‘Would Throw Away Andre (Agassi)’s Trophies’- When Ex-Wife Brooke Shields Made an Honest Revelation on the American’s Father in 2014 Book

Despite being one of the biggest stars in the tennis world, Andre Agassi struggled with the racquet sport in his early childhood. Elaborating on that struggle in his autobiography, we found Agassi describing tennis as “torture” and the court as “prison.” He had first picked up a racquet at the age of 2 and his “punishment” continued till the day of his retirement. In fact, many fans would be surprised to know that Andre Agassi never dreamt of being a tennis prodigy. Instead, it was imposed on him by his father, Mike Agassi. His ex-wife Brooke Shield has also mentioned a bit on that while reflecting on her impression of Mike, in her book, ‘There Was a Little Girl.’ What did she say?

In his autobiography, Agassi revealed that he started playing tennis at the age of just 6 months. He spoke about how his father used to hand a balloon on his crib and then tape a ping-pong racquet to his hand. Every time he tried to get rid of the racquet, his father used to think his son was naturally inclined to the sport. Andre Agassi also spoke about how felt disconnected from tennis and that the excessive pressure right from his childhood never let him enjoy the sport the way he’d have wanted it to.

His ex-wife, Shields has seen his father very closely, what does he think about their father-son relationship? Andre Agassi and Brooke Shields first met during a tennis match in 1993. They dated for a few years before finally tying the knot in 1997. However, their marriage lasted for only 2 years and they got separated in 1999. Within this short span, she however got an impression of Agassi’s father. While speaking on that in her book, she said, “Andre’s father was, in my opinion, far worse than my mom ever was. He was the one who pushed his children to be professional tennis players and would throw away Andre’s trophies if they were anything less than first place.”

She reflected a bit on how his father used to manage his career until Andre Agassi broke free and hired a manager. “Andre and I both understand what it felt like to be famous and to have strong parents who controlled much of our lives.” She spoke about how they were similar in so many ways and how they had to deal with a lot of pressure and responsibility from a very young age. However, she isn’t the only one to highlight Agassi’s struggles in his childhood. For those who’re unaware, Brooke Shield once revealed how she’ll always be thankful to Andre Agassi for helping her separate from her mother.

In 20214, during an interview with ‘PEOPLE’, she said, “He gave me my first taste of freedom from my mom.” Just like Agassi, even Shields’ mother had a strong hold on her life. She was a “momager” years before Kris Jenner even coined that word! Her relationship with her mother had been pretty much toxic from a business point of view. Every time she tried to get away from her, her mother tried to get her back into her web in some way or the other. Perhaps, this similar situation at home brought Agassi and Shields closer to each other at that time. How did their romance initiate, though?

“Falling in love by fax” – Andre Agassi’s ex-wife recalls the initial days of their relationship

In the same book which was published in 2014, she mentioned how it got started between her and Andre Agassi. Brooke Shields wrote, “A friend of mine from Los Angeles (Lyndie G, Kenny G’s wife) had been gently pushing me to meet her friend Andre Agassi. I was in no place to be in a relationship and had kept putting it off.” She spoke about how at that time she wanted to find a relationship with somebody who wouldn’t be threatened by her being a celebrity and would also be secure in his profession.

She spoke about how she was open to having a strong friendship at that time and enjoying their company. However, then one day, she explained, “Lyndie wrote to me and gave me Andre’s fax number and said, I should fax him, the only reliable and fast way to be in touch from the set. With a thousand miles between us, we began to communicate via long rambling faxes about life and God and the strange burden of fame and overpowering parents.”

Shields admitted that she used to wait for Andre Agassi’s faxes and after receiving those from the tennis star, she used to go to her favorite spot near the river to read it by herself. “This was our carrier-pigeon romance,” said Brooke Shield in her book. They were both at a turning point in their lives at that time. Agassi just had a career-threatening wrist surgery while Shields was desperately seeking to reclaim her floundering career. “And we were falling in love by fax,” said the American actress. However, the love story didn’t end the way they would’ve wanted it to! And, perhaps that’s why people often say ‘Every ending is not a happy ending!’

In his book, Andre Agassi wrote that he tried to reconcile their relationship. He also expressed regret and offered apologies to her for how things had turned into their relationship. Agassi spoke about how he didn’t want to lose her and hoped she’d give her a “second chance,” but destiny perhaps had other plans for them. What are your thoughts on their story? Share with us in the comment box.