Agassi hated tennis 'with a dark and secret passion' and also admitted to taking crystal meth in open and honest autobiography
Tennis News
Andre
Agassi stated that he had hated tennis and admitted to using methamphetamine in
his honest autobiography.
Agassi is
indeed one of the great legends of tennis. He won eight Grand Slam titles and
held the world No. 1 ranking in 1995 and for the last time in 2003, totaling
101 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.
In the list
of Grand Slam winners, he is tied for seventh place with Jimmy Connors and Ivan
Lendl, only surpassed by the Big Three - Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and
Roger Federer - as well as Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg, and Ivan Lendl.
"I hate tennis with a dark and secret passion"
While he
was one of the dominant tennis players in the mid-90s to the early 2000s,
Agassi admitted in his candid autobiography that he had hated tennis at one
point and even confessed to using methamphetamine during his career when he was
at the top of the ATP tour.
“I play tennis for a living, even though I hate
tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have,” he
said in his 2009 book “Open: An Autobiography”.
“As if
they’re coming out of someone else’s mouth, I hear these words: You know what?
F*** it. Yeah. Let’s get high,” he said in his book.
“Slim dumps
a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it
again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve
just crossed.”
In addition
to his Grand Slam victories, the success at the ATP World Tour Championship in
1990 and the Olympic gold in 1996 means that he has achieved a Career Super
Slam.
Agassi is
the only male singles player to have accomplished this in the history of the
sport, with Serena Williams and Steffi Graf as the two champions in the women's
game.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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