Andre Agassi recently appeared on The Pat McAfee Show, hosted by the eponymous former NFL star-turned-analyst. He spoke about his views on tennis and how they have changed after his retirement. He claimed that, despite not liking tennis during his playing days, he has come to appreciate the sport. The legendary American also shed light on his post-retirement life.
Three years after retiring, Agassi released his autobiography, where he said he hated playing tennis. He revealed he never loved the sport but was pushed by his abusive father after his talent became evident. McAfee touched upon this in Pat McAfee Show, asking him if he found happiness after hanging up his boots. The former Indianapolis Colts footballer also asked whether Agassi ever questioned his tennis career during his playing days.
Agassi chose to tread cautiously, saying he has found more joy in his life as he aged and retired. He claimed this was because he was coerced into playing a sport he never wanted to. He could never connect with it and hence did not enjoy those years.
“Let me say that as I have gotten older, joy has been a more constant companion. Let’s just put it that way, you know. Playing a sport I never chose, the disconnect I had with it all those years.”
The eight-time Grand Slam champion disclosed rather than defining his relationship with tennis as love-hate, he preferred ‘hate-love’. He reasoned saying that was how his association with the sport changed over the years. Agassi said that this change in his feelings came only after he suffered through many lows.
“That sort of feeling, I don’t call it a love-hate, I call it hate-love because that was my transition. I started to learn to appreciate the good in it as I got older but it was only through a lot of, you know, low points.”
Despite his tumultuous relationship with the sport he so disliked, Agassi’s talent was undeniable. In addition to his eight Majors, he also won an Olympic Gold, becoming the first of the only two men to secure the Career Golden Slam. Even after talking openly about hating tennis, he played many exhibition matches after retirement. He is now an active pickleball player.
Andre Agassi now enjoys pickleball as it reminds him of tennis
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States and even Andre Agassi has taken his piece of the pie. He participated in ESPN’s Pickleball Slam in April 2023 alongside John McEnroe, Michael Chang and Andy Roddick. He teamed up with Roddick to down the other pair and take home the $1 million paycheck.
In 2024, the Pickleball Slam will return with Agassi and McEnroe being joined by Maria Sharapova and the former’s wife, Steffi Graf. The husband-wife pair will take on the Russian-American duo at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida, USA, on February 4.
In his talk with McAfee, Agassi likened the tension of the event to that of a Grand Slam, saying the pressure brought back memories of playing tennis. He said that is why he agreed to return for another edition and even his wife, Graf, wanted in. It is evident that tennis now holds a positive spot in Agassi’s life despite all the negative feelings he harbored during his playing days.
