket when he was a toddler at the insistence of his father. His father, an immigrant from Iran and a former Olympic boxer, served as his first coach, making Agassi practice for hours at the family's Las Vegas, Nevada home. In his mid-teens, Agassi abandoned his education to train full time.

He moved to Florida where he went to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. Agassi proved to be one of the top junior players in the sport, winning several U.S. Tennis Association national titles. At the age of sixteen, Agassi decided it was time to compete in the big leagues. The young tennis player turned professional in 1986. Young Tennis Star When he first arrived on the tennis scene, Agassi turned heads and raised eyebrows with his wild hair and bright clothing. The boisterous athlete quickly had an endorsement deal with Nike before even winning a title. Some wondered whether there was any substance behind of his youthful good looks and flashy style. While Agassi won his first competition in 1987, but he failed to clinch a major title during his early career. In 1992, Agassi silenced his critics with a win at Wimbledon, his first Grand Slam title. After his Wimbledon win, Agassi had several more Grand Slam victories in the early 1990s. He took the top spot at the U.S. Open in 1994. He was victorious at the Australian Open in 1995, which helped him climb to the top of rankings that year.

Clearly at the top of his game, Agassi won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia. Off the court, charismatic Agassi's personal life became a popular topic in the tabloids. He was romantically linked to singer Barbra Streisand before marrying actress Brooke Shields in 1997. Career Comeback Beginning in 1997, Agassi went through a difficult patch, both professionally and personally. He failed to win any tournaments that year, and the former number-one player dropped significantly in the rankings. According to his autobiography Open, Agassi had been introduced to crystal meth by a friend. He tested positive for drugs in 1997, but he told the Association of Tennis Professionals that his drug use had been accidental. Agassi claimed that he had "unwittingly" drank a drug-laced beverage belonging to a friend. Speaking about his drug use, he later told People magazine that "I can't speak to addiction, but a lot of people would say that if you're using anything as an escape, you have a problem." Eventually turning his life around, Agassi launched an impressive comeback in 1999.

He won two Grand Slam titles that year—the French Open and the U.S. Open. Agassi also made changes in his personal life, divorcing his wife after nearly two years. He remained focused on his game, allowing him to continue his winning ways. Agassi emerged victorious at the Australian Open in 2000, 2001, and 2003. By 2006, Agassi's health issues had begun to limit his ability to play. He had been born with spinal abnormality and had to withdraw from several competitions that year because of back problems. Agassi fought for one more Grand Slam title, but it was not to be. On September 4, 2006, Agassi lost his last professional match to Benjamin Becker. At the end of the match, Agassi said an emotional good-bye to the game and to the roughly 23,000 people who had packed the stadium to see him play for the last time. Life After Tennis A dedicated philanthropist, Agassi spends much of his time these days on working educational programs and initiatives.

He created the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation in 1994, which provides at-risk children in southern Nevada with educational opportunities and recreational activities. The foundation raised the money needed to start the Andre Agassi College Preparatory School, which opened its doors in West Las Vegas in 2001. Married to fellow tennis great Steffi Graf since 2001, Agassi is devoted to his family. He and Graf have two children together. The couple has also teamed up the U.S. Tennis Association's 10 and Under Tennis Program. Agassi was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Citation Information Andre Agassi - Biography - IMDb Andre Agassi Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trivia (40) | Personal Quotes (9) Overview (3) 5' 11" (1.8 m) Mini Bio (1) Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is an American retired professional tennis player and former World No.

1, who was one of the game's most dominant players from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi had been called the greatest service returner in the history of the game. Described by the BBC upon his retirement as "perhaps the biggest worldwide star in the sport's history", Agassi compiled performances that, along with his unorthodox apparel and attitude, saw him cited as one of the most charismatic players in the history of the game. As a result, he is credited for helping to revive the popularity of tennis during the 1990s. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Dibyayan Chakravorty Spouse (2) Practiced with Ilie Nastase and Jimmy Connors as a youngster. Jaden Gil Agassi born at 3:30 a.m. at Valley Hospital in Las Vegas to Agassi and Steffi Graf . He was delivered by Dr. Joseph A. Rojas II, and weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces.

In a February 2002 interview, Graf disclosed Jaden comes from a masculine form of "jade," a word she had always liked, and Gil was in honor of Agassi's trainer, Gil Reyes . [October 2001] 1996 Summer Olympics champion. He and Steffi Graf are the only players in history to win all four Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal. Youngest of four children. Print and TV ads for cell phone company T-Mobile with Steffi Graf debuted in Europe. The ads were shot in Las Vegas. [April 2002] Became only 8th male player in the Open Era to win 50 singles titles. [April 2002] Surpassed $1 million in career prize money in December 1988, after just 43 tournaments -- the quickest player in history to do so. Although they had already divorced, Agassi cooperated with Brooke Shields request to obtain an annulment so that she could marry Chris Henchy in the Catholic Church. The original name of his father was Agassian but he changed his name to Agassi when he went to America.

Was rear-ended as he rode to his Las Vegas home from the airport after returning from Wimbledon, injuring his back. [July 2000] Former brother-in-law of Pancho González . González and Rita Agassi's son, Skylar, played on Bishop-Gorman High School's (Las Vegas) tennis team. Became the first unseeded player since 1930 to win the US Open. [1994] After losing in the first round in 1987, Agassi passed up Wimbledon three years in a row. The reason he gave was that he wasn't allowed to wear his colorful outfits. Son of Mike Agassi . With only their mothers as witnesses, Agassi and Steffi Graf were married at his Las Vegas home by District Judge Michael Cherry. So secret was the ceremony, the rest of Agassi's family didn't learn of it until after the fact.

[October 2001] Upon the birth of arch-rival Pete Sampras ' son Christian on November 2002, in London, UK bookmakers gave the baby a 2,000-1 shot to beat Agassi's and Steffi Graf 's son, Jaden Gil, in a Wimbledon final. The Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a charter school for underprivileged children, opens in West Las Vegas. It is jointly funded by the Agassi Foundation and the Nevada State Department of Education. (August 30, 2001) Owns a 10-seat JetStar, its call letters representing his first Grand Slam title, the 1992 Wimbledon (N-792AA) Has a "career" Grand Slam: the Australian (1995; 2000; 2001; 2003), Roland Garros (1999), Wimbledon (1992) and the U.S. Open (1994; 1999). As of September 2005, he is 8-7 in Grand Slam singles finals.

By winning the 2003 Australian Open, Agassi becomes the oldest man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Ken Rosewall won the Australian in 1972, and only the second man to win a Slam after becoming a father. (25 January 2003). Career singles match record: 860-265; career singles titles: 60; prize money: $30,951,275 (as of September 2005) Became the oldest men's player - 32 years, 11 months - in ATP history to be ranked #1. Agassi first became #1 on 10 April 1995 and has spent a total of 87 weeks at #1. His most recent time at #1 was from 13 September 1999 - 10 September 2000. (26 April 2003) Armenian and Assyrian on his father's side. Daughter Jaz Elle Agassi was born on Friday October 3rd, 2003 at Valley Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada Always bows and kisses to the public after having won a match.

Has a record of holding the most Tennis Masters titles (17) as for August 2004. Is one of only 6 players to have won more than 800 matches. US-born Agassi is the most famous sports personality of Armenian extraction. Acclaimed USSR-born director Sergei Parajanov is the most famous filmmaker of Armenian ethnicity. Won the Australian Open in 1995, which was his first time ever competing in it. It also marked his first and only victory over Pete Sampras in a Grand Slam singles final. In 2006, he donated $1,070,000 to the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation. In 2004, his net worth was estimated to be $162 million. Two months after he resigned as Agassi's business manager in October 2008, Perry Rogers sued Steffi Graf for $50,000 in management fees.

Amazon.com: Books Books Books Advanced Search New Releases Best Sellers The New York Times® Best Sellers Children's Books Textbooks Textbook Rentals Sell Us Your Books Best Books of the Month Kindle eBooks Andre Agassi Andre Agassi played tennis professionally from 1986 to 2006, winning over $30-million in prize money. Often ranked #1 in the world, he won eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal. He is only one of five men to have won all four Grand Slam singles titles and the only man in history to have won GS titles on all three playing surfaces (hardcourt, grass, and clay). He also won the Tennis Masters Cup and was part of a winning Davis Cup team. He is the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which has raised over $60 million and opened the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a K-12 charter school for some of the underprivileged children of Las Vegas. He lives in that city with his wife, Steffi Graf, and his two children.

Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court | Las Vegas Review-Journal Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi engages in a conversation with actress Elisabeth Shue (not pictured) in front of students at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Apr. 30, 2013. (Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Tennis pro Andre Agassi poses with his sister Tami, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2001, in New York. Tami, 32, who has breast cancer, is promoting breast cancer care and research by holding a celebrity tennis fundraising event, Oct. 7 in Seattle with brother Andre's participation after his bid for his third U.S. Open title beginning next week. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi returns a forehand during the Power Shares Cancer Treatment Center of America Championships tennis tournament at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Nov.

17, 2012.(Jason Bean/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi returns a backhand during the Power Shares Cancer Treatment Center of America Championships tennis tournament at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 17, 2012.(Jason Bean/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi returns a forehand during the Power Shares Cancer Treatment Center of America Championships tennis tournament at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 17, 2012.(Jason Bean/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi holds his Australian Open trophy after defeating fellow American Pete Sampras in the final in Melbourne, Sunday, January 29, 1995. By winning the French Open Sunday June 6, 1999, Agassi became only the fifth man, and first American in 61 years, to win all four majors.

(AP Photo) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Tennis great Andre Agassi reacts with a group of children during the official dedication of the Andre Agassi Boys & Girls Club facility, April 9, 1997, in Las Vegas. The Andre Agassi Foundation donated $1.28 million toward the development of the new center which will provide programs and services to more than 2,000 area youth. The club features an air-conditioned indoor gym, library, computer lab, teen center, cafeteria and lighted outdoor basketball and tennis courts. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court USA's Andre Agassi returns to Rafael Nadal, of Spain, during the final at the Rogers Cup tennis tournament Sunday, August 14, 2005 in Montreal. (AP Photo/Paul Chiasson) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi holds up his championship trophy after defeating Goran Ivanisevic to win the men's singles final at Wimbledon, Sunday July 5, 1992.

Agassi won the French Open in Paris Sunday, June 6, 1999, defeating Andrei Medvedev 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Agassi became only the fifth man, and first American in 61 years, to win all four majors _ Wimbledon in 1992, the U.S. Open in 1994, the Australian in 1995, and now the French. As proof of his versatility, he is the first to do it on three different surfaces. (AP Photo/ Richard Drew) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi stretches for a return to Harel Levy of Israel, during their Men's Singles, first round match on the Centre Court at Wimbledon in this June 24, 2002 photo. Agassi, one of five men with a career Grand Slam, realizes there might not be too many major tournaments in his future, so he focuses his efforts on preparing intensely for each one, Wimbledon included.

(AP Photo/Dave Caulkin) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court American tennis player Andre Agassi arrives at a mens fragrance launch in London, Monday, June 16, 2003. Agassi is in London to compete at the Wimbledon Championship, where he is the number 2 seed. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Future tennis great Andre Agassi is shown in this family photograph at age 3. (Photo Special Courtesy to the Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Future tennis great Andre Agassi is shown in this family photograph at age 7. (Photo Special Courtesy to the Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi hugs his dad, Mike Agassi, after defeating Juan Balcells during the final match of the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic tournament Sunday, March 10, 2002 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Agassi won 6-2, 7-6 (2).

It was Agassi's 50th career singles win.(AP Photo/Matt York) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Tennis stars Andre Agassi, left, and Steffi Graf, right, pose with their children, 5-year-old son Jaden, and 2-year-old daughter Jaz, in this family photograph. (Photo Special Courtesy to the Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi, center, is flanked by his best friend and business manager Perry Rogers, left, and his longtime trainer Gil Reyes in this 1995 Sports Illustrated photo. (1995 Sports Illustrated photo) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf hold their new son, Jaden Gil, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2001, in Las Vegas. The baby, weighing five pounds, seven ounces, was born early Friday at a Las Vegas Hospital. The couple, who married in a private ceremony on Oct. 22, began dating after each won the French Open in 1999.

(AP Photo/Agassi Enterprises Inc.) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi are shown in a photo tweeted on Andre's Twitter account at the end of Germany's 1-0 victory over the U.S. on Thursday. Andre tweeted "Happy Home !!!" (@AndreAgassi/Twitter) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court RJ FILE*** JOHN LOCHER/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Retired tennis great Andre Agassi wipes his eyes after A.J. Green, a student at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, performed during the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education 15th Grand Slam for Children fundraising event at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel-casino on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010, in Las Vegas. Green sang "Do I Make You Proud," during the event that raised scholarship funds to the tune of $8.5 million, which is enough to fund three quarters of the student's tuition to attend the private school.

Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Gil Reyes, right, and Andre Agassi pose with exercise equipment at their company Bilt in Las Vegas Tuesday, March 13, 2012. Agassi has teamed up with Reyes, his trainer of 20 years, to produce a line of exercise equipment. (John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Gil Reyes, left, and Andre Agassi pose with exercise equipment at their company Bilt in Las Vegas Tuesday, March 13, 2012. Agassi has teamed up with Reyes, his trainer of 20 years, to produce a line of exercise equipment. (John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi, left, chats with actress Elisabeth (cq) Shue at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Apr. 30, 2013. Shue, who currently is a cast member of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, spoke to the kids about her career in the arts as part of a speaker series at the school.

EMS Entertainment, the producer of the CSI: The Experience has partnered up with the academy to expose children to different career choices that are showcased in the exhibition. (Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi, center, and actress Elisabeth (cq) Shue, gather for photos with students at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Apr. 30, 2013. Shue, who currently is a cast member of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, spoke to the kids about her career in the arts as part of a speaker series at the school. EMS Entertainment, the producer of the CSI: The Experience has partnered up with the academy to expose children to different career choices that are showcased in the exhibition. (Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi engages in a conversation with actress Elisabeth (cq) Shue (not pictured) in front of students at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Apr. 30, 2013.

Shue, who currently is a cast member of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, spoke to the kids about her career in the arts as part of a speaker series at the school. EMS Entertainment, the producer of the CSI: The Experience has partnered up with the academy to expose children to different career choices that are showcased in the exhibition. (Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi engages in a conversation with actress Elisabeth Shue (not pictured) in front of students at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Apr. 30, 2013. Shue, who currently is a cast member of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, spoke to the kids about her career in the arts as part of a speaker series at the school. EMS Entertainment, the producer of the CSI: The Experience has partnered up with the academy to expose children to different career choices that are showcased in the exhibition.

(Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi, left, hugs Carlos Santana at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy during an event where the school received more than 200 music instruments Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013. (John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi looks a a tennis racquet that was a gift at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy during an event where the school received more than 200 music instruments Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013. (John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Andre Agassi, right, hugs Carlos Santana at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy during an event where the school received more than 200 music instruments Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013. (John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Tennis great Andre Agassi. (CRAIG L.

MORAN/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL) Agassi is Nevada-born champion on, off court Tennis pro Andre Agassi appears to be posing for a product placement ad for Diet Pepsi in this undated file photo. (file/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Q&A: Andre Agassi on education, Nevada and tennis' Mount Rushmore Q&A: Andre Agassi on education, Nevada and tennis' Mount Rushmore Tennis legend in town July 18. Post to Facebook Q&A: Andre Agassi on education, Nevada and tennis' Mount Rushmore Tennis legend in town July 18. Check out this story on rgj.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the Conversation Q&A: Andre Agassi on education, Nevada and tennis' Mount Rushmore RGJ Published 6:29 p.m. PT July 1, 2014 | Updated 11:07 p.m. PT July 1, 2014 With respect to Wayne Newton, tennis legend Andre Agassi is the real Mr. Las Vegas.

The Hall of Famer was born and raised in Las Vegas and proudly calls the city known for its tourists his permanent home. He's poured tens of millions of dollars in philanthropic efforts into the city. But his love of the Silver State extends past Clark County. The 44-year-old is the featured speaker at the 46th annual Governor's Dinner on July 18 in Carson City, one of the main fundraisers for the Wolf Pack. Agassi, who won his first professional event in Reno at the LakeRidge Tennis Club at age 16, has many fond memories of Northern Nevada. As such, Agassi didn't have any hesitancy helping out the school up north and said he didn't get any grief from friends who support the UNLV athletic department. "Certainly not in the circles I run," Agassi said. "It's an honor to be respected enough where I can travel the state and make a difference.

To not do it would leave me with some explaining to do." In addition to his Boys & Girls Club, center for abused children, cottage for disabled children and Agassi Prep high school for at-risk children, Agassi's Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund has built 39 charter schools across the country. So, Agassi, one of the most charitable athletes in recent memory, gave no pause to help out the Wolf Pack, especially since it dovetailed with his passion of education. "It's a Nevada school, and I have a great deal of appreciation for everything that the school adds to our state," Agassi said. "At the end of the day, at the center of every great city it is a great university, first and foremost. Higher education is the natural evolution for everything I've given my life toward." Agassi spent 20 minutes via the phone with the RGJ on Tuesday. Here's a portion of the interview. RGJ: You've been a pioneer at trying to get the state of education in Nevada in better standing. When did education become this important to you? AA: I found myself coming at education through the back door. I kind of fell into it.

I was making a difference in children's lives in a lot of different ways during my career. In 1993, when I started my foundation, I was making a difference through after-school programs and with the Child Haven abuse shelter for kids and Assistance League, which clothes children. In tennis, I was a really quick study. But I was really coming quickly to the conclusion that I was behind with all of these children's problems and I was chasing them. It was frustrating. Being a tennis player, you want to be proactive and you don't want to be reactive. So, I reduced it to its core and looked at what the issue was and the issue for me was the societal opportunity for our next generation. If they believe and have hope, we can break the cycle, which is why I decided to take on the Herculean task of starting a K-12 charter school in a very economically challenged area to prove it's not the kids who fail, but the adults who fail the children. RGJ: You've opened yourself up to philanthropic giving. What feeling do you get when you accomplish some of these things you've been able to accomplish? AA: It's hard to quantify it.

It's almost a selfish endeavor because it rewards you so much. It gives me my focus, my purpose, my meaning. There's a lot to be said for having that in life. Difficulty is guaranteed. Charity is truly a gift of jewels. It's gold in a person's life. I'm so clear on what I want to do. But it can't compare to anything inside the lines. Inside the lines, it's like Amnesia Road in many respects for me. I'll never forget the place tennis played in my life and the platform it's given. But it just feels like it's meant for a bigger endeavor and bigger objective, and I get to live that out every day now. RGJ: Is there a different feeling opening a new charter school and winning a tournament? AA: They are different. As a standalone, they both live in perpetuity. But one really has future implications, so there's no question a school stands in perpetuity and has untold accomplishments waiting to happen. If you change a child's life, you change the world. I would take that over a tournament win. But the feeling of opening a charter schools has similar feelings because it's feedback on time and effort put in.

When you're on the court, the feedback is immediate. With a charter school, putting in all the money and capital you're changing a community over time and that's something you cherish even more because it doesn't happen as often. I've opened up 39 schools and held 60 trophies. My goal is out-achieve anything I've done on the tennis court. RGJ: When you think back to your career, do you have a favorite moment that sticks out above all else? AA: There's a sort of fundamental reality to winning all of the Grand Slam events (Agassi is one of only seven players to accomplish that). When I completed the Grand Slam, I knew there would be no more regrets in how my life played out. So, winning the French Open (1999) after coming back from No. 140 in the world to beating the defending champ to being down two sets in the finals, that was a microcosm of my life, and, as a result, that probably stands the test of time in my moments on the tennis court and my appreciation for it. RGJ: All great athletes have a competitive streak that doesn't go away when they retire.

How have you gone about filling that competitive streak? AA: I hear that all the time and see that all the time with retired athletes. It's something I can identify with. Since I've retired, and I mean this in the greatest respect for the game because it gave me so much, but now it's sort of like holiday every day for me. When I say holiday, I don't mean relaxing. The great thing about retirement for me is I get work on the very things I want to. I've poured myself tirelessly into my ambitions and objectives and I get all this time to clear myself of all the drama that comes along with the tennis courts and get away from the physical and emotional and mental wear and tear, and it feels like a win on every shot in retirement. RGJ: You were recently quoted saying Rafael Nadal is the best tennis player ever. Why do you feel that way? AA: Let me first qualify it and say the great thing about the dialogue I had with that reporter from Singapore is she was very educated on tennis. It was a verbal discussion about the merits of who's better between Rafa and Roger (Federer).

Some people made it out as I didn't have a healthy regard for Roger, which isn't even close to the case. But I have to be objective and give a fair answer when asked a fair question, which I was when asked who I thought was better between those two. It's a question everybody can debate, but in my estimation, there is no discussion to be had there. Roger separated himself from the field when he beat me in the finals, he beat Andy Roddick in the finals and Lleyton Hewitt in the finals. Everything Rafael has done, he's done through Roger's prime. He's gone against Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in their prime. You can talk matchups all the time, but I can assure you everybody in the world has a matchup issue against Rafa. I had a matchup issue against Pete (Sampras). So did many others. You always have matchup issues against a better player. RGJ: Who would you put on your Mount Rushmore of the greatest tennis players ever? AA: The top four would be, not in any particular order, Nadal, (Rod) Laver, Federer and the fourth is absolutely an open case.

I would leave the face uncarved for a few more years. You could debate (Bjorn) Borg if he had played longer. You could debate a lot of things. I'll leave the fourth on Mount Rushmore pure stone to be carved, maybe even carve it next year if Djokovic does what he's still capable of doing. RGJ: You had a very interesting childhood (Agassi's father taped ping-pong paddles to his hands to swat at a tennis ball mobile) and now you're a father of two. What's your favorite thing about being a father and how does your childhood change how you parent? AA: The greatest thing about being a father is it's the only relationship in your life that's truly unconditional. It's an opportunity to learn and teach and as my trainer (Gil Reyes) told me years ago, you only stop teaching when you stop learning. I pride myself in trying to understand my children and lead them to not need me. Unfortunately, by the time you figure that out, you're unemployed (as a parent). Any childhood anybody has, you learn what you want to be and what you don't want to be.

Sometimes you spend so much time giving your kids what you didn't have that you forget to give them what you did have. I work very hard in processing what I've been through and making sure I take the good from it and pass it along. RGJ: Nevada doesn't have the best reputation. You proudly represent the state. What do you think of the future of this state and with you being a key member of this state what is the potential of the state? AA: First of all, I don't have any political aspirations. I'm doing my best to contribute to a state that has helped shape and mold me. That's one battle at a time. My focus is obviously education and it all starts here in Nevada. I speak proudly of Nevada because we're a state that survives, we're a state that dreams, we're a state that believes that if you dream it, then you can do it. We're hard-working and have an underbelly of culture that's unlike any state in the country. I love this state. Born and raised here. I could live anywhere in the world and brought my family here.

My wife (tennis legend Steffi Graf) and her mother and her brother and their kids all live here, and we do so proudly. Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at cmurray@rgj.com or follow him on Twitter @MurrayRGJ. THE FILE ON ANDRE AGASSI Born: April 29, 1970 (age 44) Hometown: Las Vegas Tennis career: Won 60 titles and more than $31 million in earnings … Won eight Grand Slam titles, including a career Grand Slam (one of seven players to accomplish that in tennis history) … Won 1996 Olympic gold. … Inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011.

Post-tennis career: One of the most charitable athletes in recent memory, Agassi has built 39 charter schools, in addition to his Boys & Girls Club and his Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which helps run Child Haven for abused children and the Andre Agassi Cottage for Medically Fragile Children Family: Wife, Steffi Graf, and daughter, Jaz (8), and son, Jaden (10) THE GOVERNOR'S DINNER What: 46th annual fundraiser for Wolf Pack athletics Featured speaker: Andre Agassi When: July 18 (cocktails at 5:30 p.m.; program at 7 p.m.) Where: Governor's Mansion in Carson Tickets: $300/person; tables of eight for $2,400 More info: 775-682-6901 or WolfPack@unr.edu Andre Agassi 'Opens' Up About Life, Tennis : NPR Andre Agassi 'Opens' Up About Life, Tennis Embed Embed Andre Agassi 'Opens' Up About Life, Tennis Andre Agassi 'Opens' Up About Life, Tennis Embed Embed Enlarge this image Andre Agassi is the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which

 has raised more than $60 million for at-risk children in Southern Nevada and opened the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, a K-12 public charter school for at-risk children.

Michael Cole hide caption toggle caption Michael Cole Andre Agassi is the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which has raised more than $60 million for at-risk children in Southern Nevada and opened the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, a K-12 public charter school for at-risk children. Michael Cole Vintage, Reprint Edition List price: $15.95 This interview was originally broadcast on Nov. 11, 2009. Andre Agassi's autobiography 'Open' was recently released in paperback. Andre Agassi, widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, admits in a new autobiography that he hates tennis, "with a dark and secret passion" — and always has. Because he was born with spondylolisthesis, a spinal condition where one vertebra parts from the other, leaving less room for the nerves in the spinal column, the slightest wrong movement can leave Agassi awash in pain. So over the course of a career that keeps him in constant motion, he's had to find ways to cope — cortisone shots, altering his game and eventually retirement. Agassi's book is called Open.

In it, he reveals, among other things, that he used crystal meth — and that he wore a hairpiece in the 1990 French Open to hide a bald spot. Read in an excerpt about a day during Agassi's final tournament, the 2006 U.S. Open — how he prepared, mentally and physically, for the emotional ambiguity of retiring from a career he both loves and hates. Article continues after sponsorship November 11, 20091:05 PM ET Andre Agassi List price: $15.95 The End I open my eyes and don't know where I am or who I am. Not all that unusual — I've spent half my life not knowing. Still, this feels different. This confusion is more frightening. More total. I look up. I'm lying on the floor beside the bed. I remember now. I moved from the bed to the floor in the middle of the night. I do that most nights. Better for my back. Too many hours on a soft mattress causes agony. I count to three, then start the long, difficult process of standing.

With a cough, a groan, I roll onto my side, then curl into the fetal position, then flip over onto my stomach. Now I wait, and wait, for the blood to start pumping. I'm a young man, relatively speaking. Thirty-six. But I wake as if ninety-six. After three decades of sprinting, stopping on a dime, jumping high and landing hard, my body no longer feels like my body, especially in the morning. Consequently my mind doesn't feel like my mind. Upon opening my eyes I'm a stranger to myself, and while, again, this isn't new, in the mornings it's more pronounced. I run quickly through the basic facts. My name is Andre Agassi. My wife's name is Stefanie Graf. We have two children, a son and daughter, five and three. We live in Las Vegas, Nevada, but currently reside in a suite at the Four Seasons hotel in New York City, because I'm playing in the 2006 U.S. Open. My last U.S. Open. In fact my last tournament ever. I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have.

As this last piece of identity falls into place, I slide to my knees and in a whisper I say: Please let this be over. Then: I'm not ready for it to be over. Now, from the next room, I hear Stefanie and the children. They're eating breakfast, talking, laughing. My overwhelming desire to see and touch them, plus a powerful craving for caffeine, gives me the inspiration I need to hoist myself up, to go vertical. Hate brings me to my knees, love gets me on my feet. I glance at the bedside clock. Seven thirty. Stefanie let me sleep in. The fatigue of these final days has been severe. Apart from the physical strain, there is the exhausting torrent of emotions set loose by my pending retirement. Now, rising from the center of the fatigue comes the first wave of pain. I grab my back. It grabs me. I feel as if someone snuck in during the night and attached one of those anti-theft steering wheel locks to my spine. How can I play in the U.S. Open with the Club on my spine? Will the last match of my career be a forfeit?

I was born with spondylolisthesis, meaning a bottom vertebra that parted from the other vertebrae, struck out on its own, rebelled. (It's the main reason for my pigeon-toed walk.) With this one vertebra out of sync, there's less room for the nerves inside the column of my spine, and with the slightest movement the nerves feel that much more crowded. Throw in two herniated discs and a bone that won't stop growing in a futile effort to protect the damaged area, and those nerves start to feel downright claustrophobic. When the nerves protest their cramped quarters, when they send out distress signals, a pain runs up and down my leg that makes me suck in my breath and speak in tongues. At such moments the only relief is to lie down and wait. Sometimes, however, the moment arrives in the middle of a match. Then the only remedy is to alter my game — swing differently, run differently, do everything differently. That's when my muscles spasm. Everyone avoids change; muscles can't abide it. Told to change, my muscles join the spinal rebellion, and soon my whole body is at war with itself.

Gil, my trainer, my friend, my surrogate father, explains it this way: Your body is saying it doesn't want to do this anymore. My body has been saying that for a long time, I tell Gil. Almost as long as I've been saying it. Since January, however, my body has been shouting it. My body doesn't want to retire — my body has already retired. My body has moved to Florida and bought a condo and white Sansabelts. So I've been negotiating with my body, asking it to come out of retirement for a few hours here, a few hours there. Much of this negotiation revolves around a cortisone shot that temporarily dulls the pain. Before the shot works, however, it causes its own torments. I got one yesterday, so I could play tonight. It was the third shot this year, the thirteenth of my career, and by far the most alarming. The doctor, not my regular doctor, told me brusquely to assume the position. I stretched out on his table, face down, and his nurse yanked down my shorts. The doctor said he needed to get his seven-inch needle as close to the inflamed nerves as possible.

But he couldn't enter directly, because my herniated discs and bone spur were blocking the path. His attempts to circumvent them, to break the Club, sent me through the roof. First he inserted the needle. Then he positioned a big machine over my back to see how close the needle was to the nerves. He needed to get that needle almost flush against the nerves, he said, without actually touching. If it were to touch the nerves, even if it were to only nick the nerves, the pain would ruin me for the tournament. It could also be life-changing. In and out and around, he maneuvered the needle, until my eyes filled with water. Finally he hit the spot. Bull's-eye, he said. In went the cortisone. The burning sensation made me bite my lip. Then came the pressure. I felt infused, embalmed. The tiny space in my spine where the nerves are housed began to feel vacuum packed. The pressure built until I thought my back would burst. Pressure is how you know everything's working, the doctor said. Words to live by, Doc. Soon the pain felt wonderful, almost sweet, because it was the kind that you can tell precedes relief.

But maybe all pain is like that. *** My family is growing louder. I limp out to the living room of our suite. My son, Jaden, and my daughter, Jaz, see me and scream. Daddy, Daddy! They jump up and down and want to leap on me. I stop and brace myself, stand before them like a mime imitating a tree in winter. They stop just before leaping, because they know Daddy is delicate these days, Daddy will shatter if they touch him too hard. I pat their faces and kiss their cheeks and join them at the breakfast table. Jaden asks if today is the day. Yes. Yes. And then after today are you retire? A new word he and his younger sister have learned. Retired. When they say it, they always leave off the last letter. For them it's retire, forever ongoing, permanently in the present tense. Maybe they know something I don't. Not if I win, son. If I win tonight, I keep playing. But if you lose — we can have a dog? To the children, retire equals puppy. Stefanie and I have promised them that when I stop training, when we stop traveling the world, we can buy a puppy.

Maybe we'll name him Cortisone. Yes, buddy, when I lose, we will buy a dog. He smiles. He hopes Daddy loses, hopes Daddy experiences the disappointment that surpasses all others. He doesn't understand — and how will I ever be able to explain it to him? — the pain of losing, the pain of playing. It's taken me nearly thirty years to understand it myself, to solve the calculus of my own psyche. I ask Jaden what he's doing today. Going to see the bones. I look at Stefanie. She reminds me she's taking them to the Museum of Natural History. Dinosaurs. I think of my twisted vertebrae. I think of my skeleton on display at the museum with all the other dinosaurs. Tennis-aurus Rex. Jaz interrupts my thoughts. She hands me her muffin. She needs me to pick out the blueberries before she eats it. Our morning ritual. Each blueberry must be surgically removed, which requires precision, concentration. Stick the knife in, move it around, get it right up to the blueberry without touching. I focus on her muffin and it's a relief to think about something other than tennis.

But as I hand her the muffin, I can't pretend that it doesn't feel like a tennis ball, which makes the muscles in my back twitch with anticipation. The time is drawing near. *** After breakfast, after Stefanie and the kids have kissed me goodbye and run off to the museum, I sit quietly at the table, looking around the suite. It's like every hotel suite I've ever had, only more so. Clean, chic, comfortable — it's the Four Seasons, so it's lovely, but it's still just another version of what I call Not Home. The non-place we exist as athletes. I close my eyes, try to think about tonight, but my mind drifts backward. My mind these days has a natural backspin. Given half a chance it wants to return to the beginning, because I'm so close to the end. But I can't let it. Not yet. I can't afford to dwell too long on the past. I get up and walk around the table, test my balance. When I feel fairly steady I walk gingerly to the shower. Under the hot water I groan and scream. I bend slowly, touch my quads, start to come alive. My muscles loosen. My skin sings.

My pores fly open. Warm blood goes sluicing through my veins. I feel something begin to stir. Life. Hope. The last drops of youth. Still, I make no sudden movements. I don't want to do anything to startle my spine. I let my spine sleep in. Standing at the bathroom mirror, toweling off, I stare at my face. Red eyes, gray stubble — a face totally different from the one with which I started. But also different from the one I saw last year in this same mirror. Whoever I might be, I'm not the boy who started this odyssey, and I'm not even the man who announced three months ago that the odyssey was coming to an end. I'm like a tennis racket on which I've replaced the grip four times and the strings seven times — is it accurate to call it the same racket? Somewhere in those eyes, however, I can still vaguely see the boy who didn't want to play tennis in the first place, the boy who wanted to quit, the boy who did quit many times. I see that golden-haired boy who hated tennis, and I wonder how he would view this bald man, who still hates tennis and yet still plays. Would he be shocked?

Amused? Proud? The question makes me weary, lethargic, and it's only noon. Please let this be over. I'm not ready for it to be over. The finish line at the end of a career is no different from the finish line at the end of a match. The objective is to get within reach of that finish line, because then it gives off a magnetic force. When you're close, you can feel that force pulling you, and you can use that force to get across. But just before you come within range, or just after, you feel another force, equally strong, pushing you away. It's inexplicable, mystical, these twin forces, these contradictory energies, but they both exist. I know, because I've spent much of my life seeking the one, fighting the other, and sometimes I've been stuck, suspended, bounced like a tennis ball between the two. Tonight: I remind myself that it will require iron discipline to cope with these forces, and whatever else comes my way. Back pain, bad shots, foul weather, self-loathing. It's a form of worry, this reminder, but also a meditation.

One thing I've learned in twenty-nine years of playing tennis: Life will throw everything but the kitchen sink in your path, and then it will throw the kitchen sink. It's your job to avoid the obstacles. If you let them stop you or distract you, you're not doing your job, and failing to do your job will cause regrets that paralyze you more than a bad back. I lie on the bed with a glass of water and read. When my eyes get tired I click on the TV. Tonight, Round Two of the U.S. Open! Will this be Andre Agassi's farewell? My face flashes on the screen. A different face than the one in the mirror. My game face. I study this new reflection of me in the distorted mirror that is TV and my anxiety rises another click or two. Was that the final commercial? The final time CBS will ever promote one of my matches? I can't escape the feeling that I'm about to die. It's no accident, I think, that tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature.

Even the structure of tennis, the way the pieces fit inside one another like Russian nesting dolls, mimics the structure of our days. Points become games become sets become tournaments, and it's all so tightly connected that any point can become the turning point. It reminds me of the way seconds become minutes become hours, and any hour can be our finest. Or darkest. It's our choice. But if tennis is life, then what follows tennis must be the unknowable void. The thought makes me cold. Stefanie bursts through the door with the kids. They flop on the bed, and my son asks how I'm feeling. Fine, fine. How were the bones? Fun! Stefanie gives them sandwiches and juice and hustles them out the door again. They have a playdate, she says. Don't we all. Now I can take a nap. At thirty-six, the only way I can play a late match, which could go past midnight, is if I get a nap beforehand. Also, now that I know roughly who I am, I want to close my eyes and hide from it. When I open my eyes, one hour has passed. I say aloud, It's time. No more hiding.

I step into the shower again, but this shower is different from the morning shower. The afternoon shower is always longer — twenty-two minutes, give or take — and it's not for waking up or getting clean. The afternoon shower is for encouraging myself, coaching myself. Tennis is the sport in which you talk to yourself. No athletes talk to themselves like tennis players. Pitchers, golfers, goalkeepers, they mutter to themselves, of course, but tennis players talk to themselves — and answer. In the heat of a match, tennis players look like lunatics in a public square, ranting and swearing and conducting Lincoln-Douglas debates with their alter egos. Why? Because tennis is so damned lonely. Only boxers can understand the loneliness of tennis players — and yet boxers have their corner men and managers. Even a boxer's opponent provides a kind of companionship, someone he can grapple with and grunt at. In tennis you stand face-to-face with the enemy, trade blows with him, but never touch him or talk to him, or anyone else. The rules forbid a tennis player from even talking to his coach while on the court.

People sometimes mention the track-and-field runner as a comparably lonely figure, but I have to laugh. At least the runner can feel and smell his opponents. They're inches away. In tennis you're on an island. Of all the games men and women play, tennis is the closest to solitary confinement, which inevitably leads to self-talk, and for me the self-talk starts here in the afternoon shower. This is when I begin to say things to myself, crazy things, over and over, until I believe them. For instance, that a quasi-cripple can compete at the U.S. Open. That a thirty-six-year-old man can beat an opponent just entering his prime. I've won 869 matches in my career, fifth on the all-time list, and many were won during the afternoon shower. With the water roaring in my ears — a sound not unlike twenty thousand fans — I recall particular wins. Not wins the fans would remember, but wins that still wake me at night. Squillari in Paris. Blake in New York. Pete in Australia. Then I recall a few losses. I shake my head at the disappointments.

I tell myself that tonight will be an exam for which I've been studying twenty-nine years. Whatever happens tonight, I've already been through it at least once before. If it's a physical test, if it's mental, it's nothing new. Please let this be over. I don't want it to be over. I start to cry. I lean against the wall of the shower and let go. Excerpted from Open by Andre Agassi Copyright 2009 by Andre Agassi. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Question: In which city was Andre Agassi born?
Answer: Las Vegas