American tennis has produced many players that have attained legendary status. From the likes of Billie Jean King to Andy Roddick and Serena Williams, these players have enthralled tennis fans during their glorious careers. Amongst them was Andre Agassi.
Agassi struggled in the early part of his career. However, he soon took big strides on the tennis circuit and started to put on consistent performances across the tournaments. However, a Grand Slam title eluded him until 1992, when he defeated Goran Ivanisevic in a thrilling summit clash at Wimbledon to win his maiden Grand Slam title. It was a perfect response to Agassi’s critics, who went after him during his controversial commercial for Canon.
Andre Agassi was once criticized for his Canon commercial
In 1990, Agassi shot for Canon Rebel’s ‘Image is Everything’ commercial. However, the advertisement created a controversy with its tagline becoming synonymous with Agassi. He often heard the three-word slogan shouted at him by the fans.
Talking about this controversy, he once said, “It reminds me of those Vegas windstorms, the kind that begin with a faint, ominous rustling of leaves, and ultimately turn into high-pitched, gale-force, three-day blows.”
Further, he has also described how the slogan became synonymous with him in his autobiography. He wrote, “Overnight the slogan becomes synonymous with me. Sportswriters liken this slogan to my inner nature, my essential being. They say it’s my philosophy, my religion, and they predict it’s going to be my epitaph.”
Agassi’s emotional adieu to tennis
The former World Number 1 called an end to his illustrious career after his third-round defeat at the US Open in 2006. He lost out to the German qualifier, Benjamin Becker in four sets. Following his defeat, Agassi gave an emotional speech as he thanked everyone for their support throughout his career. The fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium gave him a lengthy standing ovation.
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After his illustrious tennis career, Agassi has focused on giving back to society through his charity, Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. Additionally, he has also participated in several charity tennis events.
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