‘It’s Like Planning for Death’- Andre Agassi, Who Hated Tennis Growing Up, Made a Poignant Note About Retiring From the Sport

Andre Agassi is one of those rare players who has achieved success despite not loving the game. To put it in better words, he was pushed into something he never loved. 

Despite that, the eight-time Grand Slam champion was at a stage in his life after retirement where he struggled to understand what was happening to him. He wasn’t quite ready to accept the reality that was in front of him. In one of his in-depth interviews, Agassi revealed the difficulties he had to go through post-retirement from the game.

Andre Agassi, on his difficult times post-retirement 

There is always a high and a low phase in each and every player’s career. Similarly, Agassi’s career was also the same. He initially took up tennis because of his dad and then had to cope with drug addiction and divorce later in his career. But luckily, he has been able to have a lot of success as a player amidst the ups and downs.

Back in 2015, he was invited for an interview with Harvard Business Review. The host asked him about his inner resilience, how he managed his emotions during his playing days, etc. During the interview, there was an instance when the host, Alison Beard, asked about Agassi’s approach towards retirement, to which the 52-year-old replied by saying, “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through emotionally. Think about it: You’ve done this thing since you were in diapers. You don’t remember life without it. It’s really the only thing you do.” 

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He further echoed his previous statement by saying, “Then one day it comes to an end, and you have no idea what’s on the other side because you don’t even know yourself without it. It’s like planning for death.”

Agassi’s life and contributions after his retirement

The year 2006 was when Agassi bid Adieu to his stellar tennis career. Later, he focused on his coaching for a shorter stint. He initially took the responsibility of coaching the former world No. 1, Novak Djokovic. 

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The American star, in collaboration with the Serbian star, worked together from 2017 to 2018. Then in 2019, he was roped in by Grigor Dimitrov as his coach. Talking about his off-court contributions to society, he established the Andre Agassi charitable foundation and raised money for children in Southern Nevada.