Agassi says "yes" to BJK, returns to World TeamTennis play
By Liza HoranPhoto by CameraworkUSA; courtesy WTT
New York—After an intense junior tennis career that saw him first trained by his Olympic boxer father, Mike, and then Nick Bollettieri, Andre Agassi worked his way to legend status in pro tennis. He won eight Grand Slam titles, 60 singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal, not to mention earning more than $30 million in prize money alone. When he retired in 2006, it was time for what he called "a normal life."
He got it and he loves it.
"Tennis gave me the platform to be able to basically have a life of my choosing. And when I retired from the game, that's exactly what I did. I started to choose my priorities," said Agassi, who listed those as family (wife Stefanie Graf, baseball-playing son Jade and tennis-addict daughter Jaz), the Agassi Foundation and Agassi Prep school.
Until last month when he made three tennis appearances—presenting the Roland Garros trophy to Roger Federer; playing an exhibition at Wimbledon's to mark the new roof installation; and competing at the Outback Champions Tour stop in Surprise, Ariz.—Agassi had been living his new life outside of tennis.
Until now.
World TeamTennis founder Billie Jean King asked Agassi to play for the Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League's Philadelphia Freedoms team, of which she is the owner. He said, "Yes."
"How do you say no to Billie?" Agassi said in a press call today announcing his move back into competitive tennis. "It's almost impossible. The respect I have for what she's meant to not just tennis, not just sports, but what she has meant to the entire civilization of people. She's changed the face of sports. She's given anybody that has a daughter a chance at a life in sports. So I have so much appreciation for what her visions are. She wanted me to come play there, and I said 'yes.'"
The opportunity to play WTT arose from a conversation the two legends had months ago, when King visited Agassi in Las Vegas.
"It's been a few years since I've sort of been connected with the game in any direct kind of way, and that's been a little unsettling for me. I took time away when I retired to try to figure out how I can best engage with the game and do it in a way that made the most sense or where I could possibly have some more impact. And that has not been so easy with all of my responsibilities to sort of figure out," Agassi explained. "So before I got too far away, I wanted to sort of re engage in certain respects and show an appreciation for the life and the platform that tennis has given me, and I thought no better way to sort of inject myself back into World TeamTennis."
Under team coach Craig Kardon, who formerly worked with Martina Navratilova and Ana Ivanovic, Agassi will compete in the July 10 match in Philadelphia and the July 17 match in Newport Beach, Calif. His teammates are Venus Williams, Lisa Raymond, Madison Keys, Nathan Healey, and Travis Parrott; Williams will not play the same dates as Agassi [click for team schedule].
Speaking very slowly and quietly on the call, Agassi seems to have settled nicely into life off-court. While busy with his foundation, school and other business ventures, Agassi admits that beyond hitting with his daughter on the weekend, "tennis was a bit of a missing piece."
Agassi's stint with the Philadelphia Freedoms marks his return to WTT; he played for Sacramento in 2004. "I love what (WTT co-founder) Billie (Jean King) and (WTT CEO/Commissioner) Ilana (Kloss) have built. I think it's a great asset to the game and I think an even greater asset to the tennis fans, taking this sport to the people is a great feeling," he said. "The environment is unlike any other, and it's just a lot of fun."
Agassi, whose daughter plays tennis several times a week while his son prefers baseball, said he is in good shape: "I've been working out quite a bit, keeping myself together and active...so I won't have a problem with my ball striking. But I might have a problem getting to the ball in order to hit it; that, we'll have to wait and see."
Related Links:
World TeamTennis
Andre Agassi profile on ATPWorldTour.com
Agassi Foundation & Agassi Prep school
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