Andre Agassi tennis. Brand favorite, champion and playboy: tennis player Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi, during his time on the court, collected all the titles that are possible in tennis. According to the BBC channel, this is "the world's biggest sports star." The tennis player is the first male owner of the Golden Helmet, a successful businessman and a generous philanthropist.

Childhood and youth

Andre Agassi's full name is Andre Kirk Agassi. Armenian by nationality. Grandfather David Aghassian lived in Kyiv, then went to Iran and changed his surname. The athlete's father Emanul was born in the city of Selmas, became a boxer, got to the Olympics in Helsinki, from which he did not return home, but immigrated to the United States. In America, he took the name Mike Agassi, together with his wife Elizabeth Dudley, became the parents of daughters Rita and Tami and sons Philip and Andre.

The middle name Kirk is in honor of the millionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who helped Mike with work in gratitude for the fact that the boxer protected his wife from a bully.

At birth, Andre was diagnosed with a displacement of the lumbar vertebrae. For this reason, and also because of Agassi's injuries, he played on injections for the last few years before ending his career. About how painful the procedures were, the athlete told in the book “Frankly. Autobiography".

At the age of 3, Andre was already training for 4 hours a day, at 5 he participated in the first sports biography tournament, at 8, the father began to take his son to matches around the country, since there were no competitors left in his home state. Stars Bobby Riggs and Harold Solomon became sparring partners of the gifted boy. Romanian celebrity Ilie Nastase 6-year-old Agassi gave his first autograph.


When Andre was 11 years old, Mike sent the boy to the Nick Bollettieri Academy, away from temptations, as he began to look at the girls. Bollettieri was famous for army discipline. There was no money for studies, but after watching Agassi, Nick undertook to train the child prodigy personally and for free.

Andre was almost expelled from the Academy for bad behavior, the leader saved him - he used the right to veto such a decision. Later, Agassi said that "nonsense, which is stuffed at school" is not useful, but he is only interested in tennis. So the education of the athlete was limited to 8 classes.

Tennis

Andre Agassi's professional career began in 1986 with the Pilot Pen Classic Grand Prix tournament. In the first match, the young talent defeated an opponent, 13 years older, and lost to the 3rd racket of the world at that time, Mats Wilander. At other competitions, Andre received the first prize money - $ 1 thousand. Then he signed the first commercial contract with Nike for $ 45 thousand. Now Agassi's fortune is estimated at $ 200 million.


At the same time, the tennis player formed his own style - long hair, denim shorts, parrot-colored T-shirts and bandanas. At first, he ignored Wimbledon, which allowed white uniforms. It is simply impossible to confuse Agassi on the court with someone else. And after winning the French Open in 1999, Andre went to the game without underwear.

At the age of 17, Agassi climbed to 17th place in the world rankings, a year later he became the first, winning 22 matches in a row along the way and thereby setting a record. Only 17 years later this achievement was surpassed.

Best Hits Andre Agassi

In 1990, Andre won the first Davis Cup, by 1993 he had participated in all Grand Slam tournaments, with the exception of the Australian Open. At the championship of the Green Continent, the tennis player appeared in 1995 and immediately won there. A year later, Agassi became the third American tennis champion in the Olympics. The President considered it an honor to play with a compatriot.

Then a recession followed, Andre flew out of the top hundred. The return to the elite took 1.5 years. In 1999, Agassi overthrew Patrick Rafter from the podium, won the US and French Opens and 3 more tournaments.


The American has 17 prizes from 22 Masters competitions. He is the first Grand Slam winner on all types of surfaces (grass, hard, clay). At the home championship, Andre performed without a break for 21 years. In the 2000s, another one joined the multitude of titles - the oldest player, one of the five strongest tennis players on the planet, after Jimmy Connors.

The adornment of the entire history of tennis was the confrontation between Agassi and Pete Sampras. Andre admitted that he would not have taken so many peaks if it were not for the presence of this principal rival behind the net. The score in head-to-head matches is 20:14 in favor of Pete, Andre stayed on the first line of the rating for 101 weeks, Sampras - 286.

The eccentric Agassi is a crowd favorite, Pete is unsmiling and withdrawn. And in ordinary life, tension was felt between the athletes. Only when both moved to the rank of “pensioners” did the competitors relax and find common topics for conversation.

The last time Agassi picked up a racket was at the ATP tournament in September 2006. Knowing in advance how many spectators would follow the end of the star's career, the matches were set for the evening. Anticipating an exciting fight between Andre and Andy Roddick, the meeting with Benjamin Becker was held in the afternoon. Alas, the American did not defeat the German tennis player. At parting, the audience of the main and neighboring courts gave Agassi a standing ovation.

Personal life

There was no stability in Agassi's personal life for a long time. Tall, athletic (Andre's height is 180 cm, weight is 80 kg), the man did not have the appearance of a Hollywood star, but the charm did its job. Father Mike said that crowds of women curled around the athlete.


Agassi's first wife was an actress. For the first time, he saw a photo of a girl in 1981 in the room of his sister Tami's fiance. The couple were introduced by mutual friends. The wedding, which cost $ 2 million, was attended by world-famous celebrities.

However, the marriage lasted only 2 years. Andre's premonition came true when, having met Brooke's mother, on an intuitive level, he realized that further life together would not work out. Both women viewed the birth of children negatively, believing it would hinder Shields' career.


Steffi Graf has long admired Andre, but the girl's heart was occupied by Formula 1 pilot Michael Bartels. The athletes became close at Roland Garros in 1999.

This time, the tennis player did not draw attention to his own marriage. Only the mothers of the bride and groom were witnesses of the ceremony. A week after the wedding, the first of two children was born - the son of Jaden Gil, in 2003 the daughter Jazz Ellie appeared.


The family lives in Las Vegas, although Graf considers Germany to be his homeland and regularly visits there. Former athletes run a children's charitable foundation, under the auspices of which schools are being built in disadvantaged areas. Agassi is the face of several brands, from fast food to Swiss watches, and the owner of a construction and entertainment business.

Andre Agassi is a man who has become a true legend in the world of tennis. Probably everyone knows about his most important victories today. Therefore, in our biographical article, we will try to focus the most attention on the personal life of the athlete, as well as on unknown moments from his past.

Early years, childhood and the beginning of the biography of Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi was born on April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada. His mother was an American, and his father, Emmanuel Agassi, was an Iranian of Armenian descent.

After moving to the USA, the father of our today's hero made a successful career as a boxer, however, despite this, he always cherished a special love for tennis in his soul. The whole point is that in childhood Emmanuel often watched American and British soldiers playing tennis in the courtyard of the Christian mission.

Subsequently, noticing a local boy at the fence, one of the soldiers gave the guy his first tennis racket. Many years have passed since then. Emmanuel moved from Iran to the United States, where he started a family, and also built a small clay tennis court near his house. Despite the fact that Emmanuel made a successful career in the field of boxing, he always taught his four children only to play tennis. Playing with the guys, the famous Iranian-American athlete hoped that each of them would make a successful career on the tennis courts in the future. However, only one of Emmanuel's children, Andre's youngest son, had a chance to become famous in the world of tennis.

IN early childhood the future tennis player spent a huge amount of time on the court. Together with his father, he often went to various junior tournaments, where already at the age of ten he achieved quite significant results. In particular, in 1980, Andre Agassi became the finalist of the US Championship in his age group. A year later, he reached the semi-final stage.

In order to help him make a successful career in the world of sports, Emmanuel gave his son to the tennis academy Nick Bollettieri, who was a longtime friend of the boxer. For the sake of continuing his career, Andre had to move to Florida, but as it turned out, it was worth it. For several years of study at a prestigious tennis academy, our today's hero has greatly improved his professional skills, and therefore, at the age of fourteen, he managed to win his first US champion title in his age group.

Andre Agassi tennis career

As a professional, Andre Agassi began performing at the age of less than sixteen. In February 1986, he appeared at a tournament in the Californian city of La Quinta, where he successfully passed the first stage, but lost in the then second third racket of the world to Mats Wilander.

Subsequently, our today's hero managed to take revenge on the eminent Swede more than once. Led by his coach Nick Bollettieri, Agassi quickly grew and progressed. And therefore, at one fine moment, he became a real star on the tennis courts.

1990 - Nike - Andre Agassi, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Throughout his career, the talented American tennis player has remained one of the the best representatives in your sport. For many years of performances, he managed to win more than sixty different tournaments, reaching top results both in solitary and doubles. He has had eight Grand Slam titles in his career, as well as a myriad of other trophies. In addition, Andre Agassi became the first of two tennis players (along with Rafael Nadal) who managed to win not only all four leading tennis trophies, but also gold medal Olympic Games.

In the nineties and early 2000s, our today's hero was a real legend in the world of tennis. As part of the US national team, Andre Agassi won the Davis Cup twice. For his outstanding achievements in 2011, the athlete was included in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Thus, the son of an emigrant from Iran became a national hero of the United States, as well as a role model for many tennis fans.

Andre Agassi vs ball girl

In 2003, Andre Agassi became the oldest tennis player to top the WTA rankings. In total, during his career, the talented athlete spent 101 weeks as the first racket of the world. In addition, for 16 seasons, our today's hero was among the ten strongest players on the planet. This indicator became the basis for Andre's inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records.

Career outside of sports, Andre Agassi outside of sports

outside tennis court Andre Agassi has always been known as a rebel and playboy. Over the years, he was the face of the new Canon 1000D Rebel camera (translated as “Rebel”), as well as the McDonald’s restaurant chain. In one of the commercials, Andre devoured hamburgers with such gusto that he caused a flurry of discontent on the part of people who defend the principles of healthy eating.

In the late 2000s, the name Andre Agassi appeared in seventh place in the ranking of the most financially successful athletes of our time. During his career, he earned, according to various estimates, from 200 to 500 million dollars. A significant part of these funds brought the tennis player advertising contracts with brands such as American Express, Adidas, Nike and some others. In addition, Andre earned a substantial amount of money for the rights to publish his own biography.

Currently, Andre Agassi is the co-owner of a commercial empire that includes a network of sports and nightclubs, as well as companies engaged in restaurant, construction, real estate and restaurant business.

Among other things, Andre Agassi is known as a philanthropist.

Personal life of Andre Agassi

Over the years, our today's hero had affairs with many star beauties. Among his girls were Gabriela Sabatini, Barbara Streisand, as well as actress and model Brooke Shields, who for some time was even his legal wife.

However, Andre Agassi's relationship with the German tennis player Steffi Graf became the longest and happiest. Their romance began at the end of 1999, and subsequently spilled over into a long and strong marriage. The couple currently live in Las Vegas, where they have two children together.

Wednesday marks the 45th anniversary of Andre Agassi. Over a 20-year career, he has experienced many ups and downs,. However, from the biography of Andre, you can’t throw out methamphetamine use, a vivid image of a rebel, eating hamburgers, countless love stories and much more. All this, however, was quite a long time ago - back in the days when Andre wore long hair. And tennis fans know Agassi primarily as the owner of the Career Slam and Olympic champion. We recall these and other milestones in the career and life of a great athlete.

Brooke Shields and Barbra Streisand

1992 was marked by Andre's first big victory. Curious what to collect Career helmet The American started with Wimbledon, a tournament to which he treated with coolness and which he did not come for three years in a row. Andre was 22 years old by that time - quite a conscious age, but soon after this victory he behaved like a child. Agassi almost gave up tennis, regularly met with friends, bought a plane and had fun. Yes, he periodically came to tournaments and even achieved victories, but he did it irregularly and dropped into the fourth ten.

It was at the end of 1992 and the beginning of 1993 that Agassi began an affair with a famous actress Brooke Shields. She is seven years older than him, but the age difference never bothered Andre. For example, he had an affair with Barbra Streisand who was born 28 years earlier. “We realized that we are good together, so who cares about the 28-year age difference? The main thing is that we liked each other, and the public outcry only added spice to our relationship. Our friendship was forbidden, and I always liked to challenge society. A relationship with Barbra is like walking on lava,” Andre recalls.

Help "Championship"

Andre Agassi

Was born April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas, USA.
Height: 180 cm. Right-handed. Two-handed left hand.
Beginning of professional career: 1986. Completion: 2006.
Career Prizes: $ 31 152 975.
IN singles: 870 wins and 274 losses.
1 (April 10, 1995).
Number of titles: 60.
Grand Slam Tournaments:
Australian Open - victory (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003).
"Roland Garros" - victory (1999).
Wimbledon - victory (1992).
US Open - victory (1994, 1999).
Final Tournament - victory (1990).
Gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

In doubles 40 wins and 42 losses.
Highest place in the rating list: 123 (August 17, 1992).
Number of titles: 1.

Davis Cup - victory (1990, 1992, 1995).

The press attributes to him novels with other Hollywood actresses, as well as with Gabriela Sabatini, but we'll get back to Shields. At first, their relationship did not go in his favor. tennis career, but soon Andre lost weight and returned to full training. It is believed that it was Brooke, who often attended his matches, who insisted that Agassi give more of himself to the sport. They married in April 1997, during a serious downturn in their careers. The American fell into the middle of the second hundred - he had not fallen so low since he was 16 years old. The journalists were sure that the failures were related to marriage, but Andre thought otherwise. In any case, two years later, the lovers parted. Agassi was too jealous of his wife for her partners in TV shows and films, this was the reason for the breakup.

Steffi Graf

A few weeks after the breakup, he began dating Steffi Graf. Andre had plans for a German woman back in 1992, when he tried to ask her out on a date through an agent. It didn't work out then, because Graf dated a racer Michael Bartels. Seven years later, she broke up with him to start a family with Andre. In 2001, they got married, and five days after the wedding, Steffi had a girl. Two years later, the second child of the tennis family was born - this time a boy. For more than 13 years, Agassi and Graf have been living a happy life and sometimes taking part in exhibition matches.

"Career Helmet"

Andre became only the fifth player to win the Career Slam in men's singles. Now there are seven of these people - in the new century, all tournaments were won Rafael Nadal And Roger Federer. In the mid-90s, Andre's prospects did not look very bright. By 1995, he had won in Australia, England and the USA, while in Melbourne he scored on the first try. He never played on the Green Continent, but in 1995 he immediately won seven matches in a row. In Paris, everything worked out for him at the beginning of his career - in five years, two semi-finals and two finals, but then the results only worsened. For three years he could not even reach the third round, and then it seemed that the dream of a “Career Slam” would remain unrealizable.

However, in 1999 Andre shone again. Flashed unexpectedly. The first half of the season turned out to be disappointing: an early defeat in Melbourne, failures in other tournaments and poor preparation for Roland Garros. Agassi played only in Rome and lost in the third match. It is logical that in Paris he faced certain difficulties. He not without difficulty went two laps, playing nine sets. Then Agassi played out and reached the final, where he was considered a favorite, because he had the 100th racket of the world in his rivals Andrey Medvedev. But the "Career Helmet" is not so easy to give. Medvedev had a great start to the final and gave the eminent opponent only three games in the first two sets. Agassi managed to pull himself together and took the next three games in the struggle, which brought him a much-desired victory.

Second wind

Andre was already 29 years old, and many believed that his career was coming to an end, especially since the results were generally deteriorating. However, the success at Roland Garros inspired the American to new achievements. Before one of the seasons, he even announced that he was aiming for the "Grand Slam", that is, to win all the tournaments during the season. He did not cope with this task, although he was in four finals in a row and won three titles. In the same season-99, he won in the USA, then three times in four years he won in Australia. At the age of 35, he reached decisive match in New York, but failed to win the ninth "Helmet". Nevertheless, Andre showed that even after 30 years you can play on high level and achieve great success.

"I used methamphetamine and cheated ATP"

Agassi had a reputation as a rebel in the late 80s and early 90s, but in the new century he managed to change his attitude a lot. All the more surprising was the recognition in 2009 that he was. The American's autobiography was called "Open", which is most logically translated as "Revelations" or "Everything is clear." The book lived up to its name and became a sports literature bestseller. The chapter that caused the greatest resonance is devoted to drugs. Agassi was caught doping, but, oddly enough, the hastily invented excuse worked - Andre said that he accidentally drank water from a bottle of a member of his team, and it contained a prohibited drug. After 12 years, he found the strength to admit that he deliberately took methamphetamine. The American did not try to improve sports results, and hoped to solve his family problems with the help of drugs. Some experts confirm this version: methamphetamine, if it somehow affects sports performance, then only in the opposite direction.

Nevertheless sports world this news stirred up, and many players lashed out at Agassi. Probably the harshest of all Marat Safin, who said that Andre "as an honest man" should renounce all titles himself. The ATP's response was laconic: Agassi is not an active athlete, so there will be no further review of the 12-year-old case. However, this story cast a shadow over the organization and its anti-doping service: if Agassi managed to cheat the system, then maybe someone else did it too? However, not everyone turned away from the American. Some noted his courage, because no one forced him to admit it.

Hamburgers and crazy life

At the beginning of his career, Andre wore lush hair, was an idol of youth and had a reputation as a rebel. He signed a contract with the most popular fast food chain and regularly ate hamburgers and other harmful products, while achieving certain results and showing that even without a strict diet and daily training, you can win titles. Agassi's image was very beneficial to advertisers, and Andre constantly entered into large contracts, earning more off the court than on it. That's just this image is not allowed to play in Wimbledon. How can a rebel and a person for whom there are no rules and prohibitions diligently put on all white and become like everyone else? For this reason, Agassi did not come to England for three years in a row, but, fortunately, he came to his senses in time.

Personal meetings with the strongest players:

Pete Sampras - 14-20.
Boris Becker - 10-4.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov - 8-4.
Michael Chang - 15-7.
Todd Martin - 13-5.
Patrick Rafter - 10-5.
Greg Rusedski - 9-2.
Gustavo Kuerten - 7-4.
Marat Safin - 3-3.
Roger Federer - 3-8.
Rafael Nadal - 0-2.
Mikhail Youzhny - 2-0.

Armenian and Ukrainian roots

Grandfather Andre David Aghasyan was born in Kyiv. During the civil war, he emigrated to Iran and changed his surname for security reasons. David married a Turkish Armenian Nunia, and soon their son Emmanuel was born. He became a professional boxer and even participated in the Olympics representing Iran. Emmanuel, or Mike, Agassi was very fond of tennis and instilled this love in all four children. As you know, only one truly justified the hopes of his father.

farewell match

The final match in any player's career is bright event, but the end of Agassi's sports path was especially dramatic. He announced that the 2006 US Open would be his last tournament. In that season, he was still quite combat-ready and was in the top ten, but by the US Open he dropped into the fourth ten and did not get into the seeding. Andre barely won Andrey Pavel, then in five sets he defeated the seeded Marcos Baghdatis. It is noteworthy that at the end of the grueling match, the younger Cypriot experienced convulsions and could barely move his legs, and Agassi, at the age of 36, withstood the marathon. However, it was not possible to win a third consecutive heavy victory. Andre played the injections and conceded Benjamin Becker in four parties. The American could not hold back his tears, and the crowded 22,000-seat Arthur Ashe Arena gave him a five-minute standing ovation. "Thank you. The scoreboard says I lost, but it doesn't show what I've gained in these 20+ years. I found inspiration, I was surrounded by dedicated people... Even in the most difficult moments, I managed to get up and move on. You helped me make my dreams come true. I wouldn't have been able to do anything without you. Over the years I found you, I thank you all, and the memories will be with me for the rest of my life. Thank you, ”Andre squeezed out in a trembling voice.

Now Andre is a happy husband and father, and also does charity work in various industries. So, at the beginning of the century, he opened a free public school in the most disadvantaged area of ​​​​Las Vegas. Problem children were able to receive a quality education, and from 2009 to 2011, 100% of students entered higher education institutions. In addition, Agassi invests in various medical projects, including the fight against AIDS. For his active work, Andre has repeatedly received various awards, and in 2011 his name was included in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

April 29 marks the 45th birthday of tennis legend Andre Agassi. "SE" recalls the best of the biography of an American.

BEST ACHIEVEMENTS

WITH tennis ball Andre Agassi met in the cradle, picked up the racket, barely learning to walk, and by the age of four he mastered all the main blows. At the age of 14, he won the US national championship among 16-year-olds, and at less than 16 he started professional career lasting two decades.

Agassi holds 60 singles titles. He won gold at the 1996 home Olympics in Atlanta, four times he was successful at Australian Open (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003), won twice US Open (1994, 1999), celebrated victory at Wimbledon 1992 and Roland Garros -1999. Having conquered Open Championship France, Agassi became the first ever holder of a career "Golden Helmet". He won the Davis Cup three times with the US team and spent a total of 101 weeks at the rank of world number one. Returning to the top of the world rankings in 2003, he became the oldest player ever to top the world rankings.

BEST MATCH

Pete Sampras, a compatriot and peer of Agassi, was his most principled rival throughout his career. The two played more than one spectacular final among themselves, many of their fights are inscribed in the golden fund of world tennis.

However, Agassi and Sampras gave out superbattles not only in the finals. Their meeting in the quarterfinals of the US Open-2001, although it ended in the defeat of our today's hero, is rightfully considered one of the best in the history of tennis. For four sets, none of the opponents gave up their serve. Before the fourth tie-break, the packed crowd at the Arthur Ashe Arena rose to their feet and gave the two American superstars a standing ovation. Sampras eventually celebrated the victory - 6:7, 7:6, 7:6, 7:6.

BEST WIFE

Having had an affair in his youth with the famous actress and singer Barbra Streisand, who is 28 years older than him, and having been married for two years to another representative of Hollywood, Brooke Shields, Andre Agassi met his love, faithful life partner and mother of his children where he spent most part of life is in the tennis stadium. The relationship of the American with the most titled tennis player in history, 22-time winner of the Grand Slam tournaments, the first and only owner of the classic Golden Slam German Steffi Graf began to take shape on a victorious basis for both Roland Garros -99, and their marriage ceremony took place in October 2001, just five days before the birth of their first child, Jayden Gil. The star couple also has a daughter, Jazz Ellie.

BEST RECOGNITION

In his candid autobiography Open: An Autobiography, published in 2009 and making a lot of noise, Agassi made a sensational admission that in the late 90s he took the drug methamphetamine, and after traces of it were found in his doping sample, deceived the ATP by claiming that he accidentally drank water from a bottle of one of his assistants. At the same time, the American claims that he dabbled in drugs solely because of problems in his personal life and did not at all pursue the goal of improving sports results. Needless to say, such recognition caused a huge resonance?

In the same place, in the book, Agassi claims that when he was a professional player, he hated tennis, because of the constant pressure that was then exerted on him.

BEST ACTS

In his youth, Agassi was distinguished by defiant behavior. He chose non-standard hairstyles and clothes, neglected the dress code in the prim All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, refused to go to Wimbledon, ate hamburgers, bought planes, spent time with friends and in every possible way spat on the sports regime, which caused indignation of his then mentor Nick Bollettieri, which eventually led to their separation.

But with age, he has changed a lot, and is now one of the most famous philanthropists in the world of sports. For his many philanthropic projects, he has twice received the ATP Arthur Ashe Prize for Humanity and Charity, as well as other humanitarian awards.

The Andre Agassi Educational Foundation builds charter schools, supports other educational projects and helps to educate children, including those from socially disadvantaged groups. Agassi also supports medical projects aimed at combating AIDS and the study of cancer.

Andre Agassi was born on April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas, USA. His mother was an American, and his father, Emmanuel Agassi, was an Iranian of Armenian descent. After moving to the USA, my father made a successful career as a boxer, however, despite this, he always cherished in his heart a special love for tennis. The thing is that even as a child, Emmanuel often watched how American and British soldiers played tennis in the courtyard of the Christian mission. Subsequently, noticing a local boy at the fence, one of the soldiers gave the guy his first tennis racket. Many years have passed since then.

Emmanuel moved from Iran to the United States, where he started a family, and also built a small clay tennis court near his house. Despite the fact that Emmanuel made a successful career in the field of boxing, he always taught his four children only to play tennis. Playing with the guys, the famous Iranian-American athlete hoped that each of them would make a successful career on the tennis courts in the future. However, only one of Emmanuel's children, Andre's youngest son, had a chance to become famous in the world of tennis.

In early childhood, the future tennis player spent a huge amount of time on the court. Together with his father, he often went to various junior tournaments, where already at the age of ten he achieved quite significant results. In particular, in 1980, Andre Agassi became the finalist of the US Championship in his age group. A year later, he reached the semi-final stage. In order to help him make a successful career in the world of sports, Emmanuel gave his son to the tennis academy Nick Bollettieri, who was a longtime friend of the boxer. For the sake of continuing his career, Andre had to move to Florida, but as it turned out, it was worth it. For several years of study at a prestigious tennis academy, he greatly improved his professional skills, and therefore, at the age of fourteen, he managed to win his first US champion title in his age group.

As a professional, Andre Agassi began performing at the age of less than sixteen. In February 1986, he appeared at a tournament in the Californian city of La Quinta, where he successfully passed the first stage, but lost in the then second third racket of the world to Matsu Wilander. Subsequently, he managed to take revenge on the eminent Swede more than once. Led by his coach Nick Bollettieri, Agassi quickly grew and progressed. And therefore, at one fine moment, he became a real star on the tennis courts.

Throughout his career, the talented American tennis player has remained one of the best representatives in his sport. For many years of performances, he managed to win more than sixty different tournaments, reaching the highest results in both singles and doubles.

He has had eight Grand Slam titles in his career, as well as a myriad of other trophies. In addition, Andre Agassi became the first of two tennis players who managed to win not only all four leading tennis trophies, but also the gold medal of the Olympic Games. In the nineties and early 2000s, he was a real legend in the world of tennis.

As part of the US national team, Andre Agassi won the Davis Cup twice. For his outstanding achievements in 2011, the athlete was included in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Thus, the son of an emigrant from Iran became a national hero of the United States, as well as a role model for many tennis fans.

In 2003, Andre Agassi became the oldest tennis player to top the WTA rankings. In total, during his career, the talented athlete spent 101 weeks as the first racket of the world. In addition, for 16 seasons he was among the ten strongest players in the world. This indicator became the basis for Andre's inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records.

Off the tennis court, Andre Agassi has always been known as a rebel and playboy. Over the years, he has been the face of the new Canon 1000D Rebel camera, as well as the McDonald's restaurant chain. In one of the commercials, Andre devoured hamburgers with such gusto that he caused a flurry of discontent on the part of people who defend the principles of healthy eating.

At the end of 2000, the name Andre Agassi appeared in seventh place in the ranking of the most financially successful athletes of our time. During his career, he earned, according to various estimates, from 200 to 500 million dollars. A significant part of these funds brought the tennis player advertising contracts with brands such as American Express, Adidas, Nike and some others. In addition, Andre earned a substantial amount of money for the rights to publish his own biography. Currently, Andre Agassi is the co-owner of a commercial empire that includes a network of sports and nightclubs, as well as companies engaged in restaurant, construction, real estate and restaurant business. Among other things, Andre Agassi is known as a philanthropist.