Andre Agassi, the former American tennis player, recently shared his reasons for thinking about quitting professional tennis, back in 1997. He highlighted how his tennis foundation had a significant impact on his decision. Although he had never intended to play tennis, he recognized it had taught him many valuable lessons about himself.

Andre Agassi is one of the greatest tennis players of his generation, having won eight Grand Slam titles. He and his archrival Pete Sampras helped define the tennis era before the Big Three. Agassi won 60 titles during his career and led the Tour standings for 101 weeks.

Andre Agassi on what motivated him to continue his professional tennis career

Andre Agassi embodied defying the odds in both his tennis career and personal life. According to Fox Sports, the American discussed the lessons he’s learned from tennis in a recent sit-down interview on Australia Day with news.com.au. In the interview, he highlighted how the tennis foundation became the sole reason for him to continue to play.

The American said, “I felt connected to something much larger than me. Tennis just happened to be a tool and a vehicle.” In the interview, he highlighted the details of an epiphany he once had in a hotel room in Stuttgart. He said, “My coach locked me in his hotel room, and opened up a couple of beers. At 27 I was in a spiral. I was in a really low place. I hated it (tennis) at that moment.”

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He shared that he had permitted himself to quit, but he questioned himself before the decision. He was concerned whether if he could find a reason to continue his professional career after facing a tough twelve months in 1997. In that year, he tested positive for methamphetamine and plummeted to a ranking of 141.

He said, “Around this point my foundation had really kicked in and that became my reason for playing. And that got me out of my own way…I felt connected to something much larger than me. Tennis just happened to be a tool and a vehicle.”

Agassi left behind a brilliant and one-of-a-kind career marred by complicated personal trauma, an active social life, and methamphetamine use. The 8-time Grand Slam champion had to struggle at every level to get to the top. It took him six years after turning professional to win a Grand Slam.

He reached the finals of his first professional tournament in Schenectady, New York. At the 1986 event, he was defeated 6-2, 6-3 by Ramesh Krishnan. It’s worth noting that, despite winning eight Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal, the American tennis legend was unhappy when he first turned pro.

Even before retiring in 2006, Agassi has focused on working on his not-for-profit organization, The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation. It focuses on providing educational opportunities and resources for underserved communities.

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