"I feel like I'm half Australian" - When Andre Agassi commented on winning the Melbourne Major one final time
Andre Agassi called himself "half Australian" after winning the 2003 Australian Open, his last title at the event.
Agassi hadn't competed in the 2002 edition due to a wrist injury, and was seeded second the following year. He beat Brian Vahaly, Lee Hyung-taik, Nicolas Escude, Guillermo Coria, Sebastien Grosjean and Wayne Ferreira to reach the final. There, Agassi defeated Rainer Schuettler 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to win his fourth Australian Open trophy.
The American said after the match that he was overwhelmed by the win. Agassi also hailed the support shown towards him by the fans, which he said made him feel like he was "half Australian."
"I'm really overwhelmed by this, because as you get older you realise so quickly how these moments pass. You want to make the most of them, and to win one down here again was just more than I could dream of," Andre Agassi said.
"I'll never forget being here, I'll never forget playing for you and I'll never forget the support and the love I've always felt coming down here. I feel like I'm half Australian," the American added.
Andre Agassi dropped just one set during his victorious run at the Rod Laver Arena in 2003.
Andre Agassi once had a 26-match winning streak at the Australian Open
Andre Agassi had a winning streak of 26 matches at the Australian Open in the early 2000s. This was a few years after his first triumph at the Melbourne Major, back in 1995.
Agassi won the first Grand Slam of the 21st century at the 2000 Australian Open. He beat Mariano Puerta, Sjeng Schalken, Mariano Zabaleta, Mark Philippoussis, Hicham Arazi and Pete Sampras before getting the better of Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the final.
The American successfully defended his title in 2001, after getting the better of then-15th seed Arnaud Clement in the final.
Agassi missed his title defense in 2002 but competed at the 2003 Australian Open. The American's winning streak extended to 21 matches when he won the tournament.
Agassi won another five matches at the 2004 edition, stretching his winning run to 26 consecutive matches. He reached the semifinals before being beaten by eventual runner-up Marat Safin, thus ending his streak.
Andre Agassi's last appearance at the Melbourne Major came in 2005, when he reached the quarterfinals before being beaten by Roger Federer.