| The story of Andre Agassi, the professional tennis | | | | the ATP rankings, by climbing from No. 122 to No. 6. |
| player, is over. For those of us who were his fans, it is | | | | What can you learn? |
| a sad moment. And if you were following Andre's | | | | If you lose your high ranking (or your position), |
| career and life from the beginning, you've had the | | | | acknowledge the current state of your game and start |
| chance to learn tennis and life lessons. | | | | your comeback with small steps. Only by making |
| Andre joined the tour in 1986 when his opponents | | | | steady progress can you gain momentum. |
| were players like Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Jimmy | | | | And if you find your life's purpose, you realize that you |
| Connors, John McEnroe and Emilio Sanchez. He won | | | | have only this life to live, so you give your best every |
| his first title at the age of 17 and was ranked No. 3 in | | | | day. Andre could have lived an easy life after winning |
| the world by the age of 18. | | | | 3 Grand Slams and earning tens of millions of dollars. |
| He reached 3 Grand Slam finals in the years 1990-1991 | | | | But would that make him fulfilled and happy? The |
| and lost them all. He finally won the one that he least | | | | answer is definitely no. |
| expected to - Wimbledon. | | | | Andre Agassi's greatest achievement came in 1999. |
| What can you learn? | | | | He fought his way to his third Roland Garros final |
| Andre didn't allow his early setbacks to become his | | | | where he faced Andrei Medvedev. In the windy and |
| destiny. He learned painful lessons in those finals and | | | | cold conditions, Medvedev managed much better and |
| used that experience to become a Grand Slam | | | | won the first two sets 6-1, 6-2 in less than an hour. |
| champion in 1992. | | | | But Andre never stopped fighting and never |
| He had to have wrist surgery in 1993 and plummeted | | | | abandoned his courageous style of play. It was as if |
| in the rankings, because he was unable to play. He | | | | the gods respected his proud performance and |
| started the 1994 US Open as an unseeded player and | | | | changed the weather to a calm and warm sunny day. |
| won the last 3 rounds without losing a set, becoming | | | | From then on Andre was unstoppable. He won the |
| the first unseeded US Open champion of the modern | | | | next 3 sets and became only the fifth man to win all |
| era. | | | | four Grand Slams titles in his career. |
| What can you learn? | | | | What can you learn? |
| If you believe that your current ranking is the measure | | | | Even when everything seems to be against you, keep |
| of how good you are, you won't get very far. Believe | | | | fighting and stay focused on your goal. Many great |
| in yourself, and focus on your goal. | | | | achievers have said that their greatest success came |
| Andre Agassi won 7 finals in 1995, including the | | | | just after their biggest defeat. |
| Australian Open, and became the No. 1 player in the | | | | Andre continued his fantastic career but nevertheless |
| world. In 1996 he played the Olympic Games in Atlanta | | | | lost some important matches. He was serving for the |
| and almost lost to Wayne Ferreira in the quarterfinals. | | | | match in the fifth set of the Wimbledon 2001 semifinal |
| Wayne was about to serve for the match in the third | | | | against Patrick Rafter and lost 8-6. |
| set at 5-4. But before the time for the changeover | | | | He also lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the San Jose 2002 |
| was up, Andre jumped from his chair, encouraged | | | | final after having two match points in the third set |
| himself loudly and kept jumping on the spot while | | | | tie-break. |
| waiting for Wayne to get ready for the serve. | | | | He lost arguably the best match of all time in a US |
| The crowd followed Andre's energy and positive | | | | Open 2001 quarterfinal to Pete Sampras 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, |
| attitude and screamed at the top of their lungs for | | | | 6-7. |
| every point he won. He eventually won the third set | | | | What can you learn? |
| 7-5 and went on to win the Olympic gold medal. | | | | Even if you are a world-class athlete, you are not |
| What can you learn? | | | | perfect. Sometimes you make mistakes, and |
| Never give up, control your body language and your | | | | sometimes the circumstances are against you. Losing |
| attitude. If it happens that you lose the match, lose | | | | an important doesn't mean that you are mentally |
| fighting to the end. | | | | weak. That happens - it's the nature of the sport. |
| Andre Agassi experienced a big personal crisis, and his | | | | Accepting this as a part of the game frees you from |
| tennis results were a disaster for a player of his level. | | | | creating limiting beliefs about yourself and about what |
| He plunged to No. 141 in the rankings. This was the | | | | should and shouldn't happen. |
| moment that changed Andre from an excellent tennis | | | | And lastly, Andre Agassi has done an incredible job |
| player to a legend. He finally discovered that his life's | | | | building his charity foundation and donating money to |
| purpose was not just to win 3 Grand Slams and get | | | | various charities. |
| rich, but something more important - to follow his | | | | What can you learn? |
| purpose of being a world class tennis player and a role | | | | When you are given special talents, remember that |
| model for everyone. | | | | they are not only for you. If you use them to help and |
| Andre began his climb by playing Challenger events | | | | serve other people's needs, you will experience your |
| and worked incredibly hard on his fitness. He made the | | | | greatest feeling of fulfillment, and you'll receive the |
| biggest one-year jump into the top 10 in the history of | | | | greatest rewards. |