I watched The US Open Tennis Tournament from New York today. It was nice to see that somewhere the weather was good, as we have had rain all day.
I’ve always enjoyed watching tennis, especially men’s tennis. There is something about watching these men serve a ball at mind boggling speeds, and then equally amazing to see the ball returned.
But today was a sad day for me too. It was the day that Andre Agassi played his last professional game, and his last game at the US Open.
For 21 years I have watched Andre play this game. When he started out he was a cocky young man with long hair, a scruffy two day growth of beard and usually some long dangly earring whipping around his face.
But there was that grin, and his ability to make shots and get shots that intrigued me. If he was playing, I was watching.
Back then Pete Sampras was playing as well. He had a serve that few could ever hope to return. Pete and Andre seemed to always meet somewhere along the way during the different tournaments. And if one didn’t win the other did.
But where Pete was always Pete, Andre went through many changes over the years. You could see his game grow and change as you watched the man, himself growing and changing.
Andre searched for happiness, failed the first time he thought he’d found it, and then low and behold he got together with tennis champ, Steffi Graf, whom he married and has had two beautiful children with.
But time and age are an athletes worst enemy, and so it was with Andre. We watched his body giving out over the last year, at the same time we found ourselves feeling so proud of this once cocky boy, turn into a wonderful, caring man.
I watched his match today. His last match. I could feel the pain wash over me when I saw him flinch with a back spasm. He did not stop playing. He gave it his all. The crowd cheered and tears were shed.
When the game was done, his opponent was crying too. Andre had showed us all what a real champion looked like, and how a real champion retired, with such grace.
So, thank you Andre, for 21 wonderful years.
I only heard about that today, too. While I don’t watch tennis (or any other sport), it did make me a little bit sad to see him retiring. 🙁
Very well written!!! couldn’t watch it but truly wish I did! He is a great spotsman! I just hope his two kids don’t feel too much pressure to become tennis stars…
Ditto Maribeth. It was rather sad
Great write up! I saw part of the match and was struck by how genuine a man Agassi is. He also has a beautiful smile;)
Your words and that photo capture the growth in his career, him as a person and his retirement perfectly. Very nicely written.
Excellent reading MB. I’m not a fan of tennis but it almost makes me wish I had been to watch this man.
Still stunned over Steve Irwin…absolutely stunned.
Almost as bad as with Diana.
♥Pam
I had no idea that he’d been playing for 21 years as I’m not a tennis fan. I enjoyed your write up and I think it’s amazing that he played professionally for that long.