| At the start of the 2006 Wimbledon Championships | | | | level have been remarkable. He has brought a huge |
| last June, tennis great Andre Agassi announced that | | | | amount to our sport and will be missed," said Pete |
| he was retiring from professional tennis. The curtain | | | | Sampras, the seven-time Wimbledon champion whose |
| was about to come down on one of the most | | | | on-court rivalry with Agassi helped boost tennis' |
| successful and popular careers the sport had ever | | | | popularity in the 1990s. |
| seen, a career that spanned two decades, eight Grand | | | | "He's a legend," said reigning French Open champion |
| Slam championships and a host of unforgettable | | | | Rafael Nadal |
| moments on the tennis court. | | | | Many forget that he wasn't always held in such high |
| The 36-year-old Agassi said that after Wimbledon, he | | | | regard. Early in his career, Agassi was known mostly |
| would play just one more major tournament, the US | | | | for his image ("Image is Everything," said one of his |
| Open, and then call it quits. The announcement caused | | | | popular advertising campaigns at the time) rather than |
| shock waves in the world of tennis and almost | | | | the substance in his game. It was a reputation borne |
| immediately, tennis players and fans alike started to | | | | from his early days on the professional tour as a kid |
| consider Agassi's place in the pantheon of the sport. | | | | with the denim shorts, Day-Glo shirts and flowing hair. |
| "He'll go down as one of the guys who changed our | | | | These days, however, Agassi leaves the tennis scene |
| sport in a lot of ways, not only the way he played the | | | | as a respected elder statesman and with a legacy |
| game, but also the way that he conducted himself on | | | | that is perhaps without precedence. |
| and off the court," said 2002 Wimbledon champion and | | | | "I don't think there's one bad thing you can say about |
| former world number one Lleyton Hewitt. "There are | | | | the guy," said 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria |
| not too many more recognizable people in tennis. The | | | | Sharapova. "I mean, that guy is just a champion. It's |
| sport probably owes a lot to him." | | | | amazing to still have someone around that's achieved |
| "His longevity and desire to compete at the highest | | | | so much and that's done so much for the sport. |