"Friends tell me it’s the most desolate look they’ve ever seen on my face" - When Andre Agassi recalled French Open final defeat to Jim Courier
Andre Agassi reached his maiden Grand Slam final at the 1990 French Open, where he lost to Pete Sampras. The following year, Agassi entered the tournament as the fourth seed and once again reached the final. He was up against ninth seed Jim Courier in that match, and even took a two-sets-to-one lead.
But Courier fought back and won the next two sets to clinch his maiden Grand Slam singles title, in the process extending Agassi's wait for a first Major.
Agassi wrote about the final in his book "Open: An Autobiography," claiming he lost the desire to win during the fourth set. He also stated that he was hoping for the match to get over quickly.
"In the fifth set, tied 4–4, he breaks me. Now, all at once, I just want to lose. I can’t explain it any other way. In the fourth set I lost the will, but now I’ve lost the desire. As certain as I felt about victory at the start of this match, that’s how certain I am now of defeat. And I want it. I long for it," Andre Agassi wrote.
"I say under my breath: Let it be fast. Since losing is death, I’d rather it be fast than slow. I no longer hear the crowd. I no longer hear my own thoughts, only a white noise between my ears. I can’t hear or feel anything except my desire to lose," he added.
Agassi further claimed his friends told him they had never seen a more desolate look on his face. At that point the American wanted to quit tennis as he felt he lacked what it took to "get over the line."
"I drop the tenth and decisive game of the fifth set, and congratulate Courier. Friends tell me it’s the most desolate look they’ve ever seen on my face. Afterward, I don’t scold myself. I coolly explain it to myself this way: You don’t have what it takes to get over the line. You just quit on yourself—you need to quit this game," Agassi wrote.
Andre Agassi won the French Open once in his career
Andre Agassi won 51 out of 67 matches at the French Open in his career. His win percentage of 76.1% at Roland Garros is his lowest at any Grand Slam.
The only time the American won the French Open was in 1999, when he was seeded 13th. He reached the final following wins over Franco Squillari and Arnaud Clement. He also beat Chris Woodruff, Marcelo Filippini, Dominik Hrbaty, and then-defending champion Carlos Moya along the way.
Agassi faced Andriy Medvedev in the final, beating him 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to win his first French Open crown and complete the Career Grand Slam. His best performance at the clay-court Major since his victory was reaching the quarterfinals - which he did in 2001, 2002, and 2003.
Agassi's last appearance at Roland Garros came in 2005, where he suffered an opening-round exit against Jarkko Nieminen.