Given the global status of tennis, the top-ranked stars of the sport attain dazzling glamor and instant fame all across the world. There have been quite a few era-defining superstars in the long history of tennis. From the likes of Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe in the past to the era of ‘Fedal’ more recently, the list of universally loved tennis greats goes on. However, a certain superstar won hearts not only with the help of his on-court achievement but also by virtue of his off-court flamboyance – former American tennis great Andre Agassi.

John Lloyd, former British tennis star and ex-husband of the iconic Chris Evert, recently lauded this charismatic quality of Andre Agassi, which helped him garner fans beyond tennis. According to him, this trait of Agassi set him apart from even the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

John Lloyd hails larger-than-life character of Andre Agassi, putting him ahead of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

In the modern era, there is perhaps no bigger name bigger than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who quite possibly may happen to be two of the most loved tennis icons. Despite their unmatched popularity, John Lloyd believes that Federer and Nadal could have become even greater celebrities had they actively sought more attention beyond the tennis world, similar to what Andre Agassi did.

“I know Federer is big and Rafa is big, I get that but imagine if they’d been the sort of players who actually courted the publicity. What they could have done with it, that’s my point”, he said in his podcast, Rock n Roll Tennis.

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Gushing over 8-time grand slam champion Andre Agassi’s unique ability to court publicity and grab eyeballs wherever he went, Lloyd compared him to the charismatic English soccer legend David Beckham.

“That’s actually the best example, since Borg was Andre Agassi, because Andre loved that. And Andre was a little bit like, sort of a David Beckham in some ways, in the soccer era. Agassi would go out to places, he was seen out with Barbra Streisand, seen out with this star and this star. And he knew that there were going to be photographers there so he sort of courted it, excuse the pun. And that just increased his stardom,” he added.

Despite being hugely successful on the tennis court, Agassi’s off-court life often became the center of attraction. His private life wasn’t at all devoid of glitz and glamor. Before tying the knot with women’s tennis icon Steffi Graf in 2001, Agassi was involved in a string of relationships, including well-known actress Brooke Shields and adult film star Jeanna Fine.

However, none of Agassi’s affairs were more controversial than his much-talked-about romance with American singer and actress Barbra Streisand. It created quite a stir back in the 1990s, primarily due to the huge age gap between the two.

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Agassi’s fling with Barbra Streisand courted much attention

Andre Agassi’s love affair with famous singer-actress Barbra Streisand during the early 1990s was one of the most high-profile celebrity relationships of that time. Their relationship marked a union of two glamorous professions, bridging the gap between the world of sports and the world of entertainment. Controversies were rife, given the 28-year age gap between the two, with Streisand being the elder one. Agassi even compared his relationship with Streisand to ‘wearing hot lava’.

His personal life sometimes overshadowed his stellar career as a tennis player. And, it goes without saying that Andre Agassi loved hogging the spotlight and craved all the attention coming his way. His fling with Barbra Streisand is a testament to his flamboyant nature and starry aura, just as assessed by John Lloyd.

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