Andre Agassi!
Andre Agassi at the Australian Open 2005Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada) is an American former tennis player and Olympic champion. In his 21 year career he won 60 individual tournaments, including a total of 8 Grand Slam tournaments.
As one of seven players in tennis history, Agassi was able to acquire all four Grand Slam tournaments at least once. He also won 1996 Olympic gold medal in singles and the United States led to three Davis Cup victories. Due to this success, Agassi is one of the dominant players in the 90s and early 2000s, isolated as one of the best tennis player ever.
Tennis Career [edit] youth (1970-1986) [edit] Agassi has already been prepared at an early age by his father, Emmanuel Agassi, twice an Iranian boxer Armenian Assyrian descent, (1948 and 1952 in the boxes) Olympic athlete, a tennis career. The father took e.g. that Agassi was an early train with tennis legends such as Jimmy Connors and Roscoe Tanner. However, apparently against the wishes of the little Andre, for this again later said to reporters: "I hate tennis!" At 13, Agassi was then added to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. There, he had 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 sports clothing. As early as 1986 at the age of 15 years, Agassi left the Academy to join the professional tour.
Rebel image and initial success (1986-1991) [edit] His first match on the pro tour Agassi won in February 1986 against the American John Austin. In the rest of the season he was able to achieve, among other things at the tournament in Stratton Mountain, the quarter-finals. He finished his first season as a professional ranks 91 of the world rankings. To conclude the 1987 season took Agassi his first professional title in Itaparica, Brazil. Even before the Americans had been able to show some quarter-final and semi-finals and a final participation. He finished the season ranked 25th in the world rankings.
Agassi in the 1988 season commenced in any significant success in major tournaments. He reached at Roland Garros and U.S. Open semi-finals respectively and managed so that the final among the top players in the world. He finished the year with six tournament victories at No. 3 in the world rankings and, through its rebel image for further attention. As a result, he resigned from the 1988 season for three years to participate in the prestigious tournament in Wimbledon. Outwardly, he criticized the rigid dress code of the tradition-Tournament. But there were legitimate doubts about whether Agassi would play suitable for the fast grass of the British Open at all.
In the 1989 season was Agassi's rise to the top of world tennis' first braked. The Americans won in October that year his first season title and failed at Roland Garros in the third round. At the U.S. Open, Agassi was playing on the other hand again before the semi-finals where he lost to Ivan Lendl again. In the world ranking slipped from Agassi to spot 7. The 1990 season brought him back but further forward: so he could reach at Roland Garros in Paris for the first time the finals of a Grand Slam tournament. In the final he had to give, however, Andrés Gómez beaten. Also at the U.S. Open Agassi reached the final, this time he lost his young compatriot Pete Sampras. This defeat marked the beginning of the year-long rivalry media attention that would Agassi and Sampras have both on and off the tennis courts yet. Agassi reach the end of season two great successes by winning the Davis Cup with the American team and the game of the final World Cup final against Stefan Edberg. Thus Agassi ended the 1990 season with four titles at number 4 in the world rankings.
In the 1991 season had suffered his third defeat of Agassi in a Grand Slam final 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 at Wimbledon: in traditional white clothing game is played by Agassi in the quarterfinals 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 just enough to remain in the top ten in the world rankings.
Breakthrough and establishment in the world rankings (1992-1996) [edit] Record-world number one ranked tennis player in the men's individual weeks
1. United States Pete Sampras 286
2. Switzerland Roger Federer 285
3. Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 270
4. United States Jimmy Connors 268
5. United States John McEnroe 170
6. Sweden Björn Borg 109
7. United States Andre Agassi 101
At 31 May 2010
The 1992 season should bring the final breakthrough for the now 21-year-old Agassi. After a moderate first third of the season he failed first at Roland Garros semi-final to Courier. At Wimbledon, Agassi played the other hand, with wins against former champions like Boris Becker and John McEnroe in the final where he beat Croatian Goran Ivanisevic 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 countryman Courier. In December, he succeeded then the second Davis Cup victory with the American team. improve in the world rankings Agassi was able to end the season with his three titles for a place to position 9.
Instead of the expected further increase in 1993 brought the season especially with injury problems and relatively early defeats in major tournaments. Sun Agassi could not participate this year at Roland Garros and Wimbledon already failed in the quarterfinals to Pete Sampras. At the U.S. Open he lost in the first round and in winter he had to undergo a wrist operation. With two season titles in the spring of Americans could end the season still in the top thirty players (ranked 24th in the world rankings).
After a good start to the season 1994 in Scottsdale with his first tournament victory since a year and a final in Miami had to give Agassi, both at Roland Garros and Wimbledon hit in the first week of the tournament. In the summer hard-court season, but he managed a comeback with second season title in Toronto. At the U.S. Open, he still had to compete as unseeded player in the finals and was able to defeat Germany's Michael Stich. On his second Grand Slam title was Agassi said the first player to have won the U.S. Open unseeded participants. His season title four and five took Agassi to end the season in 2nd place in the world rankings, the highest ever position for him.
Agassi, the 1995 season should continue to bring forward. And caused concern once his decision to shave off her long hair, his previous trademark. In 2009, Agassi award, however, that at this point long ago nurmehr is a hair piece, after losing more hair. [1] At the beginning of Agassi took the first time in his career, in part at the Australian Open and was able to immediately win (the final against Pete Sampras). In the course of the season reached the rivalry between Agassi and Sampras its peak. With a total of five finals, the two clashed Americans and Agassi could choose three of the games for themselves. In April 1995 he was the first time at the top of world tennis rankings. In Paris and Wimbledon to Agassi had to twice be surprisingly early defeat. Time for the American hard-court season was the duel between Agassi and Sampras once more in intensity. Agassi was regarded as tournament favorites the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, after winning his four tournaments in preparation for the U.S. championships and took all of them with a winning streak of 20 games at the U.S. Open. Sampras, however, had to reach for his tournament victory in Wimbledon finals and this is just another lost to Agassi in Montreal. As expected from the public to be played Agassi and Sampras relatively easily into the finals of the U.S. Open before. Agassi had to go only in his second-round match against Alex Corretja of Spain's the full distance of five sets. In a close game Sampras was finally able to triumph 6-4, 6-3, 4:6 and 7:5. Only in October Agassi reached back into the players' game in November and got the lead in the world rankings back to Sampras.
In the 1996 season could not offer his compatriot Agassi Sampras the expected competition. Agassi reached in the course of the season while at the Australian Open and U.S. Open each of the semi-finals, but had to give Michael Chang defeated Both manipulations. With three season titles Agassi ended the season in 8th place in the world rankings. At the Olympic Games in Atlanta, the Americans succeeded to his biggest win of the season by winning the Olympic gold medal against Spain's Sergi Bruguera.
Crash and Comeback (1997-1999) [edit] The 1997 season marked the low point in the career of Andre Agassi. At the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, he could not compete due to a wrist injury again. In San Jose he had reached the semi-finals, after that it was not until the U.S. Open in August, before he could win three more matches in a row. In between were a total of seven first-round defeats. More than his appearance on the court caused the turbulent marriage to actress Brooke Shields for attention. After leaving the U.S. Open in the second round Agassi fell out of the top 100 world ranking and had in November to two Challenger tournaments to get a tournament win and a finals taking place 141 slowly work forward. In his 2009 autobiography Agassi admits to having used performance during its crisis in 1997, the drug crystal meth. [2]
As of the 1998 season focused Agassi back completely on his tennis career. He began with a consistent fitness program, he also changed little by his conduct on the pitch. This was Agassi in the years to even become a role model for younger players. The changes paid off relatively quickly too casual: Already in January 1998, Agassi reached another semi-final on the ATP Tour and the second round at the Australian Open in February he succeeded in San José another tournament victory of the highest category. For the other three Grand Slam tournaments, Agassi was denied although the great success, but with five season titles, he played back in the top ten world rankings. He finished the season ranked sixth
1999 was the most successful year in the career of Andre Agassi and he wrote with his tennis success story. In June, he succeeded in his third finals taking the first win at Roland Garros in Paris. In the final he beat Ukrainian Andriy Medvedev, though he already lagged with two sentences. This was Agassi, the fifth overall tennis player in history (after Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson), of all Grand Slam tournaments won in his career at least once. Last, this was Rod Laver thirty years earlier succeeded (after Agassi, Roger Federer, 2009 (after winning the Roland Garros) and the sixth player Rafael Nadal 2010 (after winning the U.S. Open), the seventh player, were successful). Even Agassi at Wimbledon was reaching the final in which he was unsuccessful, however his time rival Pete Sampras clear. Nevertheless, Agassi captured the finals with the top position in the world rankings, they had to Sampras dominated by hard-court season, but handed back. Shortly before the U.S. Open was injured then the clear favorite tournament Sampras and Agassi in the finals of the tournament was able to defeat his compatriot Todd Martin. For the first time in his career, Agassi reach to two Grand Slam victories in one season. According to Sampras' injury-related loss was Agassi again the number one world ranking, which he then defended relatively safe until the end of the season. In the final World Cup Agassi defeated Pete Sampras in the finals again significantly. He finished the year although the best season player, but had five duels against Sampras suffered four defeats. That same year, Agassi was voted by the French sports newspaper L'Équipe World Sportsman of the Year.
Success in Australia (2000-2003) [edit] Agassi began the 2000 season as he had finished the previous one, with great success. Right at the Australian Open in January, he was able to triumph in the final against Yevgeny Kafelnikov and had thus reached four Grand Slam finals in a row, which has recently succeeded in 1969 Rod Laver, but not on four different floors. At Wimbledon, Agassi defeated the other hand, in a dramatic semi-final of the Australian Patrick Rafter. At the end of Agassi even had the opportunity to rejoin the season in 1st place finish, but the finals at the Masters Cup was not enough. 2001 at defending the title came at the Australian Open against Arnaud Clément. In a rematch of last year's game as Agassi lost a tight semi-finals 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 was the last duel against Agassi, Sampras, Sampras and the end had the upper hand and won the tournament. A year later, Sampras should end his career without ever having attended another game. 2003 was followed by Agassi for the third victory in four years at the Australian Open, this time in the final against the German Rainer Schuettler. Later in the year Agassi captured again number 1 in the world rankings and held this position for another 13 weeks. In the end it was enough after all once again for 4th place in the final rankings.
The last few years (from 2004) [edit] Good results provided in the 2004 season, after all, that Agassi is in the top 10 could hold the world rankings, although great victories belonged to the past. In the 2005 season were always rumors, Agassi could end his long and successful career after the U.S. Open and the year. After most of the season was hampered by injuries, he managed a comeback with the 60th Tournament victory of his career in Los Angeles and a final in Montreal. Agassi had to order another favorite among the U.S. Open in 2005 and was expected with the final participation and equitable. In the final he brought Roger Federer indeed in trouble, but had to finally admit defeat with 3:6, 6:2, 6:7 and 1:6. Agassi finished the season in 7th place, after his participation at the Tennis Masters Cup after only one match played due to injury to retire. At his last Wimbledon, Agassi reached participation in 2006 with wins over Boris Pashanski and Andreas Seppi, the third round. There he defeated the Spaniard Rafael Nadal in three sets and was then still celebrated by the audience.
On 24 June 2006, Agassi announced to the press that he would end his career after the next U.S. Open. After hard-fought victory over Andrei Pavel and Marcos Baghdatis, he got there on 3 September 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 standing ovations and tears in the his eyes more than two decades of career as a tennis pro.
Early November 2009, Agassi came into the headlines when he admitted in his biography, to have used amphetamines during his career at Crystal Meth. [3] The drug offense was barred per se but at this time, but he could be prosecuted for that time made a false statement in court yet. He had then testified to having accidentally from the drink of a colleague who had been contaminated with the doping substance. [4]
On 20 January 2011 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Davis Cup [edit] Between 1988 and 2005, Agassi has played 36 times in the Davis Cup team of the United States with a record of 30:6 victories.
The cadres of the United States, he was also in the Davis Cup triumphs in 1990 and 1992, the Davis Cup team in 1992 with the players Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe is considered the best ever. 2005 had Agassi before a home crowd is a bitter defeat to Ivan Ljubicic suffered, which meant the first round from the United States against Croatia.
Personal [edit] From 1997 to 1999, Agassi married 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 October 26, 2001), and Jaz Elle (born October 3, 2003).
