Andre Agassi Biography

Andre Agassi was born April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Deemed a tennis prodigy at the young age of 3, by age 10 Andre was playing and beating fellow up-and-coming U.S. players including Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Michael Chang. After honing his skills under the tutelage of Nick Bollettieri, Andre turned pro in 1986 at just 16 years old. He immediately took the tour circuit by storm and landed millions of dollars worth of endorsement deals.

Andre claimed his first major title in 1992, when he defeated Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon. During the next several years, Andre won two Grand Slam trophies and an Olympic gold medal. In June 1999, Andre became the fifth player in history to win all four Grand Slams and has since won an additional four. By the end of 1999, he ranked number one in the world. Andre’s acclaim continued as he captured the Australian Open again in 2000, 2001 and 2003.

In tandem with playing legendary tennis, Andre has been aggressive in his philanthropic endeavors. He founded the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation in 1994 to assist at-risk youth in Las Vegas, and since the 1995 inception of his “Grand Slam for Children” benefit concert, more than $25 million has been raised. In August 2001, the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a charter school for at-risk youth, opened in West Las Vegas. And, Andre was awarded with the ATP's Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in 1995 and 2001.