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INDELIBLE IMAGE: ANDRE AGASSI, PLAYER
Dave Scheiber Times Staff Writer
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
August 28, 2006 Monday
1 Edition
"I look forward to not having to do things - like waking up every
day and saying 'What do I have to do today?' because of the schedules.
It's going to be a bit more on my terms, which is what I want my life
to look like. ...
"You know, the last 20 years on the tennis court have all been practice
for me for tomorrow. It's always been that way. I've spent a lifetime
on the tennis court preparing myself for the next battle.
And I feel like I have over 20 years of experience doing this very
thing, which is the challenge of how life now may look for me. I
look forward to embracing that as much as embracing any stage of my
career. I look forward to that general level of pressure to deal with
and holding yourself to the highest standard every day.
"I look forward to not having to rest. There are times (in tennis)
when you just have to rest. But try to explain that to a 3-year-old
and a 5-year-old. ...
"Giving back to the sport is going to be very important to me in
any way that I feel I can make a difference. For me, hopefully the
decisions are being made so that I can continue my involvement. I
don't just want to walk away, because this has been my life. It
hasn't been about hitting the ball. It's been about being part of a
great sport with a lot of great people. Family is also my foundation,
it's my life. So that's going to be a given. ...
"There are difficult parts about (walking away while still
competitive). I anticipated it being more difficult. I wish I could
explain why but I can't. It's not just saying goodbye to a sport,
to a business, to hitting tennis balls. It's saying goodbye, by the
way, to all the people you've done this with, from the fans, to the
sport itself, to your peers. ...
"I've pushed myself through so many physical issues over the last
four years to negotiate doing this as well and as long as possible -
until I realistically felt it's not something I can do at the highest
level anymore. I didn't know if it was going to be physical reasons
or mental reasons or emotional reasons or all of the above. There
were so many factors involved. ... But this has been great, and I'm
going to take this all in. I'll also spend the rest of my life trying
to make everybody proud who has helped me along this path. And it's
just time for me to do that."
- Excerpts from a recent press conference
BY DAVE SCHEIBER | TIMES STAFF WRITER
THROUGH THE YEARS
1970: Born Andre Kirk Agassi on April29 in Las Vegas. One of four
children (brother Phillip, sisters Rita and Tami). Mother is Elizabeth
and father is Armenian-born Emmanuel "Mike" Agassian, a former boxer
who participated in the 1952 Olympics for Iran.
1975: Practices with pros such as Jimmy Connors and Roscoe Tanner.
1986: The 16-year-old prodigy of Nick Bollettieri, training at
Bollettieri's academy in Bradenton, turns pro, exuding a long-haired,
earring-clad rebellious image (later underscored with his role as
pitchman for Canon's Rebel camera, proclaiming "Image is everything.")
1987: After losing in the first round at Wimbledon, is criticized
for passing up the tournament the next three years. He claims it's
because he isn't allowed to wear his colorful shirts on court instead
of the traditional all-white; critics say it's because he doesn't
want to risk losing. As a wild card, he beats Luiz Mattar of Brazil
on Nov. 29 in Brazil, for his first ATP title.
1988: Wins six titles in seven finals.
1989: Wins only title of year in Orlando.
1990: First Grand Slam final is French Open.
1991: Finalist for second year at the French Open, losing to fellow
Bollettieri star Jim Courier.
1992: Wins first Grand Slam, at Wimbledon. Later that year at U.S.
Open, Barbra Streisand, romantically linked with Agassi, refers to
him during a TV interview at Open as "Zen master."
1993: After a poor season, parts ways with Bollettieri in July and
hires a new coach, Brad Gilbert. Has right wrist surgery.
1994: Returns from surgery to win five titles, including U.S. Open.
First unseeded player since 1930 to win the Open, beating five seed
who were seeded. Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation opens doors to
assist at-risk youth in Las Vegas.
1995: Shaves balding head just before winning Australian Open. Wins
career-high seven titles in a personal-best 11 finals, compiling a
personal-best 73-9 match record and reaching No. 1 on April 10, where
he reigned for 27 weeks. His first Grand Slam for Children benefit
is held, with more than $52.3-million taken in through 10 fundraisers.
Named winner of ATP's Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for 1995 and
2001 for helping disadvantaged youth in Las Vegas.
1996: First American man to win Olympic gold in singles play since
Vincent Richards in 1924.
1997: Marries actor Brooke Shields after four-year courtship;
plummets to No. 141 in rankings. Andre Agassi Boys & Girls Club in
Las Vegas opens.
1998: Makes biggest one-year jump into top 10 in history of ATP
rankings (since 1973) by climbing to No. 6. Compiles a 68-16 record
and wins five titles.
1999: Marriage to Shields ends in divorce. After losing first two
sets in French Open final, roars back to win the tournament, becoming
only the fifth male to complete a career Grand Slam and the only one
to win all four majors and Olympic gold. Finishes No. 1 for first time.
2000: Captures sixth career Grand Slam title at Australian Open.
2001: Marries Hall of Famer Steffi Graf on Oct. 22 in Las Vegas;
son Jaden Gil is born Oct. 26. Oldest player (31) to finish in top 3
since 32-year-old Jimmy Connors was No. 2 in 1984. Starts season by
winning his seventh career Grand Slam at Australian Open.
2002: Becomes oldest (32 years, 8 months) to finish No. 2 in ATP
rankings.
2003: Captures four titles in first four months of season, including
his eighth and final Grand Slam in Australia. Daughter Jaz Elle is
born Oct. 3.
2004: Sixth in Open era to reach 800 wins.
2005: Finishes in top 10 for 16th time in his 20-year career and
becomes oldest in year-end top 10 since Jimmy Connors (36) was No. 7
in 1988.
2006: Plays only seven ATP matches (4-3) in first five months of
season because of chronic ongoing back problems. Announces June 24
he is retiring after U.S. Open. Highlights include: member of three
winning Davis Cup teams; career singles record of 868-273, including
60 titles; career earnings of $31,110,975.
Dave Scheiber Times Staff Writer
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
August 28, 2006 Monday
1 Edition
"I look forward to not having to do things - like waking up every
day and saying 'What do I have to do today?' because of the schedules.
It's going to be a bit more on my terms, which is what I want my life
to look like. ...
"You know, the last 20 years on the tennis court have all been practice
for me for tomorrow. It's always been that way. I've spent a lifetime
on the tennis court preparing myself for the next battle.
And I feel like I have over 20 years of experience doing this very
thing, which is the challenge of how life now may look for me. I
look forward to embracing that as much as embracing any stage of my
career. I look forward to that general level of pressure to deal with
and holding yourself to the highest standard every day.
"I look forward to not having to rest. There are times (in tennis)
when you just have to rest. But try to explain that to a 3-year-old
and a 5-year-old. ...
"Giving back to the sport is going to be very important to me in
any way that I feel I can make a difference. For me, hopefully the
decisions are being made so that I can continue my involvement. I
don't just want to walk away, because this has been my life. It
hasn't been about hitting the ball. It's been about being part of a
great sport with a lot of great people. Family is also my foundation,
it's my life. So that's going to be a given. ...
"There are difficult parts about (walking away while still
competitive). I anticipated it being more difficult. I wish I could
explain why but I can't. It's not just saying goodbye to a sport,
to a business, to hitting tennis balls. It's saying goodbye, by the
way, to all the people you've done this with, from the fans, to the
sport itself, to your peers. ...
"I've pushed myself through so many physical issues over the last
four years to negotiate doing this as well and as long as possible -
until I realistically felt it's not something I can do at the highest
level anymore. I didn't know if it was going to be physical reasons
or mental reasons or emotional reasons or all of the above. There
were so many factors involved. ... But this has been great, and I'm
going to take this all in. I'll also spend the rest of my life trying
to make everybody proud who has helped me along this path. And it's
just time for me to do that."
- Excerpts from a recent press conference
BY DAVE SCHEIBER | TIMES STAFF WRITER
THROUGH THE YEARS
1970: Born Andre Kirk Agassi on April29 in Las Vegas. One of four
children (brother Phillip, sisters Rita and Tami). Mother is Elizabeth
and father is Armenian-born Emmanuel "Mike" Agassian, a former boxer
who participated in the 1952 Olympics for Iran.
1975: Practices with pros such as Jimmy Connors and Roscoe Tanner.
1986: The 16-year-old prodigy of Nick Bollettieri, training at
Bollettieri's academy in Bradenton, turns pro, exuding a long-haired,
earring-clad rebellious image (later underscored with his role as
pitchman for Canon's Rebel camera, proclaiming "Image is everything.")
1987: After losing in the first round at Wimbledon, is criticized
for passing up the tournament the next three years. He claims it's
because he isn't allowed to wear his colorful shirts on court instead
of the traditional all-white; critics say it's because he doesn't
want to risk losing. As a wild card, he beats Luiz Mattar of Brazil
on Nov. 29 in Brazil, for his first ATP title.
1988: Wins six titles in seven finals.
1989: Wins only title of year in Orlando.
1990: First Grand Slam final is French Open.
1991: Finalist for second year at the French Open, losing to fellow
Bollettieri star Jim Courier.
1992: Wins first Grand Slam, at Wimbledon. Later that year at U.S.
Open, Barbra Streisand, romantically linked with Agassi, refers to
him during a TV interview at Open as "Zen master."
1993: After a poor season, parts ways with Bollettieri in July and
hires a new coach, Brad Gilbert. Has right wrist surgery.
1994: Returns from surgery to win five titles, including U.S. Open.
First unseeded player since 1930 to win the Open, beating five seed
who were seeded. Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation opens doors to
assist at-risk youth in Las Vegas.
1995: Shaves balding head just before winning Australian Open. Wins
career-high seven titles in a personal-best 11 finals, compiling a
personal-best 73-9 match record and reaching No. 1 on April 10, where
he reigned for 27 weeks. His first Grand Slam for Children benefit
is held, with more than $52.3-million taken in through 10 fundraisers.
Named winner of ATP's Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for 1995 and
2001 for helping disadvantaged youth in Las Vegas.
1996: First American man to win Olympic gold in singles play since
Vincent Richards in 1924.
1997: Marries actor Brooke Shields after four-year courtship;
plummets to No. 141 in rankings. Andre Agassi Boys & Girls Club in
Las Vegas opens.
1998: Makes biggest one-year jump into top 10 in history of ATP
rankings (since 1973) by climbing to No. 6. Compiles a 68-16 record
and wins five titles.
1999: Marriage to Shields ends in divorce. After losing first two
sets in French Open final, roars back to win the tournament, becoming
only the fifth male to complete a career Grand Slam and the only one
to win all four majors and Olympic gold. Finishes No. 1 for first time.
2000: Captures sixth career Grand Slam title at Australian Open.
2001: Marries Hall of Famer Steffi Graf on Oct. 22 in Las Vegas;
son Jaden Gil is born Oct. 26. Oldest player (31) to finish in top 3
since 32-year-old Jimmy Connors was No. 2 in 1984. Starts season by
winning his seventh career Grand Slam at Australian Open.
2002: Becomes oldest (32 years, 8 months) to finish No. 2 in ATP
rankings.
2003: Captures four titles in first four months of season, including
his eighth and final Grand Slam in Australia. Daughter Jaz Elle is
born Oct. 3.
2004: Sixth in Open era to reach 800 wins.
2005: Finishes in top 10 for 16th time in his 20-year career and
becomes oldest in year-end top 10 since Jimmy Connors (36) was No. 7
in 1988.
2006: Plays only seven ATP matches (4-3) in first five months of
season because of chronic ongoing back problems. Announces June 24
he is retiring after U.S. Open. Highlights include: member of three
winning Davis Cup teams; career singles record of 868-273, including
60 titles; career earnings of $31,110,975.