Andre Agassi
Agassi at the 1997 US Open
Andre Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a notable American professional tennis player. By the year 2000 he had won over $19 million in prize money and achieved a number 1 ranking on the ATP tour.
Agassi was born and grew up in Las Vegas, and still lives there when not on tour.
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.
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. 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 Andres Gomez, 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
- US Open Semi-final 1997: 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.
- 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 Semi-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.