"He charged me with winning the Olympics in a sport that wasn’t even in it": When Andre Agassi reflected on his father's role in Atlanta 1996 gold win
Andre Agassi once disclosed that his gold medal win at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics was more meaningful because of his father Emmanuel's presence. The American explained how his father had instilled in him the drive to win an Olympic medal from a young age, even though tennis had stopped being part of the prestigious event.
Emmanuel "Mike" Agassi, an amateur boxer, represented his native country of Iran in two Olympic Games but did not achieve much success. At the 1948 edition of the event in London, he was defeated by Spain's Alvaro Vicente in the Round of 32 of the bantamweight division. Meanwhile, his campaign in the featherweight category at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics ended in a first-round loss.
Given his disappointing outings at the Olympics, the boxer was determined to see his son achieve what he could not. Andre Agassi met his father's expectations, clinching the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics by beating Spain's Sergi Bruguera 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the final.
Agassi's triumph was notable as it marked the USA's first men's singles gold medal since 1924. Tennis was excluded from the Olympics after the 1924 edition of the event and was only reinstated as a full medal sport in 1996, the year of the American's victory.
Andre Agassi reflected on his triumph in an essay for the ITF in 2021, disclosing that his father had always believed that tennis would eventually be reintroduced at the Olympics.
"There’s no question it was more exciting because of my dad. But I actually had a different experience growing up than maybe a normal, future tennis player would’ve, which is my dad always seemed convinced they were going to put it back into the Olympics," Andre Agassi said.
The American also revealed that his father tasked him with winning an Olympic medal to make up for his "disappointments" at the prestigious sporting event.
"He talked about it a lot and his own disappointments in the two Olympics he fought in [as a boxer]. He used to introduce me as the future No. 1 player in the world and he sort of charged me with the duty of something that was out of my control, which was winning the Olympics in a sport that wasn’t even in it!" he added.
Having accomplished his father's dream, Andre Agassi emphasized that Emmanuel's presence made his victory all the more "special."
"Winning the medal was very special, especially since my father was actually there," he said.
"It’s different than anything you experience as a tennis player" - Andre Agassi on Atlanta Olympics gold medal win
Andre Agassi said that no other achievement in the sport could hold a candle to the feeling of winning an Olympic gold medal, disclosing that he was "overwhelmed" by pride at accomplishing something greater than himself.
"I don’t think you can ever quite prepare for what that moment feels like. It’s different than anything you experience as a tennis player. Even Davis Cup, you kind of share the combined responsibility of trying to get over that finish line for something bigger than yourself," Andre Agassi said.
"In the Olympics it’s only you trying to get over that line for something bigger than yourself. It was quite an overwhelming feeling and sort of one in the moment I was aware of how proud I felt about it," he added.
Agassi's gold medal win paved the way for him to complete the career Golden Slam with his triumph at the 1999 French Open. The American acknowledged the rarity of the remarkable achievement, pointing out that many legends of the sport had failed to accomplish the feat.
"To win all the Slams and the gold medal is not an opportunity that so many champions, even previous champions, have had. It feels rare for me and it feels unique and is something I am grateful for," he wrote.
Alongside Andre Agassi, only his wife Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have completed the coveted career Golden Slam.