When Andre Agassi wasn’t throwing fits on and off the court he was capable of playing some of the most energetic, exciting, fun tennis we have ever witnessed and it’s for that reason Agassi was inducted this weekend into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.

During his career Agassi racked up 60 titles with an 870-274 win/loss record. Agassi’s records included eight Grand Slams, the No. 1 ranking for 101 weeks and the fourth highest winnings of all-time at $30 million.

Speaking to the crowd Agassi said:

“I’m thrilled and humbled and quite terrified, to be honest, to stand in front of you,” while adding, ”I’ve grown up in front of you. You’ve seen my ups and downs. You’ve given me compassion, understanding and love, more than I expected — and many times more than I deserved.”

Congratulations to my favorite tennis player, watching him on the court was like watching lightning bottled only to be released on anyone in the vicinity of her verbal and physical assaults. Agassi wasn’t also pleasant to watch in a refined sport like tennis, but he made it all seem like so much fun thanks to his never ending passion for winning and the sport.

Agassi was accepted into the hall of fame in the “Recent Player” category, while Kellmeyer was inducted in the “Contributor” category.

Andre Agassi Inducted Into Hall Of Fame is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tennis legend Andre Agassi admits to being a crystal meth user in 1997 in his forthcoming autobiography, according to multiple online reports.

News of Agassi being a meth user started when Sport Illustrated’s Richardd Deitsch tweeted that “Book excerpt from Andre Agassi in the forthcoming SI: He admits to taking crystal meth during his career,” with further details cascading from there.

Multiple outlets are running excerpts from the book, with the best value coming from The Times of London (via ESPN) who quotes the section extensively. The excerpts note that Agassi’s assistant “Slim” was the one who introduced him to the drug.

“Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. 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.”

Agassi was still playing tennis at the time, and married actress Brooke Shields later that year. Agassi’s autobiography is released November 9 and is available for pre-order on Amazon here.

Andre Agassi Admits to Meth Use In New Book is a post from: The Inquisitr

After passing Pete Sampras’ record by winning his 15th grand slam tennis title, the question is being asked about whether Roger Federer can now be considered the greatest tennis player of all time.

There are two serious contenders for this title – not considering the likes of John McEnroe or Bjorn Borg, who were not as consistent over as long a period. Sampras and Rod Laver are the others who can be placed alongside Federer in this conversation. Federer now has 15 grand slams among 60 career titles in ATP tour events, compared to Sampras with 14 slams and 64 titles and Laver with 11 slams and 27 ATP titles.

The complication with going on pure statistics is that Laver spent much of the glory years of his career outside the ATP tour, as his run coincided with the advent of the open era. He played as an amateur until 1962, winning six of his slams including a Grand Slam in the calendar year of 1962 before turning professional, which disqualified him from the still-amateur ATP tour. It was not until 1968 that the open era began and he was allowed to return to the ATP tour, after which he completed a second calendar year Grand Slam in 1969 as a professional at the age of 31.

There are arguments either way. Three of the four slam tournaments that Laver played in were on grass, whereas Sampras and Federer have had to win on synthetic surfaces as well. On the other hand, Laver is the only one of the three to have won more than one French Open. You could argue that Sampras may have had the greatest array of opponents facing him, with the likes of Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi where Laver’s main rival was Ken Rosewall and Federer has struggled mightily with his nemesis in Rafael Nadal.

In fact, it is Nadal who stands in the way of Federer’s claims. Federer did not have to play the Spaniard in either of the last two Slams and it was Nadal who had beaten him in the final of three of the previous four slam tournaments. Federer’s 7-13 record against Nadal, including 2-6 in slams, is the greatest flaw in his record.

Personally, being an Aussie, I realise I am biased in thinking Laver would have the wood over the American and the Swiss champions. However, the six-year hole in his ATP record is only a potential for slam tournaments so we will never know if he could have reached 20 or more. Federer could still get somewhere near there… but only if Nadal stays injured.

Is Roger Federer the greatest tennis player ever? is a post from: The Inquisitr