I watched Andre Agassi play his final match this past Labor Day weekend. It was bittersweet. Bitter, because it marks the end of an era. Sweet, because Andre has changed so much for the better over the years, and he leaves behind a great legacy to his sport.I feel like I grew up watching Agassi play tennis (or maybe I should say, grew up with him). When I played on my high school tennis team back in the late ’80’s, Agassi was the man. He was the James Dean of tennis. He was to tennis was rock ‘n roll is to music. He was the proverbial rebel who exuded cool.
It’s been interesting to watch him grow out of that over the years into an “elder statesman†of the game. What a great career he’s had, what a great contribution he’s made to the sport, and what a great champion.
Jay Winik’s reflections on Agassi’s career appear in today Wall Street Journal. I recommend his article to you: “We Watched Andre Agassi Grow: The punk kid who reinvigorated professional tennis.â€
Goodbye, Andre. You will be missed.
