Live Life Team
Andre Agassi was born on April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas to parents, Elizabeth and Emmanuel, also known as Mike. The family’s sporting credentials were already well established as Mike had represented Iran in boxing at two Olympic Games.
At the age of 13, Andre went to Florida to attend a tennis academy. The intention was for him to stay for just eight weeks, since that was all the family was able to afford. However, after the coaches saw him play, the Agassi’s had their cheque returned and Andre received free coaching. He turned professional at the age of 16.
Andre went on to become a top ranked player, amassing eight Grand Slam titles during his career. He is only one of six players to achieve a Career Grand Slam, which includes winning the four different Grand Slam titles. He is also the only male player to have achieved a Career Golden Slam, which includes the four Grand Slam tournaments plus an Olympic gold medal. He won the Wimbledon tennis tournament first in 1992 after refusing to take part in Wimbledon from 1988 to 1990, citing the tournament’s traditional stance, in particular its ‘all white’ dress code. He retired from competitive tennis in 2006.
After a short marriage to actress Brooke Shields, which ended in 1999, Andre married fellow tennis player, Steffi Graf. The couple now have to two children. Andre now spends much of his time involved with charity work. In 1994, he founded his own charitable foundation to help the youth of Las Vegas. This is just one of many causes he supports.
