Tennis has seen many legendary players transform the sport drastically, and Andre Agassi is one of them. The eight-time major winner, through his autobiography, “OPEN,” revealed some dark secrets of his life. In an attempt to clear his conscience, Agassi revealed his destructive habits that almost ruined his career.
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“The Punisher” is one of the greatest and possibly one of the most influential tennis players of the 90s and early 2000s. The dominating Andre Agassi has many records to his name, the most significant one being the gold medal that he won in the 1996 Olympics.
Andre Agassi admits a startling dark truth
Agassi admits to having a difficult relationship with the sport. In his autobiography, Agassi revealed, “I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis. I hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have”. The autobiography is a razor-sharp story and a fearless narration of life in his own words.
Agassi was a confused, rebellious, and inspiring athlete. “Open” represents his weird love-hate relationship with tennis, where Agassi played not because he enjoyed it but because he cannot live with defeat. The books revealed his innermost dark thoughts at crucial moments that affected him deeply.
Andre Agassi is the first player to win all four singles majors on hard, clay, and grass surfaces. He was crowned at the French Open in 1999 and the Australian Open in 2003. Additionally, he bagged 17 Masters titles and won the Davis Cup in 1990, 1992, and 1995. However, 1997 proved to be a dark year in the career of the eight-time Grand Slam champion.
READ MORE – ‘Don’t Know What Crystal Meth Is…’ – Andre Agassi’s Drug Confession Once Forced a Stunning Reaction Out of Venus and Serena Williams
Andre Agassi was addicted to crystal meth and in his autobiography was quoted as saying, “As if they’re coming out of someone else’s mouth, I hear these words: You know what? F*** it. “Yeah, let’s get high.” In this dark period, Agassi fell to No. 141 in the world and had to compete in challenger events just to get into the main draws.
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Agassi blamed his close friend for his addiction
The autobiography revealed Andre Agassi’s nearly yearlong abuse of crystal meth. Andre was quoted as pushing the blame for his drug addiction on his close friend, Slim. “Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed,” Andre mentioned in his book.
WATCH THIS STORY- “Lied and Got Away With It’ Martina Navratilova Once Chastised American Icon Andre Agassi Over His Substance Abuse Confession.
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Agassi also revealed how he failed a doping test that year and evaded suspension by keeping the Association of Tennis Professionals in the dark about his addiction. Elaborating on how he fooled the ATP, “It’s filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth. I said Slim, whom I’ve since fired, is a known drug user and that he often spikes his sodas with meth, which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter.” He mentioned how he informed the officials that he drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting the drugs.
Despite his struggles with addiction, Agassi still won five more Grand Slam titles, reclaimed the No. 1 ranking, married Steffi Graf and with tears bid adieu to pro tennis at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2006.