Well, it appears as if Andre Agassi is the Jay-Z of competitive tennis. The thirty-eight year old is jumping back into tournament tennis after nearly three years away.
Some may wonder why Andre, who had once spent over one hundred and one weeks with the ATP’s number one ranking and helped the U.S. win three Davis Cups, would want to pull a Michael Jordan and dive back into a world that he helped create only to find out that he has been overtaken.
There is a good chance, however, that this won’t be the case. Agassi’s name still conjures up horrific images of blinding talent in the eyes of many tennis players, young and old alike.
This October, we will once again get to see the champ in the 30-and-over Outback Champions Series in Surprise, Arizona. Surprise is certainly a fitting town to host the possible comeback of the winner of eight major singles championships and one of only five men who have completed a career Grand Slam.
Keeping in mind that the tournament is for only those over the age of thiry, one might think that Agassi, even after being retired for two years, is shooting fish in the barrel. This, possibly to the chagrin of Agassi, couldn’t be further from the truth. Only people who have reached a final in a Grand Slam tournament, have been ranked in the top five, or have been on a team that has won the Davis Cup is eligible for entry into the event.
This means that Agassi may be facing off against Pete Sampras or John McEnroe, among others. The competition will consist of an eight player field that will compete for the prize of $150,000.
Agassi’s on-court adventures won’t begin in Surprise, however. This July, Agassi is set to partake in two matches for the Philadephia Freedoms. In addition, he will join his wife Steffi Graff, who is also no slouch on the court, for exhibition matches in Centre Court at the All England Club. Let’s hope that Mr. Agassi has spent his downtime with a raquet in his hand, because it doesn’t appear that he has any easy breaks in the near future.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I believe he should stay off court!! ” Leave-well-enough-alone”
he’s playing the seniors event. it would be great for teeny boppers like you who have never seen him play get back on the court. besides, he’s not playing the regular tour. so why should he stay off the court?