"In her own quiet way Steffi Graf feels stronger than me" - When Andre Agassi admitted to reminiscing about his glory days more than his wife did
Andre Agassi once opened up about the difference in thinking between him and his wife Steffi Graf when it came to missing their playing days. The American also shed light on how uniquely challenging it was for athletes to retire.
Agassi ended his illustrious tennis career in 2006 with eight Grand Slam titles under his belt. Despite spending 20 years on the professional circuit, the former World No. 1 encountered a lot of difficulties while coming to terms with retirement, admitting that it felt like "planning for death".
However, one aspect of his career that Andre Agassi did not miss at all was the intensity of competition. The American admitted that he hated that the scoreboard only reflected the match result and not all the effort that went into rising to the top of the sport.
"I miss that the least. That was always the tough part for me. I enjoyed the work that went into making yourself the best you can be but I hated what the scoreboard doesn’t say. It just tells you if you won or lost," Andre Agassi said.
Agassi also pointed out that a major obstacle for most athletes was learning to deal with their way of life ending without being prepared for that eventuality. The eight-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that his wife Steffi Graf was stronger than him when it came to moving on from tennis, confessing that he reminisced about his glory days more than the German did.
"But the biggest issue for most athletes is you spend a third of your life not preparing for the next two-thirds. One day your entire way of life comes to an end. It’s a kind of death," he said.
"You just have to go through it and figure it out. In her own quiet way Steffi feels stronger than me. She’s pretty linear in how she lives. I probably do a little more reminiscing than she does – which says a lot," he added.
Illustrating his point, Andre Agassi revealed that Steffi Graf was so disconnected from the tennis world that she only cared about Serena Williams surpassing her Grand Slam record out of obligation.
"Steffi Graf said, 'Can you believe what these guys are willing to put themselves through?'" - Andre Agassi on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's rise
During the same interview, Andre Agassi revealed that he felt no desire to compete against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The American shared that his wife Steffi Graf had been shocked by the amount of pressure they were willing to put themselves under to achieve success in tennis.
Having experienced retired life, Agassi also questioned why Federer and Nadal were so determined, asserting that he would've ended his career sooner if he could go back in time.
"No. You can’t believe you once were at that level – and, even if I could do it, I think of my life now and ask: 'Why do they do it?’ Steffi said: ‘Can you believe what these guys are still willing to put themselves through?’ It’s remarkable but if I went back in time I would probably retire sooner," Agassi said.
Andre Agassi further disclosed that he had come to hold a "deep appreciation" for tennis, years after admitting that he "hated" the sport with a passion in his autobiography 'Open.'