"When I broke out in the professional world, there was a liberation that came with it and freedom that I hadn't really known" - When Andre Agassi opened up about his aggression as a young tennis player
Andre Agassi was regarded as one of the biggest generational talents of his time and decided to pursue a career in tennis at a very young age. However, soon after turning pro at the age of 16 and during the initial years of his rise in the sport, the American's on-court aggression and outbursts began to capture more attention.
Speaking during an old interview with ESPN, Agassi said that he experienced a feeling of freedom and liberation when he broke out onto the professional circuit, which he had not experienced in his life before that.
"When I broke out in the professional world, there was a liberation that came with it, and freedom that I hadn't really known," Andre Agassi said.
He further opened up about his feelings at the time, stating that he felt a lot of internal pressure to succeed as a tennis player.
"The part that was the most difficult about it was the realization that this is succeed or fail, this is life or no life," Agassi said. "What am I gonna do if I don't succeed at tennis?"
Mats Wilander, one of Agassi's competitors on tour back in the day, also gave his thoughts on facing a young Agassi who did not hold back on the court and played with high intensity.
"I remember playing a couple of games, and I was like, 'Oh man, that ball nearly hit my head.' I was like, is he serious? He's trying to hit me. This guy, he can't defend, he's just trying to do as hard as he can," Wilander stated.
How Andre Agassi felt the pressure of winning his first Major title
Andre Agassi turned pro in 1986 at the age of 16, but could not translate his talent into a maiden Grand Slam title for quite a while. The American increasingly felt the pressure of expectations as he lost his first three Grand Slam singles finals.
Jim Courier, who beat Agassi in the 1991 French Open final, revealed how much pressure Agassi was under before he finally won his first Major at Wimbledon in 1992.
When Courier congratulated Agassi on his Wimbledon victory, Agassi apologized to Courier for not congratulating him when he won their 1991 French Open final despite wanting to do so.
"I told him how glad I was that he won Wimbledon," Courier reminisced. "He told me that he was sorry he hadn't congratulated me before. He was happy that I had won as well, but it was almost like he needed to win that Major before he could say it."
Andre Agassi won eight Grand Slam singles titles in all, including four at the Australian Open. He completed the Career Grand Slam and also won an Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.