Has there ever been a cooler tennis player than Andre Agassi? From his rebellious attitude to the garish attire, Agassi brought a touch of rock'n'roll swagger to a sport too often the habitat of blazers and stuffed shirts.
Of course it helped the man was pretty effective with a tennis racket. Arguably the best returner of serve in the history of the game, Agassi's phenomenal reactions and outrageous natural talent made him the only man in history to win the 'Career Super Slam' (all four majors, the ATP Championship and the Olympic Gold). Agassi won eight majors in total, including his only Wimbledon title exactly twenty-five years ago.
On-court success was accompanied by a turbulent lifestyle. High profile relationships with Barbra Streisand, Brooke Shields and Steffi Graf kept Agassi on the front pages as well as the back. He later admitted to taking crystal meth during his divorce from Shields. In an era of increasingly sanitised sportsmen, Agassi was the rebel's rebel.
Over the course of his long career, Agassi transitioned from widely disliked bad boy to beloved elder statesman. In his valedictory season of 2006, Agassi even headlined The Boodles at Stoke Park. You're an inspiration, Andre. Thanks for the memories.
Get your tickets to The Boodles at Stoke Park theboodles.com
Donate to the Andre Agassi Foundation and raise money for public education: agassifoundation.org
