Last season, tennis fans witnessed eight-time slam king and former ATP icon Andre Agassi for the first time on Arthur Ashe Stadium since his 2007 appearance during a presentation ceremony. The former World No.1 joined forces with young blood Carlos Alcaraz to take on 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic and 7-time slam winner John McEnroe during Stars of the Open experience. Djokovic and McEnroe bested him and the Spaniard on the occasion. But the ex-American pro was determined to turn the tables this time. Guess what? He nearly did it while giving a stark reminder of his on-court prowess. He might be 55 now, but the fire still burns.

On Thursday, in this year’s Stars of the Open encounter, Agassi joined rising American WTA star Coco Gauff. Their opponents? Comeback queen Venus Williams and longtime rival McEnroe. In the early moments of this exhibition battle, with him and Gauff leading 5-3, Andre Agassi turned the clock back in front of 23,000 fans, as he sent a forehand past a helpless Venus Williams, leaving Gauff absolutely stoked.

While the two-time US Open champion was impressive on the court on Thursday, the result was something he will try to forget. Despite his heroics and Gauff’s efforts, the two eventually ended up on the losing side. The ultimate winners were McEnroe and Williams after they snatched the match with a score line of 12-10.

Now, if one has to look at Agassi’s tennis comeback this season, it’s been like a breath of fresh air. How? While he may have hanged his racket nearly twenty years ago, his expertise in the game is still something to marvel at. And everyone witnessed it, thanks to Agassi taking up on an unexpected role.

Andre Agassi receives praise upon tennis return in a new role

Twenty-six years after completing his career slam at Roland Garros, Andre Aggasi returned to the event this June in a completely new avatar—as an analyst/commentator for TNT’s coverage of the semifinal and final matches. “Excited to see everyone at @rolandgarros on @tntsports!” he wrote on his Instagram as he announced his commitment to the role. And as for the excitement, it went both ways. After his impressive breakdown of Carlos Alcaraz’s backhand and how it’s changed in recent years, The Score‘s Chicco Nacion heaped praise on Agassi’s analytical skills, while also lauding ex-ATP icon Jim Courier. “Need Andre Agassi and Jim Courier providing analysis at every Grand Slam,” Nacion wrote on X.

Meanwhile, WATCH FOX 57‘s sports director Matt Dowell simply wrote, “Andre Agassi is an insanely good analyst,” On the other hand, ESPN women’s college basketball recruiting analyst Shane Laflin commended Agassi, saying, “Fundamentals. Knowledge. Practice. Development. Nuance. Improvement. Love this,”

Interestingly, Agassi also took up the role of a mentor to Denmark’s ATP pro Holger Rune ahead of the latter’s DC Open campaign. And let’s just say, the American icon excelled in that role as well. Opening up on their three-day training block ahead of the US Open swing, Rune said, “I reached out to him some months ago. He’s an amazing man, first of all, and he’s very wise, as well. He sees the game in a unique way that I’ve never experienced before.” While Agassi’s collaboration with the Dane was far from an official coaching partnership, who knows? Perhaps it is only a matter of time before he chooses to officially don the hat of a coach.

But for now, make sure you don’t miss out on the US Open. Head to EssentiallySports’ live blog for real-time updates on the ongoing Slam.