‘You Kind of Beg and You Beg’ – Andre Agassi Opens Up on Convincing the Philanthropic World and the Private Sector to Support His Foundation

The 90s and the 2000s saw many tennis legends step on the court. From the likes of Pete Sampras to Roger Federer, it was a golden decade for tennis. Amongst them was Andre Agassi. An eight-time Grand Slam champion, Agassi dominated men’s tennis during this period. He had many notable rivalries with players such as Sampras.

Agassi ended his career at his favorite tournament, the US Open in 2006. After his tennis career, the 52-year-old has focused on social causes. Recently, he talked about receiving support for his foundation.

Agassi on the contribution of the philanthropic world and the private sector

During an interview, the former World Number 1 opened up about convincing the philanthropic world and the private sector to support his foundation. He said, “Well, you know when you talk to the philanthropic side of things, they love what you do but they’re not charged with you know, making anything. They’re charged with giving their money away so you know you understand those mandates and I have you know, pretty sizable foundation so I understand the pressures that come with you know, how you allocate those resources and the separation that you need to keep in some respects but I think the business sector was probably a little bit harder.”

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Further, he went on to add, “I think those that ask people for money over and over again, right, that’s what you do. You kind of beg and you beg and you offer. But in any case, the business side is convincing them that you’re not going to sacrifice any yield because you have some sort of, you know, social mission that you want to accomplish.”

Andre Agassi Foundation For Education

During his prime years in tennis, the American tennis legend also started his foundation. It provides educational opportunities and resources to an otherwise underprivileged population.

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It is a noble cause by the eight-time Grand Slam champion, helping to make society a better place to live in.