"I'm 26-0, I lose to Pete Sampras... it just heightens the pointlessness" - When Andre Agassi revealed US Open final loss triggered his depression
Andre Agassi once pointed to his loss to Pete Sampras in the 1995 US Open final as the catalyst for his downward spiral into depression. Agassi revealed that the loss seemed to unravel all his success that year and left him grappling with the "pointlessness" of being a professional tennis player.
Agassi had an exceptional 1995 season, clinching his maiden Australian Open title and dominating the summer hardcourt swing by winning Masters 1000 titles in Cincinnati, Miami and Florida. The American then entered the US Open as the defending champion and top seed, beating the likes of Stefan Edberg and Petr Korda to reach the semifinals.
Andre Agassi continued his exemplary run of form against fourth seed Boris Becker, beating the German 7-6(4), 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-4 to reach the final and extend his impressive winning streak to 26-0. However, the top seed failed to defend his title, suffering a 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 loss to Pete Sampras.
In a 2009 interview with Oprah.com, Agassi opened up about how losing to Sampras left him feeling like a "loser" despite his remarkable winning streak. The American disclosed that the defeat triggered a deep depression and a sense of detachment, making him realize how "miserable" playing tennis made him.
"That summer, I tried to use all this energy and emotion, channel it into anger and tried to use that. I actually resented that feeling even though it was successful. It just wasn't me; it wasn't my spirit. Then I get to the final of the U.S. Open, I'm 26-0, I lose to Pete. I kind of conclude you can win 26 matches, lose one and still feel like a loser," Andre Agassi said.
"It just heightens the point of pointlessness. It made me think: "I've never liked this, now I like it less. Why am I doing this? I'm miserable for it." That started my disengagement," he added.
Although Andre Agassi rebounded to win the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he admitted to "sleepwalking" through the year until he hit rock bottom in 1997.
"I kind of sleepwalked through the next year. I won some titles. I got up for the Olympics in 1996 because I needed some inspiration, and inspiration was easy there," Agassi said.
"I felt like I was doing it for my father, a bigger team being from the United States. But I really sleepwalked through the rest of that year. Then when I hit 1997, everything just started to spiral quickly," he added.
Andre Agassi on his drug use: "You cross the line because you're disengaged with your friends and your wife, you're depressed and you don't know it"
While struggling with depression in 1997, Andre Agassi experimented with crystal meth, a revelation he made in his autobiography 'Open.' During the same interview, the American disclosed that he crossed the line into drug use because he was "disengaged" with his friends and his then-wife, actress Brooke Shields.
"You cross the line because you wake up and you're disengaged with your friends and even your wife. You're depressed and you don't know it. Nobody talks about depression," Andre Agassi said.
"Somebody came along and offered me an escape. I didn't like tennis, and I liked myself even less. I just basically said, "Why not?" It was convenient, and I don't think you understand what you're doing," he added.
The American also spoke candidly about his addiction and emphasized the serious challenges of dealing with depression.
"It takes along time to realize that you do have an addiction, so I can't speak to whether or not I had an addiction or not. I did turn my back on it and walk toward a life I wanted a number of months later," he said.
"I just think it's easy to underestimate the reality of how drugs tempt you. I think I wanted to deal with the truth that they do appear to offer you something. Depression is a serious thing. Two out of three people in this world have at least one bout of depression in their life," he added.
Andre Agassi eventually pulled himself together and began training with his coach Brad Gilbert to make a return to the tour. The American kicked off the 1998 season as the World No. 110 and battled back to being World No. 6 by the end of the year, winning five titles during the year.