Andre Agassi

Definitely one of the most recognized faces in professional tennis, Andre Kirk Agassi has a storied career that includes eight Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal in the singles event. Among his other achievements include the Tennis Masters Cup and 17 ATP Masters Series tournaments. He was also part of Davis Cup winning teams.

His career began in 1986 when he turned professional in 1986. His first singles title came in 1987 with a win in Itaparica. The year ended with him being ranked 25. 1988 was a good year for him. He won six tournaments and has earned more than $2 million in prize money. He was ranked number 3 when the year ended.

Being young, Agassi built a rebel image. He grew his hair long, had an earring, and wore colorful shirts. For the first eight years of his career, he didn’t play at the Australian Open. He also opted out of the Wimbledon from 1988 to 1990 because of the tournaments dress code.

In 1990, he helped the United States win its first ever Davis Cup. 1991 saw him enter the Wimbledon for the first time in his career. He reached the quarterfinals. It was in 1992 when he won his first Grand Slam when he defeated Goran Ivanisevic in Wimbledon finals. He was named 1992 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. In 1994 he suffered a wrist injury that sidelined him.

In 1995, he made his comeback by becoming the first unseeded player to win the US Open. Also for the first time in his career he competed in the Australian Open and wonIt was a good comeback year with him winning a total of seven titles. He amassed a 26 winning streak that ended with a lost to Sampras in the US Open finals.

1996 was forgettable except for his gold medal performance in the Atlanta Summer Olympics. He also defended his Cincinnati and Miami Masters titles. The lowest point of his career came in 1997 when his wrist injury resurfaced. He finished the year at number 122.

Agassi gained back his winning ways in 1998 when he won five titles that catapulted his ranking to the number 6 spot when the year ended. He surpassed that and in 1999 he entered the record books as the only fifth person to win all Grand Slam titles and the only person to do it on three different courts. He is also the first player to achieve a Career Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slams and an Olympic Gold Medal.

He started the year 2000 by winning the Australian Open. He defended that title the following year. He finished the 2001 season with a number 3 ranking. He again won the Australian Open in 2003. It is his eighth and final Grand Slam title. He became the oldest top ranked player when he became number one in September of 2003. He held that position for 2 weeks.

In September of 2006, he was forced to retire from professional tennis because of sciatica that is caused by two bulging disks in his back. He announced his retirement after a third round defeat in the US Open. He founded the Andre Agassi charitable Foundation. It has risen over $60 million for at-risk kids in the Southern Nevada area.