Andre Agassi was back in the spotlight last month as Team World captain at the Laver Cup at The O2 in London. His side lost 13-5 to Team Europe this time, a year after he led Team World to victory in San Francisco on his captaincy debut.
As a player he went from denim shorts and big hair to shaven-headed elder statesman, winning eight Grand Slam titles, Olympic gold and a career Golden Slam along the way. Here is the story of The Punisher. Shop more court legends in our tennis collection.
Andre Agassi Fact File
| Full name | Andre Kirk Agassi |
| Date of birth | 29 April 1970 (age 56) |
| Place of birth | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Plays | Right-handed, two-handed backhand |
| Nationality | American |
| Status | Retired (2006); Laver Cup Team World captain |
| Nickname | The Punisher |
Career History
| Year | Grand Slam / major title | Beat in final |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Wimbledon | Goran Ivanišević |
| 1994 | US Open | Michael Stich |
| 1995 | Australian Open | Pete Sampras |
| 1996 | Olympic gold, Atlanta | Sergi Bruguera |
| 1999 | French Open | Andrei Medvedev |
| 1999 | US Open | Todd Martin |
| 2000 | Australian Open | Yevgeny Kafelnikov |
| 2001 | Australian Open | Arnaud Clément |
| 2003 | Australian Open | Rainer Schüttler |
His eight Grand Slam singles titles plus Olympic gold. In total he won 60 ATP singles titles, including 17 Masters events, with an 870-274 career win-loss record.
Early Years: Made in Las Vegas
Born in Las Vegas, Agassi was hitting balls from a very young age and turned professional in 1986. With his denim shorts, neon kit and long hair, he quickly became the most talked-about young player in the game, and his ferocious returns earned him the nickname The Punisher.
He won the season-ending ATP Tour World Championships in 1990 and helped the United States win the Davis Cup that year.
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Breakthrough: Wimbledon 1992
Agassi's first major came, surprisingly to many, on the grass of Wimbledon in 1992, where he beat Goran Ivanišević in five sets. He added the US Open in 1994 and the Australian Open in 1995, and reached world No. 1 for the first time in April 1995.
In 1996 he won Olympic singles gold in Atlanta, beating Sergi Bruguera in the final.
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Peak: Paris 1999 and the Golden Slam
The 1999 French Open final is Agassi at his most remarkable. Two sets down to Andrei Medvedev, he came back to win 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and complete the career Golden Slam: all four majors plus Olympic gold. He won the US Open that September and finished 1999 as world No. 1.
Three more Australian Open titles followed in 2000, 2001 and 2003, and he spent 101 weeks at No. 1 in all.
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Later Career: The Farewell
Agassi played his final match at the 2006 US Open, losing to Benjamin Becker in the third round in front of an adoring New York crowd. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011.
Honours
Grand Slam Singles
- Australian Open: 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003
- French Open: 1999
- Wimbledon: 1992
- US Open: 1994, 1999
Olympics & Team
- Olympic gold: Atlanta 1996
- Davis Cup: 1990, 1992, 1995
Other
- ATP Tour World Championships: 1990
- 60 ATP singles titles, including 17 Masters
- 101 weeks as world No. 1; year-end No. 1 in 1999
- International Tennis Hall of Fame: 2011
Away From the Court
Agassi has been married to fellow tennis great Steffi Graf since 2001. Through the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education he has supported schools for underserved children, and his 2009 memoir Open is widely regarded as one of the best sports autobiographies ever written. He has also taken up pickleball, playing televised exhibition events.
FAQs
How old is Andre Agassi?
Andre Agassi was born on 29 April 1970, so he is 56 years old.
Where was Andre Agassi born?
He was born in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How tall is Andre Agassi?
Agassi is 5 ft 11 in, about 1.80 m.
How many Grand Slams did Andre Agassi win?
Eight: four Australian Opens, one French Open, one Wimbledon and two US Opens.
What is a career Golden Slam?
It means winning all four Grand Slam titles plus Olympic singles gold. Agassi completed it at the 1999 French Open.
Who is Andre Agassi married to?
He has been married to Steffi Graf, the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, since 2001.
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Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Pete Sampras and Andy Murray.
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