"My beautiful bride... Steffi Graf's tireless, fearless, a gem" - When Andre Agassi proclaimed his wife as the person he admired the most in the world
Andre Agassi once proclaimed that his wife and fellow tennis legend, Steffi Graf, is the person he admired most. The power couple have been married for almost 23 years now.
Agassi and Graf's love story was years in the making. In his autobiography, 'Open' (2009), Agassi revealed that he had a crush on his future wife even before meeting her in person. They finally crossed paths at the 1992 Wimbledon Championships as the champions, and years later, their coaches arranged a practice session for them.
They started dating in 1999 and married two years later. They are proud parents to two children. Their son Jaden, 22, excels as a baseball player for the University of Southern California's Trojans, and their daughter Jaz, 20, is a talented dancer and fitness coach.
Andre Agassi has always been open about his love for his wife, Steffi Graf. This was evident again during a 2015 Q&A session with The Guardian, where the eight-time Grand Slam champion described her as the person he admires most in his life, affectionately calling her a "gem."
"My beautiful bride, because she lives her values on an hourly basis. She’s tireless, fearless, she’s absolutely clear on her objectives. Steffi is a gem," Agassi said.
When asked about his greatest achievement, Agassi replied:
"Getting Steffi to say yes."
The American also revealed that he finds the most happiness when he sees his son and daughter pushing themselves hard to improve, whether it is striving for better grades or sporting achievements.
"Every time I see either of our children, Jaden and Jaz, who are 13 and 11, really push themselves hard, whether that’s for a grade in school or an accomplishment in sport," Andre Agassi said.
Steffi Graf: "In a very short period, Andre Agassi made me trust him"
In a 2004 episode of the television show Biography, Steffi Graf shared insights into her relationship with husband Andre Agassi. She confessed that she had never anticipated marrying or having children, but meeting the American changed her perspective.
"I never expected to get married, I never expected to have kids and in a very, very short period, he made me trust him, I fell in love, and the five years that we've been together, I can still say the same thing," Graf said.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion added:
"He's the best father I could ever wish for my children. Loves just spending time and playing and playing rough, playing cozy, trying to cuddle with the kids, it's just beautiful to watch."