Andre Agassi
A flashy teenage prodigy, Agassi reached multiple major finals before breaking through at Wimbledon in 1992. His true legend was sealed in 1999, when winning the French Open completed his career Grand Slam and returned him to world No. 1 after a stunning fall to No. 141. That comeback made him a symbol of resilience.
Rebel With Flair
With long hair, denim shorts, and a 'Image is Everything' ad campaign, Agassi was tennis's brash showman in the late 1980s. Behind the style lay one of the greatest return games the sport has ever seen.
The Great Comeback
After his ranking collapsed to No. 141 in 1997, Agassi rebuilt through grueling work on the minor-league Challenger circuit. He completed the career Grand Slam at the 1999 French Open and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking.
Champion and Philanthropist
Agassi married fellow great Steffi Graf in 2001 and retired in 2006 with eight major titles. He devoted his post-tennis life to education, building a charter school in his hometown of Las Vegas.
Career Timeline
- 1970Born in Las Vegas.
- 1992Wins Wimbledon.
- 1996Olympic gold, Atlanta.
- 1997Ranking falls to No. 141.
- 1999French Open. Career Grand Slam.
- 2001Marries Steffi Graf. The Las Vegas academy opens.
- 2006Retires after the U.S. Open.
- 2011Tennis Hall of Fame.
Biggest Hits
- Agassi famously skipped Wimbledon for years, calling it stuffy, before winning it in 1992.
- His Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy opened in Las Vegas in 2001 for at-risk youth.
Portrait: Shinya Suzuki · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons