Andre Agassi was arguably the face of men’s tennis globally in the 1990s. Some of his attributes such as his rockstar looks, outgoing personality, media friendliness, straightforward comments and a free-spirited style of play, made him a public favorite. Additionally, his personal life and habits too made headlines and that ensured that marketers had a field day more often than not.
Owing to his ability to make tennis box-office worthy, Agassi amassed wealth during his peak years. It helped that he managed to play for two decades, being able to bounce back to his best from his topsy-turvy personal and professional lives alike. Today, Andre Agassi is widely renowned as the richest American men’s tennis figure till date even as he retired from playing professionally in 2006.
Andre Agassi net worth: How much does the legend earn?
According to MoneyInc and SportsBrief, the Andre Agassi net worth is said to be around the $175 million mark as of early 2023. It remains to be seen whether that number will shoot up by the end of this year. Agassi is ahead of the likes of his biggest rival, Pete Sampras ($150 million), UK’s Andy Murray ($100 million) and fellow American star, John McEnroe ($100 million). It is interesting to note that Agassi does not do media or commentary stints as post-retirement assignments.
So the question is – ‘How does the Andre Agassi net worth amount to $175 million’? Agassi’s overall career prize money is $31.15 million. This is also where Agassi is the highest till date amongst all players who played in the 1990s or before that decade.
Apart from his tennis royalties, Andre Agassi’s extroverted personality helps him in his sponsors wishing to lock in long-term deals with him, with some staying even after his retirement. According to Forbes, Agassi earned $160 million from a 10-year-deal with Nike when he was playing, which included a bonus stock payout. He was reportedly paid $7 million per year for playing with Donnay’s racquets for a few years as Agassi rejected an extension with Prince at the start of the 1990s. The Donnay deal was a breakthrough one for the legend.
As he became more experienced and popular, Agassi signed contracts with the likes of Head, Adidas (for a short period), Deutsche Bank, American Express, Kia Motors, Mazda, Mountain Dew, Dupont, Jacobs Creek and Longines. His marriage with Steffi Graf was a boost for some sponsors such as Deutsch Telekom, Canon Inc. and Gemworth Financial.
Forbes claims that as of 2004, Andre Agassi had already bagged approximately $200 million alone in endorsement deals. In that particular year itself, although Agassi was on a decline of sorts in tennis, he was paid a total of $28 million from sponsors. He was only third to Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, which explained the trio being the biggest sporting faces in the United States back then. From March 2004-2014, Agassi was paid $1.5 million per year as part of a deal with 24-Hour Fitness, a now renowned fitness centres brand since they wished to leverage the tennis legend’s name by incorporating it in their franchises across the country.
But Andre Agassi was smart enough to know that endorsements wouldn’t help his riches game last for long. So he and his tennis superstar wife, Graf decided to begin their own entities called Andre Agassi Ventures LLC, Agassi Graf Holdings and Agassi Graf Development Management. Through those, they invested in startups such as Golden Nugget, MGM Mirage and Wet ‘n’ Wild Water Parks in Las Vegas, Nevada First Bank and Viagogo, all of which have largely been successful. Agassi remains a member of the Board of Directors for Meadow Bank.
Real estate and hospitality have also been of interest to the couple as they have owned a nightclub in Caesars Palace of Las Vegas, a condominium and hotel under the Fairmont Tamarack brand at the Tamarack Resort in Idaho as well as the Agassi-Graf Tennis and Fitness Centers in partnership with Steve Case. Agassi and Graf also were co-owners of the All-Stars Cafe at Times Square in New York City until 2007.
Andre Agassi is also the owner of ed-tech company named Square Panda, which has become multinational. Agassi announced back in 2021 that until 2024, he has invested $50 million for educating 5 million underprivileged children in primary schools across India. Being one of the greatest returners the sport has ever seen, Agassi equally believes in giving back to the society whether through business or humanitarian initiatives.
Agassi gets bitten by Pickleball bug
In recent times, Andre Agassi was seen playing Pickleball with the likes of Andy Roddick and John McEnroe as his doubles partners. In the Pickleball Slam 1 back in April 2023, Agassi took the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL by storm and it was a broadcaster’s delight too. ESPN clocked 669,000 views that too in the middle of the day.
As a result, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf will team up to play John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova in Pickleball Slam 2 in February 2024. The winner of the tournament is expected to take home $1 million in prize money, which shows the increasing popularity of the sport in the United States.
