The recent revelations in Andre Agassi’s autobiography have led to some sensational and emotive headlines. There is a lot of anger towards Agassi and the ATP in the media, specifically charges of incompetence towards the ATP for letting Agassi talk his way out of a failed drugs test, and of betrayal towards the player himself for taking crystal meth, lying, and only admitting to it ten years later in an apparent attempt to sell books.
Whether or not this anger exists outside of the media bubble is harder to tell. Agassi has always been one of the most popular players of recent times, far more so than his more successful contemporary Pete Sampras. The reason being that he is seen as having more character, humanity and flair than the ruthless and outwardly more withdrawn Sampras, a man with a far quieter personal life. Whilst the drugs confessions will undoubtedly tarnish his reputation in some eyes, many more will probably be forgiving, recognising that his flaws and honesty endeared him to them in the first place. Furthermore, recreational drugs do not damage the integrity of results as much as performance enhancing ones, which should preserve his reputation as a player.
Had this come out during his career, it would have been worse for his reputation, as he would have faced a ban, and then the prospect of playing whilst that stigma hung over his head. As it is, the controversial confessions are part of the regular post-retirement routine for many sportsmen and women, although this was a more dramatic confession than usual. The story of success, followed by a fall, and then redemption, has always been a powerful one.
What has been more interesting, and has perhaps resulted in more vitriol from the tennis press is Agassi’s claim to hate the sport “with a dark and secret passion”. In a way this is more disturbing for fans of any sport, who love their game and wish they had just some of the talent exhibited by the professionals. For fans, sport is something that offers pleasure and escapism, and they often struggle to understand those who have the privilege of playing professionally, but seem unappreciative. To hear a sportsman announce that he hated his sport feels like a betrayal and devalues fans’ cherished memories of his career. How can they vicariously enjoy his great moments, when he himself did not? That is why some have suggested that Agassi’s claims should have been kept private, that he damages the game by making them public, or even that he is being disingenuous in making them, that it is impossible to dislike something that he was so good at. Whatever the truth, the title of the book, “Open” makes it clear that Agassi feels that it is best shared.
Look a little deeper and it is not surprising that, if his claims are true, he hates tennis. For him, tennis is tied up with a pushy and aggressive father who drove him into the game. Tennis is not the only sport with pushy parents, but it seems particularly prone to them, perhaps inevitably, as alongside golf it is the most high profile individual sport in the world, with no team mates to diffuse attention away from the young player.
Then there is the endless international travel, not sightseeing and relaxed holidays, but long trips to cities where the player only sees the inside of the hotel, the taxi ride to the venue, and the tennis facility itself. There is the pressure: from fans, coaches, and most of all, the player themselves, the fear of the disappointment of losing. There are the huge sacrifices: the hours spent in the gym or on the practice court, the media commitments and drug tests. Above all, there is endless scrutiny on every shot, every word spoken, every action on and off the court. As a top player, Agassi had even less time off than other players, who would exit tournaments in the early rounds, whilst he would have more sponsors who would ask more of him, and would be more in demand from the media than the others. To fans this might all seem worthwhile, but over the course of more than 15 years, combined with a troubled relationship with the game thanks to his father, it is easy to see how it would take its toll.
This is not to judge whether is right to hate the game, or to tell everyone that he does, although he is entitled to think what he wants, but simply to acknowledge that when one inspects the facts, it is not as surprising as it first seems. A good article by Stuart Jeffries this week shows that Andre Agassi would not be the first sportsman to hate his sport, but be driven on by a love of winning. Perhaps in describing his relationship with tennis as hate, Agassi erred. Perhaps love/hate would be more apt. Hating the game and the way it consumed his life, loving the winning and the rewards, but ultimately, only the man himself knows.
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