The French Open was the elusive Grand Slam for Andre Agassi.
The American tennis legend had to wait four years, which included a stint outside the top, to finally lift the most important title of his career and complete the prestigious career Grand Slam at the French Open in 1999.
Andre Agassi completed the career slam in ParisGettyAfter winning three Grand Slams by 1995, with one each at Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open, the French Open was the only major missing from Agassi’s trophy cabinet.
And after losing two French Open finals in 1990 and 1992, it felt like he was never going to win the clay major in his career.
His hopes of winning the major took a major dent in 1997, when he reached the lowest point of his career due to off-court issues and injuries.
In 1997, Agassi only played 24 matches due to a problem with his wrist but also a situation surrounding him failing an ATP drug test.
He tested positive for crystal meth and at the time penned a letter claiming a friend had spiked his drink, the governing body then dropped the failed test and gave him warning.
Later in his autobiography he would admit that letter was a lie but he did quit the drug soon after.
“Then I come to the central lie of the letter,” Agassi writes.
“I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely.
“I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it.”
Also in 1997, Agassi had a very public failing marriage with Brooke Shields and this heavily impacted his performance on the court.
Andre Agassi is considered as one of the best tennis players of all-timeGetty Agassi’s trophy haul included the US OpenGettyHe admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres show in 2009 that this made him lost interest in the game.
Agassi’s ranking sank to 141 by November and won no titles that year, there was a widely held belief that Agassi was finished at the top-level.
With a career in freefall and private life in crisis for the world to see, what followed would be one of the most remarkable revivals of an athlete ever seen.
In 1998, Agassi resuscitated his career and made the biggest one-year jump into the top 10 of the history of the ATP rankings.
He played in challenger series tournaments, a circuit for pro players ranked outside the top 50 as he returned to top physical and mental shame.
That season he won five titles and leapt from No.110 in the world to No.6
Although what Agassi wanted the most was a French Open title and he got that in the 1999 edition of the tournament.
In that final he entered the history books when he came back from two sets to love down to beat Andrei Medvedev in a five-set final.
At the time he became just the fifth player to win all four majors and complete the career Grand Slam.
Riding a wave of momentum as a man reborn, Agassi reached the Wimbledon final that year where he lost to rival Pete Sampras in straight sets.
However, he rebounded from that defeat to win his second US Open, beating Todd Martin in five sets.
Agassi finished 1999, with five titles, two majors and as the year-end No.1, ending Sampras’ run of six consecutive years at the World No.1.
Agassi picked up the Wimbledon title in 1992GettyHis dominance didn’t end there either, he began 2000 by winning the Australian Open, a title he won again in 2001 and 2003.
Agassi’ career would began to unravel in 2005, when injuries began to plague him, he missed several events.
Although in true warrior fashion he did reach the US Open final that year but was beat by Roger Federer.
In 2006, his ankle injury saw him withdraw from the Australian Open and the French Open
He returned to Wimbledon but lost in the third round to Rafael Nadal, he later announced that the US Open that year would be his final event.
His farewell in New York would be a short but dramatic run, as due to extreme back pain he received injections after every match.
Agassi retired from tennis in 2006GettyHe beat Andrei Pavel in four sets, then beat Marcos Baghdatis in the second round in five sets.
In the third round and final match of his career, he fell to the big-serving Benjamin Becker in four sets.
Agassi was serenaded for the rest of the night, getting a four-minute standing ovation and delivered a retirement speech that day.
A fitting finish for a quite remarkable player.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( I’m the $30M US tennis star who took drugs, fell out of top 100 but won French Open two years later to make history )
Also on site :