Andre Agassi – “Lack of Education Sent Me on a Downward Spiral”

The eight-time Grand Slam champion, Andre Agassi is an investor of a startup called, Square Panda, which is headquartered in California. The former World Number one, Agassi revealed about his investment habits to Economic Times. “I bet on people,” he said. “Good ideas can get screwed up and an average idea can really become something special because of people.”

Also, the legend, Andre Agassi spoke about his interests in developing the education system for the upcoming generation. He feels that education is the most powerful weapon which could change an individual’s life and he regrets not receiving education to the fullest.

“It was right about the half-way point in my career – at the very coming off from the ‘world number-one’ spot to a real low point,” Andre Agassi mentioned. “This low point was the transition for me trying to figure out my reason for continuing to play tennis. So my lack of education was probably the greatest vehicle to my commitment and interest in education. Lack of education is what sent me on a downward spiral.”

He continued, “It was around this time that I came to know about a charter school. I saw two Americans changing the lives of kids systemically by teaching them. I built my own charter school in the most economically-challenged areas of Las Vegas. This charter school was not because I was an educator but because I facilitated this dream. I have built 90 plus charter schools in the last five years and we put in over a billion dollars.”

The 17-year-old German-American couple of tennis, Stefanie Graf and Andre Agassi were recently in a conversation with the Stellar Magazine. The came together in the year 1999 when Graf and Agassi together lifted up their French Open trophies. In addition to their professional excellence, they are successful within their family lives and Graf and Agassi are parents of a girl and a boy.

Like all other tennis players, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi kept experiencing injuries their careers, even now as they stay away from professional tennis, the duo is still undergoing the agony of injuries. “Sitting here, my hips – it’s hurting. I’ve got a knee that’s bone on bone,” said Graf. “It was hard on our bodies. We cannot go on a tennis court unless it’s for a very short time. At 18 years of age, doctors told me I would have never played professional tennis. I played for the following 11 years, and I was not afraid of my opponents but of the pain. Tennis is not funny that way.”

Later, Andre Agassi acknowledged, “Her hip got hurt the most and my back is doing pretty bad.” The couple is still engaged with tennis and make their presence in charity and exhibition matches.