Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi (born April 29, 1970, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) is a notable American professional tennis player (1986-). As of 2004, he has won over $25 million in prize money and achieved a number 1 ranking on the ATP tour.
Agassi, an ethnic Armenian, was born and grew up in Las Vegas, and still lives there when not on tour. His Armenian-born father was a boxer for Iran in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics before emigrating to the U.S. When his father became a U.S. citizen, he changed his family name from the Armenian Agassian to Agassi.
Agassi married actress Brooke Shields in 1997, and divorced in 1999. Agassi married former tennis player Steffi Graf on October 22, 2001. Their first child, Jaden Gil, a boy, was born October 27, 2001. They also have a daughter, Jaz Elle, born October 3, 2003.
Andre Agassi has won eight Grand Slam singles titles:
- Wimbledon, 1992
- US Open, 1994, 1999
- Australian Open, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003
- French Open, 1999
He is one of only five male players to have won all the Grand Slam tournaments in a career, along with Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Fred Perry. He has also won the Olympic gold medal in singles at Atlanta in 1996. Agassi has represented the USA in Davis Cup play many times, compiling a lifetime record of 30-5 in 21 ties.
Agassi typically employs a baseline style of play, rarely serving-and-volleying. His serve is average at best among the top players on the men's tour. He is known for having the best return of serve in professional tennis. To underscore that point, he was the target of the fastest serve recorded at that time on the men's tennis tour, a 149 mph (240 km/h) blast from Andy Roddick—and returned it into play. He is in exceptional physical shape and can outlast many players over the course of a long match.
Some of Agassi's most famous matches include the following:
- French Open final 1990: lost to Andrés Gómez, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, in his first Grand Slam final.
- Wimbledon final 1992: defeated Goran Ivanisevic, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 for his first Grand Slam win and only Wimbledon championship
- Wimbledon Semi-final 2000: lost to Patrick Rafter, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in a tense 5-set match.
- French Open final 1999: defeated Andrei Medvedev 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, in a spectacular come-from-behind victory to complete his career Grand Slam.
- US Open final 1999: defeated Todd Martin 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, in another come-from-behind thriller.
- Australian Open 2000 Semi-final: defeated Pete Sampras, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-1, en route to his second Australian Open championship.
- US Open 2001 Quarter-final: lost to Pete Sampras, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 despite not losing a service game.
- US Open 2002 Final: lost to Pete Sampras, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, in what turned out to be Sampras' last competitive match.
In 1992 Andre was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality Award.