Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi has just been inducted into the International tennis hall of fame. He was the first American inducted since Michael Chang in 2008.

PARIS, Nov 10 AP - Former No.1-ranked Marat Safin believes that Andre Agassi should give his tennis titles back after confessing he tested positive for a banned substance during his career and lied about it to the ATP.
Agassi admitted in his book ``Open'' that he used crystal meth in
1997 and failed a drug test, a result he says was thrown out after he lied by saying he ``unwittingly'' took the substance.
Safin, who will retire this month, said in an interview with L'Equipe newspaper on Tuesday that Agassi should ``give his titles, his money and his grand slam titles'' back.
``I'm not defending the ATP, but what he said put it in a delicate position,'' Safin said.
``The ATP allowed him to win a lot of tournaments, a lot of money. It kept his secret. Why does he need to be so cruel with it?''
Agassi, who retired in 2006, won 60 titles, including eight grand slams, during his career. He recently told The Associated Press that he had to speak about his lies because he couldn't live with it anymore.
``If he is as fair play as he says he is, he has to go to the end,'' Safin said.
``You know, the ATP has a bank account and he can give the money back if he wants.''
Safin, who will retire after this week's Paris Masters, won the
2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open.
The 29-year-old Russian said he isn't going to write his autobiography when his career will be over.
``Me, I don't need money,'' he said.
``The question is: Why did he do this? What is done is done. Does he hope to sell more books? It's absolutely stupid.''

Romanian tennis legend Ilie Nastase is asking US tennis star Andre Agassi to give up all his titles as he has cheated in tennis.

The move comes following Agassi's confessions in his autobiography "Open," which will be launched this week. It contains references to legendary Romanian tennis player Nastase, according to quotes from the book published by The Observer.

Agassi calls Nastase the "big, stupid Romanian", as the young Agassi had felt wounded by him.

Nastase said in an interview in Romanian daily Gandul; "He should be the one to regret a lot of things, not only that he doped. If he didn't like tennis, why doesn't he renounce at all his titles. Anyway, for me, it's clear that Agassi cheated in tennis. I may have been crazy, but I was never stupid".

Agassi shocked the world by his confession in his autobiography as he admitted having used crystal meth in 1997 and lied to tennis authorities after failing a drug test.

He asked for compassion in a TV interview and said he had never played while high.

Agassi, one of the most-popular tennis players, won eight Grand Slam singles titles before retiring in 2006.

And one other quote from Agassi some may find amusing:

On his fake hair: Of the 1990 French Open final, Agassi writes, "Warming up before the match, I pray. Not for a win, but for my hairpiece to stay on."

From Agassi's book. I imagine if anyone here bet on him in the Aust Open semis against Chang they won't be happy:

-On Sampras: Agassi says Sampras "sounds more robotic than a parrot. I envy Pete's dullness. I wish I could emulate his spectacular lack of inspiration, and his peculiar lack of need for inspiration." Agassi tells of betting coach Brad Gilbert about how much Sampras tipped a parking valet; they ask the valet, who says $1; Agassi's conclusion: "We could not be more different, Pete and I."
-On Chang: "He thanks God - credits God - for the win, which offends me. That God should take sides in a tennis match, that God should side against me, that God should be in Chang's box, feels ludicrous and insulting. I beat Chang and savor every blasphemous stroke."
When Chang wins the 1989 French Open, Agassi thinks, "I feel sickened. How could Chang, of all people, have won a slam before me?"
-On other opponents: Agassi writes about holding grudges against Becker (who Agassi says blew kisses at Brooke Shields during a match), Jim Courier, Thomas Muster, Yevgeni Kafelnikov, Jeff Tarango (who Agassi says cheated during a match between them when Agassi was 8).
-On tanking: Agassi says he lost on purpose against Chang in the Australian Open semi-finals one year so he wouldn't have to face Becker in the final, writing: "It's almost harder than winning. You have to lose in such a way that the crowd can't tell."
He also says of sports writers: "They never get it right. When I tank, they say I'm not good enough; when I'm not good enough, they say I tank."

NEW YORK, Nov 5 AFP - Andre Agassi has pleaded for compassion from critics over his taking of crystal methamphetamine, saying he ``needed help'' to fight depression in 1997.
CBS released excerpts from Agassi's interview in the US 60 Minutes TV program on Thursday with the entire story to be aired on Sunday regarding his admission of taking methamphetamine in his soon-to-be-released book as well as other aspects of his life and career.
Agassi became emotional when interviewer Katie Couric read him the words of Martina Navratilova, who compared Agassi to Roger Clemens, a star baseball pitcher who has denied wrongdoing despite links to performance-enhancing drugs.
``It's what you don't want to hear,'' Agassi said. ``I would hope with that would come some compassion that maybe this person doesn't need condemnation. Maybe this person could stand a little help.
``Because that was at a time in my life when I needed help. I had a problem, and there might be many other athletes out there that test positive for recreational drugs that have a problem. So I would ask for some compassion.''
The former world No.1's new book, ``Open'', will be published next week.
Agassi said he is uncertain how the revelations will impact how he is regarded or whether he belongs in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
``I don't know what the ramifications are,'' Agassi said. ``I had way more to lose by telling this story in its full transparency than I had to gain.
``The price that that comes with is the cost that I've assumed and I'm OK because the part that I worry and think more about is who this may help.''
Agassi, now married to retired tennis star Steffi Graf, admits in the book that he hated tennis for much of his career despite his skill, having been forced into the sport at an early age, but eventually developed a love for it.
``I was tortured by it. Hated it. Took ownership of it. Started to have a relationship with it. Started to embrace it. Started to extract from it and grew to love everything it had to give me, which was the relationships in my life, the people, the fans,'' Agassi said.
``It was a gift. I go out with my wife now and I hit balls and I can enjoy it.''

LONDON - International tennis and anti-doping officials expressed disappointment today at Andre Agassi's admission that he used a banned drug and lied to escape a ban, but said it was too late to take any sanctions against the eight-time Grand Slam champion.
Agassi reveals in an upcoming autobiography that he used the recreational stimulant crystal meth in 1997 and avoided a doping suspension for a positive test by claiming he ingested the drug by accident in a spiked drink.
Under today's anti-doping rules, a player could face a ban of up to two years for use of the drug.
World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey said the body can't take any action against Agassi because of its eight-year statute of limitations, and that it's "unlikely" the ATP will either.
"WADA would, however, expect the ATP, which administered its own anti-doping program at that time, to shed light on this allegation," Fahey said in a statement.

Sorry about the length of this but it's worth reproducing a think considering his status as a player and the shock value of the report:

NEW YORK, Oct 27 AP - Andre Agassi's upcoming autobiography contains an admission that he used crystal meth in 1997 and lied to tennis authorities when he failed a drug test - a result that was thrown out after he said he ``unwittingly'' took the substance.
According to an excerpt of the autobiography posted on The Times of London Web site on Tuesday, the eight-time grand slam champion writes that he sent a letter to the ATP tour to explain the positive test, saying he accidentally drank from a soda spiked with meth by his assistant ``Slim.''
``Then I come to the central lie of the letter,'' Agassi writes.
``I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs.
``I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely.
``I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it. The ATP reviewed the case - and threw it out.''
The ATP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Agassi retired in 2006.
Excerpts from his autobiography, which comes out November 9, are being published this week in the London newspaper, as well as Sports Illustrated and People magazines.
In a story posted on People magazine's Web site Tuesday, Agassi says: ``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.''
According to the Times of London Web site, Agassi writes in his book that ``Slim'' was the person who introduced him to crystal meth, dumping a small pile of powder on the coffee table.
``I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've just crossed,'' Agassi writes.
``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.
``I'm seized by a desperate desire to clean. I go tearing around my house, cleaning it from top to bottom. I dust the furniture. I scour the tub. I make the beds.''
Among the most successful - and one of the most popular - tennis players in history, Agassi drew attention not just for his play, but also for his outfits, his hairstyles and his relationships with women, including a failed marriage to actress Brooke Shields.
Agassi's first major championship came at Wimbledon in 1992, and he won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
But by late 1997, he dropped to No. 141 in the rankings, and he was playing in tennis' equivalent of the minor leagues.
He resuscitated his career in 1998, making the biggest one-year jump into the top 10 in the history of the ATP rankings.
The next season, he won the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam, then added a second career US Open title en-route to finishing 1999 at No.1.
In a posting on People's Web site, Agassi says he ``was worried for a moment, but not for long,'' about how fans would react if they found out he used drugs.
``I wore my heart on my sleeve and my emotions were always written on my face. I was actually excited about telling the world the whole story,'' Agassi says.
A writer from SI first revealed the crystal meth reference on a Twitter posting on Tuesday.
According to the Times of London excerpt, Agassi was walking through New York's LaGuardia airport when he got the call that he had failed a drug test.
``There is doom in his voice, as if he's going to tell me I'm dying,'' Agassi writes.
``And that's exactly what he tells me.
``He reminds me that tennis has three classes of drug violation,'' Agassi writes.
``Performance-enhancing drugs ... would constitute a Class 1, he says, which would carry a suspension of two years.
``However, he adds, crystal meth would seem to be a clear case of Class 2. Recreational drugs.'' That would mean a three-month suspension.
``My name, my career, everything is now on the line.
``Whatever I've achieved, whatever I've worked for, might soon mean nothing. Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP. It's filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth.''

Wow. News report:

Former tennis star Andre Agassi is to set confirm he used crystal meth in a book due out early next month.

Reports out of the US today say Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam winner who is married to women's tennis legend Steffi Graf, used crystal meth in 1997.

The New York Post tagged the report to a publicist at Knopf, the company which is publishing the book.

The NY Post also claimed Agassi's admission "will also appear in excerpts of the book that are scheduled to appear in two magazines, Sports Illustrated and People, later this week."

"Those excerpts contain revelations about Andre's use of crystal meth when he was a tennis player," Paul Bogaards, director of media relations at Knopf, a division of Random House, said.

The information was first made public overnight (NZ time) via the Twitter feed of Richard Deitsch, a writer for Sports Illustrated.

"FYI: There's an off-the-charts book excerpt from Andre Agassi in the forthcoming SI: He admits to taking crystal meth during his career," said the message, posted at 10:36 a.m. and apparently removed shortly thereafter.

Agassi retired in 2006 after winning 60 singles titles.
* Crystal methamphetamine is a colourless, odourless form of d-methamphetamine, a powerful and highly addictive synthetic (man-made) stimulant.

Talking of the great man, this post probably only applies to UK viewers so apologies up front for those this does not apply -

Andre will be giving his first TV interview with his equally famous wife on Inside Sport with Gabby Logan on BBC1 next Monday, should be a good watch.