Say it ain't so, Andre!

October 28, 7:29 PMAlbuquerque Pop Culture ExaminerCarla Bastos

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Albuquerque Pop Culture Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Tennis great Andre Agassi, one of my all-time favorites, has admitted to using crystal meth in his new autobiography, Open.

The admission is a small portion of the chronicle of his amazing career, but all eyes are fixed on that one shocker.  Agassi, who was paid a reported $5 million advance to write the book, never admits to having been addicted or to long-term drug use.  "I can't speak to addiction, but a lot of people would say that if you're using anything as an escape, you have a problem," he said in a recent interview.

Perhaps most disappointing for his fans is the way Agassi lied his way out of being suspended after failing a drug test.  He told the International Tennis Federation that he "unwittingly" drank from someone's else's glass, accidentally ingesting the drug.  Amazingly, they bought it.

Agassi said he used the drug in 1997.  It was a time in his life when he was clearly trying to find himself.  Tennis fans will remember him bursting on the scene as a gifted, long-haired, young, brash player with little regard for authority.  In those early days, he tried to rebel against Wimbledon's on-court all-white clothing rule--a protest that is unheard of in the tennis world.  He even did a Canon camera commercial in which he declared, peering over his dark glasses, "Image is everything."

In the book, Agassi goes into surprising detail about his feelings before and after using meth.  "There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness.  Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head.  I've never felt so alive, so hopeful--and I've never felt such energy."

Somewhere along the line, Agassi came to his senses.  How long he continued doing crystal meth is unclear, but after being on top of the tennis world and then plummeting to a number 144 ranking, he apparently just made a decision to be number one again.  The gifted can do that at will, if their vices haven't taken complete control of their lives.

By 1999 Agassi was back on top, with a work ethic second to none, a humility never before seen in him, and a fan base all too eager to welcome him back.  Agassi retired in 2006 with eight Grand Slam titles to his credit, along with several distinctions in tennis history.  He is one of only six men to have achieved a career Grand Slam, meaning he's won all four majors; and, he is the only man in history with a Golden Slam--all four events plus the Olympic Gold Medal.  He also won 17 ATP Masters Series tournaments, more than any other player in history.

One of the achievements he says he is most proud of is his success as a humanitarian.  He is the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which has raised more than $60 million for at-risk children in Nevada, and the Andre Agassi College Prep Academy in Las Vegas, a K-12 public charter school for at-risk children.  Agassi is married to tennis great Steffi Graf.