Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi ( born April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada ) is a former American professional tennis player and Olympic champion.
In his 21 year career Andre Agassi won 60 individual tournaments, including eight Grand Slam tournaments. As one of seven players in the history of tennis Agassi was able to win all four Grand Slam tournaments at least once. He also won the 1996 Olympic gold medal in singles and led the United States to three Davis Cup victories. Due to this success, Agassi is one of the dominant players of the 90s and early 2000s, isolated as one of the best tennis players of all time.
- 4.1 balance Sheet
- 7.1 Notes and references
Tennis career
Youth (1970-1986)
Agassi has already been prepared at a young age by his father on a tennis career. The father cared for example, that Agassi could train early with tennis legends such as Jimmy Connors and Roscoe Tanner. At 13, Agassi was then added to the Tennis Academy of Nick Bollettieri in Florida. He already gained a reputation as a rebel, by which he became world-famous in his first professional years - partly because of his long wild hair and his penchant for colorful and flashy game claddings. In 1986 at the age of 15 years left the Agassi Academy to join the professional tour.
Rebel image and initial success (1986-1991)
His first match on the professional tour Agassi won in February 1986 against American John Austin. In the rest of the season he could reach the quarter-finals, among others at the tournament in Stratton Mountain. He finished his first season as a professional in 91st place in the world rankings. At the end of the 1987 season took Agassi his first professional title in Itaparica in Brazil. Even before the Americans had been able to show some quarter-final and semi-final and a final participation. He finished the season ranked 25th in the world rankings.
In the 1988 season Agassi reach the first significant success in major tournaments. So he reached at the French Open and U.S. Open respectively the semi-finals and thus made the final leap into the top players in the world. He finished the year with six tournament victories at No. 3 in the world rankings and scored his rebel image for further attention. As a result, he resigned from the 1988 season for three years to participate in the prestigious tournament at Wimbledon. Outwardly, he criticized the rigid dress code of the tradition-conscious Tournament. But there were real doubts about Agassi's playing style for quick lawn of the British Open would be at all suitable.
In the 1989 season Agassi's rise was first held back to the top of the tennis world '. The Americans won in October of the year his first season titles and failed at the French Open already in the third round. At the U.S. Open, Agassi played against it once again semi-finals, where he again defeated Ivan Lendl. In the world rankings Agassi slipped to 7th place. However, the 1990 season brought him further forward: he was the first to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open in Paris. In the final, however, he was beaten Andrés Gómez. Also reached the U.S. Open Agassi the final, this time he lost his young compatriot Pete Sampras. This defeat marked the beginning of the year- long, highly publicized rivalry that Agassi and Sampras would be on offer next to the tennis courts yet. At season's end Agassi reach two more major successes by winning the Davis Cup with the American team and the victory in the final World Cup in the final against Stefan Edberg. Thus, Agassi finished the 1990 season with a total of four titles at No. 4 in the world rankings.
In the season 1991 Agassi had his third defeat in a Grand Slam final accept, in his second French Open final, he had to bow to Jim Courier. As a result, Agassi decided, for the first time in three years to compete again at the tournament in Wimbledon: In traditional white clothing to match Agassi played up in the quarter-finals of the tournament. The second half of the season was less successful with a defeat in the Davis Cup final and the failure in the semifinals of the World Cup. Two victories ranged just for staying in the top ten in the world rankings.
Breakthrough and establishment in the world rankings (1992-1996)
The 1992 season should bring the final breakthrough for the now 21 -year-old Agassi. Following a moderate first third of the season he failed initially at the French Open in the semifinals to Courier. At Wimbledon, Agassi played to contrast with wins against former champions such as Boris Becker and John McEnroe in the final, where he defeated Goran Ivanisevic Croats in five sets - the first Grand Slam title of his career. At the U.S. Open Agassi defeated in the quarter-finals once again his compatriot Courier. In December, he then succeeded in the second Davis Cup victory with the American team. In the world ranking to Agassi was able to improve end of the season by his three titles for a place to position 9.
Instead of the expected further increase in the 1993 season brought especially injury problems and relatively early defeats in the major tournaments. So Agassi was unable to attend the French Open and failed at Wimbledon in the quarter- final to Pete Sampras in this year. At the U.S. Open, he lost in the first round and in the winter he had to undergo wrist surgery. With two season titles in the spring of Americans could the season still among the best thirty players (ranked 24 in the world rankings ) finish.
After a good start to the season in 1994 in Scottsdale with his first tournament victory since one year and a final appearance in Miami to Agassi was beaten in the first tournament week in both the French Open and at Wimbledon. In the summer hardcourt season, however, he managed a comeback with the second season title in Toronto. At the U.S. Open, he still had to play as unseeded player and was in the final of the German Michael Stich beat. On his second Grand Slam title Agassi was the first player to win the U.S. Open as the unseeded participants. His season title four and five brought Agassi end of the season at No. 2 in the world rankings, the highest ever position for him.
The 1995 season should bring even further forward Agassi. Stir once cared his decision to the long hair, shave off his previous trademark. In 2009, however, Agassi divulged that it was long ago traded at this time nurmehr a hairpiece, after losing more and more hair. At the beginning of Agassi took part for the first time in his career at the Australian Open and was able to win right away ( in the final against Pete Sampras ). During the season, the rivalry between Agassi and Sampras reached its peak. A total of five finals, the two Americans came together and Agassi won three of the games for themselves. In April 1995, he stood at the top of the tennis world rankings for the first time. In Paris and Wimbledon to Agassi had then beaten twice surprisingly early. Just in time for the American hardcourt season took the duel between Agassi and Sampras again in intensity. Agassi was considered tournament favorites the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, after he had won his four preparatory tournaments on the U.S. Championships and took all with a winning streak of 20 matches at the U.S. Open. Sampras, however, had after his tournament victory at Wimbledon just to reach another final and lost it against Agassi in Montreal. As hoped by the public, Agassi and Sampras played itself relatively easily before the final of the U.S. Open. Agassi had to go only in his second-round match against Spaniard Àlex Corretja over the full distance of five sets. In a tight game finally Sampras was able to triumph with 6:4, 6:3, 4:6 and 7:5. Only in October Agassi reached back into the players' game and lost in November the lead in the world rankings again to Sampras.
In the season 1996 Agassi could not provide the hoped-for competition compatriot Sampras. Agassi reached in the course of the season, although at the Australian Open and U.S. Open each of the semi-finals, but both times had to admit defeat Michael Chang. With a total of three season titles Agassi ended the season in 8th place in the world rankings. At the Olympic Games in Atlanta, the Americans then achieved his greatest success of the season by winning the Olympic gold medal against the Spaniard Sergi Bruguera.
Crash and comeback (1997-1999)
The 1997 season marked the low point in the career of Andre Agassi. At the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon, he was unable to start due to re- wrist injury. In San José, he had reached the semi-finals, after that it was not until the U.S. Open in August, until he was able to win three matches in a row again. In between were a total of seven Erstrundenniederlagen. More than his performance on the court made the turbulent marriage to actress Brooke Shields for attention. After leaving the U.S. Open in the second round Agassi dropped out of the top 100 in the world rankings and had to participate in two Challenger tournaments in November in order to work with a tournament victory and a final participation of space 141 again slowly forward. In his 2009 autobiography Agassi admits to have used the drug crystal meth during his performance crisis in 1997.
From the season 1998, Agassi again concentrated entirely on his tennis career. He began with consistent fitness program, he also changed gradually his behavior on the court. Thus, Agassi was in the following years even become a role model for younger players. The changes paid off relatively quickly and sporty from: Already in January 1998, Agassi reached again a semi-final on the ATP Tour and the second round at the Australian Open in February, he succeeded in San Jose again a tournament victory in the highest category. With the other three Grand Slam tournaments Agassi was indeed denied the great success, but with a total of five season titles he played himself back into the top ten in the world rankings. He finished the season ranked sixth
1999 was the most successful year in the career of Andre Agassi and he wrote about his successes tennis history. In June of the year in his third finals he scored the first victory at the French Open in Paris. In the final, he defeated the Ukrainian Andriy Medvedev, while being lagged with two sets. Thus, Agassi was the fifth overall tennis player in history (after Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson ), who won all the Grand Slam tournaments in his career at least once. The last time this was Rod Laver thirty years before succeeded (after Agassi was Roger Federer in 2009 [ after winning the French Open ] the sixth and Rafael Nadal 2010 [ after winning the U.S. Open ] the seventh player, which this was achieved ). Also in Wimbledon Agassi could reach the final, in which he was, however, his eternal rival Pete Sampras clearly inferior. Nevertheless, Agassi captured with the finals the top position in the world rankings, had this in the dominated Sampras hardcourt season, however, give back. Shortly before the U.S. Open then injured the clear tournament favorite Sampras, Agassi and was in the finals of the tournament his compatriot Todd Martin beat. For the first time in his career Agassi get so two Grand Slam tournament victories during the season. After Sampras ' injury- related failure Agassi became the number one in the world rankings, which he then defended relatively safe until the end of the season again. In the final World Cup Agassi Pete Sampras lost the final again significantly. He finished the year though as the best season player, but suffered four defeats in five duels against Sampras. That same year, Agassi was chosen by the French sports newspaper L' Équipe World Sportsman of the Year.
Successes in Australia (2000-2003)
Agassi began the 2000 season as he had the previous completed with great success. Right at the Australian Open in January, he was able to triumph against Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the final and had thus four Grand Slam finals reached in a row, what last 1969 Rod Laver had succeeded, but not on four different floors. At Wimbledon, Agassi defeated, however, in a dramatic semi-final of the Australian Patrick Rafter. At the end of Agassi even had the opportunity to again finish the season at No. 1, but the final of the Masters Cup was not enough. Followed in 2001 by the same title defense at the Australian Open against Arnaud Clément. In a rematch of the game from the previous year, Agassi defeated in an equally tight semifinal Patrick Rafter at Wimbledon. In a sensational quarter-final match at the U.S. Open he lost to Pete Sampras (7:6, 6:7, 6:7, 6:7 ) without firing a single service game. In 2002, Agassi was playing a strong season by winning three tournaments in the Masters Series and finished the year in second place in the world rankings. At the U.S. Open, it came to the final duel against Sampras Agassi, Sampras and in the end had the upper hand and won the tournament. A year later, Sampras should end his career without ever having completed another game. 2003 saw Agassi for the third win in four years at the Australian Open, this time in the final against the German Rainer Schuettler. Later in the year Agassi conquered once again No. 1 in the world rankings and held this position for a further 13 weeks. In the end it was enough after all once again for 4th place in the final ranking.
The last few years (from 2004)
Good results have attended in the 2004 season, after all, that Agassi was able to keep in the top 10 in the world rankings, even if great victories of the past belonged. In the 2005 season over and over again there were rumors Agassi could end his long and successful career after the U.S. Open or the end. After he was affected much of the season through injury, he managed a comeback with the 60th tournament win of his career in Los Angeles and a finals in Montreal. Thus Agassi belonged to other favorites in the 2005 U.S. Open and was the expectations with the final participation and equitable. In the final, he brought Roger Federer indeed in trouble, but eventually had to admit defeat with 3:6, 6:2, 6:7 and 1:6. Agassi finished the season in 7th place after his participation after only one match has been played due to injury had to retire at the Tennis Masters Cup. In his last Wimbledon participation in 2006 Agassi reached with victories over Boris Pašanski and Andreas Seppi the third round. There he defeated the Spaniard Rafael Nadal in three sets and then was still celebrated by the audience.
On 24 June 2006 Agassi announced to the press that he would end his career after the following U.S. Open. After hard-won victories over Andrei Pavel and Marcos Baghdatis he lost there on September 3, 2006 after 3:03 hours in the third round against German qualifier Benjamin Becker in four sets ( 5:7, 7:6, 4:6, 5: 7) and then ended with a standing ovation from the audience and with tears in his eyes, more than two -decade career as a tennis pro.
Beginning of November 2009 came Agassi in the headlines when he as already mentioned in his biography confessed to having used throughout his career to stimulant crystal meth. The drug offense itself was indeed time-barred at this time, but it could be because one of his time made false testimony in court still be prosecuted. He then testified to have accidentally drunk from the drink of a colleague who had been contaminated with the drug substance.
On January 20, 2011, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Davis Cup
Between 1988 and 2005, Agassi played 36 times in the Davis Cup team, with a combined score of 30:6 victories.
The cadres of the United States, he also stood at the Davis Cup triumphs in 1990 and 1992. 's Team in 1992 with the players Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe can be regarded as the best of times, since it consists of four actors existed that were either already at the top of the world rankings, or taking this position after a short time. 2005 Agassi suffered a bitter defeat against Ivan Ljubičić in front of a home crowd; this meant the first-round From U.S. against Croatia.
Personal
His father, Emmanuel Agassi was an Iranian boxer and two-time (1948 and 1952 in boxing ) Olympian. His mother is the American Elizabeth " Betty " Dudley, who married the father after emigrating to the U.S. in 1958.
From 1997 to 1999 Agassi was married to actress Brooke Shields. Since October 2001 he is married to the former German tennis player Steffi Graf. The couple has two children, Jaden Gil (born 26 October 2001) and Jaz Elle (born 3 October 2003).
Achievements
Balance
AF = knockout round, VF = quarter-finals, semi-finals HF =, F = Final, W = Win, digit = first round