"You had no business losing that fourth set" - When Andre Agassi opened up on his father reacting to Wimbledon triumph
Andre Agassi is among tennis' all-time greats, who won eight Grand Slam singles titles in his career. His first Major title came at the 1992 Wimbledon Championships, where he was seeded 12th.
Agassi beat Andrei Chesnokov, Eduardo Masso, Derrick Rostagno, Christian Saceanu, Boris Becker and John McEnroe to set up a title clash against Goran Ivanisevic. He then got the better of the Croat 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 to lift his first Slam trophy. That also made him the first American to win Wimbledon since John McEnroe in 1984.
In his book 'Open,' Agassi wrote about the phone call he made after the win to his father Emmanoul, who was in Las Vegas at the time. The tennis star claimed that he was trembling while doing so.
When Agassi asked his father about the win, the response he received was that he should not have lost the fourth set.
"Later in the afternoon, back at the house we’ve rented, I phone Gil, who couldn’t make the trip, because he needed to be home with his family after the long clay season. Trembling, I dial my father in Vegas. 'Pops? It’s me! Can you hear me? What’d you think?' Silence. 'Pops?' 'You had no business losing that fourth set'. Stunned, I wait, not trusting my voice," Andre Agassi wrote.
Agassi also said that his father was crying, and that he heard him sniffling. The former World No. 1 believes his father was proud of his victory but was incapable of expressing it.
"Then I say, 'Good thing I won the fifth set, though, right? He says nothing. Not because he disagrees, or disapproves, but because he’s crying. Faintly I hear my father sniffling and wiping away tears, and I know he’s proud, just incapable of expressing it. I can’t fault the man for not knowing how to say what’s in his heart. It’s the family curse," Agassi said.
Andre Agassi never won another Wimbledon title
Andre Agassi's Wimbledon triumph in 1992 was his only title at the grasscourt Major. Agassi's title defense in 1993 ended in the quarterfinals, where he lost to rival and eventual champion Pete Sampras.
The American never won another title at Wimbledon, with his best performance being reaching the final in 1999 - where he lost 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, again to Sampras. Agassi also reached three semifinals at the grass-court Major - in 1995, 2000, and 2001.
Agassi's final appearance at Wimbledon came in 2006, when he was seeded 25th. The American made it to the third round of the tournament before losing 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4 to Rafael Nadal.