"I'm terrified, I feel as if it's the final Sunday of the tournament"- When Andre Agassi recalled his US Open debut
Andre Agassi's US Open debut came in 1986 when he was only 16 years old.
The American received a wildcard for the hardcourt Major and was up against Britain's Jeremy Bates in the opening round. The latter won 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to book his spot in the second round of the tournament, thus eliminating Agassi.
The former World No. 1 wrote about the match in his book "Open: An Autobiography" in 2009 and revealed that at first, he was excited and proud to be on the court, which soon turned into fear, likening the situation to the final Sunday of a Grand Slam.
"In the first round, I face Jeremy Bates, from Great Britain. We’re on a back court, far from the crowds and the main action. I’m excited. I’m proud. Then I’m terrified. I feel as if it’s the final Sunday of the tournament. My butterflies are flying in tight formation," Andre Agassi wrote.
The eight-time Grand Slam champion also claimed that while he was disappointed with the loss, he was confident of bridging the gap between where he was at the moment and where he needed to be.
"I feel disappointed, slightly embarrassed. But I know that I wasn’t prepared for my first US Open or New York. I see a gap between where I am and where I need to be, and I feel reasonably confident that I can close that gap," Agassi stated.
Agassi's match against Bates at the 1986 US Open was the very first meeting between the two players. Their second meeting came in Key Biscayne in 1988, where the American won 6-2, 6-1, 6-0.
Andre Agassi won 79 matches at the US Open
Andre Agassi was pretty successful at the US Open over the course of his career, winning 79 out of 98 matches, which is his highest win tally at any Grand Slam. The American won two singles titles at Flushing Meadows, the first of which came in 1994 when he became the first unseeded player to win the tournament since Fred Stolle in 1966. That year, he triumphed 6-1, 7-6(5), 7-5 over Michael Stich in the final.
Agassi's second title at the New York Major came five years later, in 1999, when he won a tight final against Todd Martin.
His best performance at the US Open this century came in 2002 when he reached the final and lost to his arch-rival Pete Sampras in what turned out to be the latter's last professional match. Agassi's last appearance at the New York Major came in 2006, as he made it to the third round before losing to Benjamin Becker.