‘He’s a Punk, You’re a Legend!!’ – When a Violent US Open Crowd Showed No Mercy to Andre Agassi During a Heated Encounter Against Jimmy Connors

Former American tennis star, Andre Agassi, is among one of the all-time greatest tennis players. The eight-time Grand Slam champion is a rare kind of player who achieved that much success in a sport he hated. The American has time and again revealed that his father pushed him into tennis and it’s the main reason he hated it.

Agassi’s career was full of highs and lows. While he achieved some brilliant feats, he also suffered from a rough phase. Agassi had a memorable rivalry with compatriot Pete Sampras. He also played a couple of matches against the legend, Jimmy Connors. Although he won both, there’s a bitter memory, Agassi shard from one of his matches against Connors.

When fans bullied Andre Agassi

Agassi wrote his autobiography in 2009. The book had some explosive admissions which rocked the tennis world. However, there were other interesting stories too which people didn’t notice much. One such story is from a match between Agassi and Connors.

Connors was in the late phase of his career, and a young Agassi was dominating him. However, what happened next turned out to be something that Agassi can never forget. Here’s what he recalls of the incident. “I’m cruising, winning easily, when a man in the upper bleachers calls out, C’mon, Jimmy, he’s a punk—you’re a legend! The words hang in midair for a moment, bigger and louder than the Goodyear Blimp overhead, and then twenty thousand fans guffaw.”

Agassi further added, “Connors cracks a sly smile, nods, and hits a ball as a souvenir to the man who yelled. Now the crowd erupts. A standing ovation.”

Read more: ‘Jimmy Connors Has Never Said Something Nice About Me’ – Andre Agassi’s Cheeky Reply to Interviewer Back in 2012

While it must have been a moment to cherish for Connors’ fans, it surely would have hurt Agassi, who already hates the game.

Agassi vs Connors head to head

Andre Agassi and Jimmy Connors are two American tennis greats of different generations. When Connors was in the last phase of his career, Agassi was young and in his prime. The two legends clashed twice and surprisingly on both occasions, it was the quarterfinal of the US Open.

When they met first in the 1988 US Open, Agassi showed complete dominance and thrashed Connors in straight sets. In their second meeting at the 1989 US Open quarterfinal, Connors showed great character.

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Agassi started strong and took the first set 6-1. Connors returned in style and took the second set 4-6. In the third set, he handed a bagel to Agassi, needing only one more set for a victory. However, Agassi showed great resistance and took the next two sets, 6-3 and 6-4.