CINCINNATI - Andre Agassi has nothing left to prove on a tennis court. Over the course of a nearly two-decade career, Agassi has put together a hall of fame resume that can be matched by only a handful of people who have ever picked up a racket.
His accomplishments speak for themselves:
Eight grand slam championships, including all four majors, more than $28 million in prize money, 58 singles titles, 16 Tennis Masters Series titles and more than 800 career wins.
There is seemingly little left that Agassi, one of the most popular and well-liked athletes in the world, could do to improve upon his legacy as one of the greatest champion’s of his sport.
But as he approaches the twilight of his career, it’s not the titles, money or historic victories that keep drawing the 34-year-old Agassi back to the court long after all his contemporaries have retired. The Las Vegas native believes he can still compete with opponents who were in diapers when he first started winning titles.
And he desperately wants to reclaim his long-held spot as one of the best players in the world.
“That’s the challenge,” Agassi said after his first-round match last Monday at the Western and Southern Financial Group Masters. “If I knew (if couldn’t compete at the highest levels) I wouldn’t be excited every day. So I don’t know. I’d like to believe that when I am out there letting my game go I can beat the best.”
Just a year ago, Agassi was once again the best in the world. He regained the No. 1 ranking after winning the Australian Open, but disappointing results the rest of the season started a year-and-half long slide that turned talk of championships to retirement.
And things haven’t gotten much better this year. After reaching three consecutive semifinals earlier this season, including the Australian Open, he was bounced early at the French Open and had to pull out of Wimbledon with a hip injury.
When Agassi did return to the court he dropped four consecutive matches, including losses to a pair of players ranked outside the top 100 in the world. He has yet to reach a tournament final this season and his overall record (17-9) coming into Cincinnati was unimpressive by his normally lofty standards as was his ranking, 11th in the entry standings and 18th in the champion’s race.
“This year has had a lot more struggles to it,” Agassi said.
The physical problems, along with a lack of matches, have not only caused a slip in the rankings but a loss of confidence for the eight-time grand slam champ. In recent months Agassi has struggled to win matches, even against opponents he’s used to handling with ease.
“The big thing is just believing in my shots and letting them go,” Agassi said. “That kind of confidence only comes from matches. On the practice court I’ve been playing so well but that doesn’t necessarily translate into match play and it hasn’t yet.”
Agassi’s results have been sub-par this summer, but he still shows flashes of brilliance, as he did Monday against 22-year-old American Mardy Fish. After dropping the first set, Agassi battled back to win a tiebreaker and was up two breaks in the third set when Fish had to retire because of a back injury.
Fish, who was just eight years old when Agassi first played an ATP Tour event in Cincinnati, had beaten Agassi in their only other meeting but couldn’t help but be impressed by the tenaciousness and ability of the 34-year-old.
“He still hits good shots,” Fish said. “That’s what good players do.”
Agassi continues to be tight-lipped about what the future holds and how long he will continue playing. He knows his career is drawing to a close, but refuses to speculate about his impending retirement plans.
At least for now, Agassi still has something else left to prove.
“Nobody’s holding a gun to my head or twisting my arm,” Agassi said. “I’ve been blessed and I’ve had an incredible life. For me it’s about making the best decision to keep me at my best.”
Nathan Hutchinson is the senior sports editor for the Richmond Register in Richmond, Kentucky. Readers of his articles should feel free to submit any questions and/or comments to njhutc0@hotmail.com.
