‘Wouldn’t Mention His Name in the Same Breath’ – Andre Agassi’s Inconsistent Attitude Was Once Heavily Criticized by the Legendary Jimmy Connors

Andre Agassi is widely regarded as one of the greatest names in men’s tennis. In his illustrious career, the American legend won 8 singles Grand Slam titles, an Olympic gold, and became the World No. 1. Having the stats in mind, he was rightly the most loved player. However, a question that crossed Agassi throughout his year was his inconsistency.

In his 2-decade long career, Agassi had many ups and downs. While he took the top spot at one moment, he dropped majorly in the next moment. Having several such episodes opened doors for a wide variety of questions and speculations against Agassi. Making additions to the criticism was his 2-time rival and fellow countryman, Jimmy Connors.

Jimmy Connors lashes out at Andre Agassi

Going back in time, in 1999, three years after his retirement, Connors took part in an interview with a media house. During the interview, a seemingly frustrated Connors opened up about his views on the 17-year-old younger, Andre Agassi. Known for his first and straightforward views, Connor started by asserting, “I wouldn’t mention his name in the same breath.”

Looking at the records, Connors and Agassi played each other twice in their careers. Coincidentally, both the meetings took place in the quarterfinals of the US Open. While the first meeting took place in 1988, the other one took place just a year after in 1989. Looking at Agassi’s game over time, speculations were raised saying that he has modeled over Connors’s game.

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However, Connors had a different approach. Going ahead in the conversation, he not only denied the modeled claims but also took a major dig at the then long-haired Agassi. “Imitation is the greatest form of flattery but I think they broke the mold when I finished,” Connors said.

Connors questions Agassi’s comeback

Turning pro in 1986, Agassi first entered the Top 5 in 1988. Dropping out after a handful of years, he re-entered the Top 5 in 1994. Being in a strong position, he became World No. 1 in 1995. However, failing to uphold the ranking, he again dropped out of the Top 5 in 1996. After being out of the Top 5 for 2 years, he made a comeback in 1998 for just a couple of weeks.

These are just a handful of instances. Looking at the records, one can find traces of inconsistency, till his retirement, in 2006. While Agassi was busy managing his consistency, another player who was climbing the ladder of success was Pete Sampras. Unlike Agassi, Sampras had a highly stable and consistent graph.

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Drawing comparisons between the two, Connors ended by suggesting, “For him (Agassi) to be staging a comeback at the age of 29 is not the right thing. There have been too many dips in his career and he hasn’t been consistently at the top of his game like Pete Sampras. With his talent, he should never have allowed himself to drop out of the top four or five.”