Andre Agassi: "I'm a searcher at heart and not scared to ask questions"
Former World No. 1 Andre Agassi recently opened up about what the world doesn't understand about him, stating that he is a searcher at heart and isn't scared to ask questions.
Agassi is one of the most successful tennis players of all time, having won 60 career titles, including eight Grand Slams. He also bagged an Olympic gold medal in 1996.
In a recent episode of 'The AO Show' podcast titled 'Bonus: Andre Agassi finding peace on the Court and finding purpose in life,' the American was asked about what the world doesn't quite understand about his personality. He responded that what he puts himself through on the court can be mirrored in how he handles other aspects of his life.
"I don't know how much anybody can understand of anybody from a distance, right? What I put myself through on the tennis court is pretty reflective on what I put myself through in some of the other parts of my life. You know it's the way I process," Agassi said (at 7:20).
Agassi shared that he's a searcher at heart and is unafraid to pose tough questions, especially when they concern him. He also pointed out that the greatest distance on earth is between one's mind and heart and described bridging that gap as a personal journey of understanding and connection.
"I'm a searcher at heart and not scared to ask questions, especially if those tough questions are directed at me and I need inspiration. Sometimes I find it, sometimes it finds me. I think the mind and the heart are something that I wish were more connected more easily. I spend way too long with the disconnect," Agassi said.
"The greatest distance on earth is the distance between a person's mind and heart and making that connection was a process for me," he continued.
Andre Agassi discusses his inspiration since his retirement
In the same podcast, Andre Agassi was asked about what inspired him since he retired from tennis in 2006.
In his response, the 53-year-old stated that building his foundation — the Andre Agassi Charitable Association — and mainly figuring out scalable ways to solve societal issues inspire him.
"A lot happened since I have retired, starting with my memoir and building out my foundation. It's a sizeable charitable foundation now, figuring out some scalable ways to solve some societal issues," Agassi said (at 8:30).
Agassi then claimed that he has "scaled his mission of education" across the USA by building 130 schools, giving children the choice that he never had.
"I've scaled my mission in education across the country, back home in the United States, giving children choice cause I never had it. The biggest crime is that children don't have a choice because they're just sort of bound to the downward spiral that the generations before them of not graduating high school, not going to college, gangs you know growing up in these. So, I built about 130 schools across the country," he said.