“You’re only as good as your last performance” is a popular motto to motivate individuals to keep improving. Renowned talk show host Oprah Winfrey made it famous, and the quote is often attributed to her. However, Andre Agassi blasted the belief over 25 years ago, saying it disrespects athletes.
Agassi was one of the most outspoken tennis players of his generation, not shying away from speaking his mind. A month after bagging the singles gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he lifted the Cincinnati Open title. He beat compatriot Michael Chang in the final to defend his championship.
In his post-match press conference, Andre Agassi said he does not feel the need to win trophies to prove a point. However, performing and living up to people’s expectations of him made life easier for him. He claimed doing so helped him avoid repeated questions (Sportskeeda).
“Well, I’m the one just fending off these questions, so you tell me. I mean, from what I — I don’t feel I need to prove it for myself. But it just makes my life off court a lot easier when you do go out there and do what other people expect you to do.”
Agassi said if he did not play as they expected, he would be termed out of form and possibly, a bad player. He claimed saying that an athlete is only as good as their recent win or loss is disrespectful.
“And if you’re not, it’s, it’s a grind because, you know, it’s just a constant well, could this be a slump? You’re only as good your last win or loss, and I think that I just think that that’s not respectful to a lot of, to a lot of athletes.”
Winfrey used the quote “Every day, you’re only as good as your last show”. However, Andre Agassi believed discounting the hard work an athlete put in throughout his or her entire career and judging them only by their previous result is unfair.
When he slammed the belief, Agassi was a three-time Grand Slam champion in a bit of a rough patch. He had missed multiple ATP 1000 events and suffered poor results in the Majors. 1997 and 1998 were even leaner for the American legend before he bounced back incredibly in 1999. However, despite his poor run of results in this phase, many never doubted Agassi’s class and capability. And he repaid the trust by retiring as one of the greatest players of all-time.
