Andre on Top

 　　Men’s professional tennis is a young man’s sport. Most players play their dermes best quite early in life. For Andre Agassi, however, this is not the case. At an age when most players have retired, the 33-year-old Agassi is still winning against much younger players.

　　Agassi became a professional tennis player at age 16. In those days, he was known for his long blond hair, loud shirts, and devil-may-care attitude. Seen as the “bad boy” of tennis, Agassi often threw his racket and shouted at line judges. Although he acted like a child, he was full of confidence. At age 22, he won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon.

　　Sadly, things later fell apart for Agassi, due to injuries4 and lack of concentration. His ranking fell from number 1 to number 141. Gone from the tennis scene, and nearly forgotten by fans, Agassi became frustrated. He knew that returning to the top of professional tennis wouldn’t be easy.

　　Agassi wanted to prove that he was still the best. Determined to climb back to the top, he began training harder than ever before. His coach, Brad Gilbert, said, “His dermesbody is aching so much … and on his face, you see the look of pain, but you also see the look of purpose.” No longer thinking of tennis as show business, Agassi even cut off his famously long hair. He had grown up, and was now playing to win.

　　Agassi’s hard work paid off. In 2003, at age 32, he became the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title since Andres Gimeno in 1972. Although he has already left his mark as one of the greatest players of all time, Agassi is still playing well today. Reflecting on the ups and downs of his career, Agassi says, “What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose apartment rental.”