Andre Agassi Through the Years: A Look at a Great Career Through the Peaks and the Valleys

Earlier today, I published something about Andre Agassi becoming Novak Djokovic's new coach, and how it seems like this could be beneficial to both of them - especially Djokovic, who is entering the age when Agassi start to really play his very best tennis.

Agassi's career was fascinating, and I was a big fan of his. Frankly, he was probably the guy that got me into tennis. He offered a splash of color to what had been seen by me largely as a boring, black and white sport. He added some personality that had been largely lacking beforehand. 

Yet, being a fan of his was often frustrating. He showed real glimpses of promise and even greatness early on, reaching the number two ranking at the age of 18, younger than any other man before him. He qualified for three Grand Slam finals - the French Open in 1990, the U.S. Open in 1990, and the French Open again in 1991 - but lost them all. Then, he finally broke through in, of all places, Wimbledon, finally taking his first Grand Slam title there in 1992. A couple of years of more or less disappointments again, before he followed that championship up by winning at Flushing Meadows in 1994, and then following that up with a victory at the Australian Open early in 1995. Soon after that, he reached the number one ranking for the first time in his career.

Up to that point, 1995 had been the highlight. Yet, Agassi was still the "Image is Everything" guy, and indeed, his image and the drama that followed him around everywhere off the court seemed to get in the way of what he was capable of on the court. He was number one for most of 1995, but when the chips were down, he still fell short. He lost a big lead, and eventually the match, to Boris Becker in the Wimbledon semifinal, and then lost the U.S. Open final to his biggest rival, Pete Sampras, later that year. Sampras took the number one ranking away in the process, and Agassi's devastation showed for years to come.

Agassi recovered to win the Olympic Gold Medal in 1996 in Atlanta, and he said that this was the highlight of his career. Perhaps, but after years of losing and futility, dropping down to number 141 in the rankings, he soared once again. The recovery began in 1998, but he really started to revive his career once he won Grand Slams again, and that happened, finally, in 1999, when he broke through at the French Open - the only Grand Slam that had eluded him to that point. But he finally won it, then went on to the Wimbledon final again, this time losing to Pete Sampras. Still, he jumped back to the number one ranking, and he would fight hard to try and earn it with future results, as well. When he won the U/S. Open for a second time later that year, he essentially clinched it, for the first and, as it turned out, only time in his career. 

Agassi enjoyed success again at the Australian Open in 2000. He beat Sampras in the semifinal, thus qualifying for a fourth straight Grand Slam final, and then won the Australian Open title for the second time in his career, convincingly beating Yevgeny Kafelnikov convincingly after dropping the first set. Sampras spent most of 2000 atop the rankings, as well, although like in 1995, he would lose it towards the end. 

Still, Agassi continued to enjoy success, repeating as Australian Open champion in 2001, and then winning once again in 2003, following another disappointing U.S. Open loss to Sampras in 2002. Agassi reached the number one ranking in 2003 for a while as well, and still enjoys the distinction of being the oldest man to hold the number one ranking. However, he did not hang onto it for very long.

In 2005, Agassi enjoyed a remarkable run at the U.S. Open, reaching the final, and winning in dramatic fashion along the way - particularly against fellow American, James Blake. However, he lost to Federer in the final. After a couple of exciting wins in 2006, he lost his final match ever to B. Becker from Germany, although it was not Boris Becker.

Throughout a long and storied career, Agassi kept entertaining his fans. I had the privilege of seeing him a few times - at the A and P Open in Mahwah, New Jersey in 1995, at the U. S. Open Final against Pete Sampras in 2002, and then at a booksigning in 2009, where he took an instant interest in my son. The feelings were not reciprocated, however, and as I ran to catch up to my son, Agassi yelled out, "Good luck with him!" 

Quite a few people laughed, and I was smiling, too. 

Here are some video clips of particularly memorable moments in Agassi's career. These include his Olympic Gold medal match, which he has said was the greatest honor of his career. Also, his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 1992, and the tremendous French Open win in 1999. Finally, his farewell speech at Flushing Meadows in 2006, and a small snippet showing Agassi's lighter side and colorful personality, as he makes fun of McEnroe.