Though once a rebellious icon with flamboyant style and aggressive play, Andre Agassi’s intense dedication always shone through. His father pushed him hard from an early age, making him hit thousands of balls every day. That relentless training sculpted Agassi’s exceptional baseline game and his legendary return of serve. This drive powered him to his first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon in 1992, silencing doubters who questioned his unconventional persona. Today, that same powerful energy fuels his remarkable philanthropic work. But have you ever wondered how he got here?

“Taking ownership means finding your reasons. I found my reasons during the thick of my career,” Agassi said in 2014 at the Lauren & Bobby Turner Social Impact Executive Speaker Series at Wharton. He reshared this moment on Instagram on April 26, 2025, with the caption, “Find your impact, change your life.” His words still ring true, even a decade later.

From his professional debut in 1986, Agassi captivated the tennis world. His relentless drive led him to eight Grand Slam singles titles, conquering all four majors. He clinched the career Grand Slam with his 1999 Roland Garros victory. A proud patriot, Agassi anchored the United States to three Davis Cup wins in the 1990s, finishing with a stellar 30-6 singles record. When he retired in 2006, Agassi’s journey revealed a deep understanding of his purpose.

He said it himself, “I used that as a vehicle not just for my own inspiration to achieve on the court, but as a life vest of sorts when I went through my ‘death’ on the tennis court, which is retirement. When I was done, it sort of occurred to me that the greatest thing I enjoyed on the tennis court was impacting somebody for two hours, and I’d leave the court.”

Agassi wanted to keep making a difference. In 1994, he founded the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, believing in the power of learning-especially for underserved youth in Las Vegas. But then came the big question, “But what real impact is it through the vehicle of my foundation, through the vehicle of changing generations?”

His biggest philanthropic project is the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a tuition-free charter school he opened in 2001. Its core mission: prepare students for college and future success. Agassi has invested in education for underprivileged children, helping to establish 130 schools that serve about 80,000 students across the United States. Through his foundation, he has raised over $180 million for this cause. Agassi Prep’s first graduating classes boasted a 100% college acceptance rate.

As he put it, “You have this great opportunity to now shift. I looked at it like a bigger canvas to impact not just a memory, not just a few hours, but to impact generations.” Agassi’s work today proves he was always more than just a tennis player.

Through his foundation, Agassi has pushed for systemic education reform. He advocates for better policies and practices to help disadvantaged students succeed. Today, the academy is part of the Democracy Prep Nevada network, still operating on the original campus. Its focus on college readiness continues to change lives, extending Agassi’s legacy far beyond tennis.

He may have been the guy in eccentric, loud tennis kits, but he stood up for what he believed in. He even boycotted Wimbledon for three years because the dress code felt restrictive. Another side of Agassi? His comeback in 1997, when many thought his career was over. Overcoming the fear of failure was just another feather in his cap-one that helped make him the greatest.

Andre Agassi revisits the toughest years of his career

After a tough break, Andre Agassi returned to the tour in 1997, but his game was off. His performance dipped, and many wrote him off. In 1996, after three Slam wins, a wrist injury forced him out of several tournaments. That year, Agassi revealed he was struggling with crystal meth addiction, a dark chapter that nearly ended his career. But Agassi wasn’t done.

In 1998, he committed to a dedicated conditioning program, determined to climb back to the top. He focused on recovery, grinding through the ranks. By 1999, he reached the French Open final. Down two sets to Andrei Medvedev, Agassi was “so frozen in fear, I’m down two sets to love in just 47 minutes,” he recalled at an Elite Agent conference. “And, what do you do? The same thing you’ve been learning for years. All the regrets, that side of the learning, all the positives… and you just move your feet, watch the ball, run, and try and engage.”

Agassi fought back to win, capturing the elusive Career Grand Slam, an honor only Rod Laver had achieved in the Open Era before him.

He later explained why he never quit, even when things got bleak. He admitted, “Fear of everything, I mean, fears of failing, fears of succeeding, fear of not knowing who you are, knowing who you are, not liking who you are, fear of my father’s growing up, fear of being alone, you know fear of not being enough, you know all that stuff.” That fear, he said, kept him going when walking away seemed easier.

Through sheer grit and a relentless mindset, Agassi turned his career around. He went on to win four more Grand Slams before retiring, cementing his place among the tennis elites. How high do you rate Agassi among the all-time greats of the game?