“I was my most unhappy”: Tennis legend Andre Agassi on becoming world No.1 player

“We spend the first part of our life thinking that we have to perform, we have to achieve, and then life hits us in the face… Then comes broken relations and broken dreams,” said tennis star Andre Agassi as he addressed a packed auditorium at the TiE Global Summit 2024 in Bengaluru on Tuesday. 

In a candid fireside chat, the former world No.1 American tennis player and philanthropist—reminiscent of his career so far—said life is a teacher, and everybody lives a hero’s journey. 

Beginning his tennis career in 1986 at only 16 years of age—in an arena his father chose—the Grand Slam Champion was not satisfied with his life. However, not in the way that one might assume it to be. 

Agassi wished to go beyond sports and contribute to society. He said, “...Then we end up in our sort-of last phase of the hero's journey—recognising that it's about service to others in many ways. I won everything in tennis. I got to number one in the world, and I was probably my most unhappy.” 

Growing up, Agassi and his brothers did not have a choice to pick their careers. However, today, he believes in providing that choice for his children and others. 

The career Golden Slam winner—when a tennis player wins an Olympic Gold medal and all four Grand Slam competitions—believes that humility and vulnerability are crucial for healing. “Vulnerability is the capacity to be wounded, to always put yourself at risk, to not value the outcome but to value the process...” 

Speaking about the influence his trainer Gil Reyes’ has had in his life, Agassi said, “He was the first person that cared for me beyond my performance and showed me the importance of vulnerability.” 

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Beyond the court

Constantly pushing himself to do more, Agassi found true happiness in the field of education. Having dropped out of school in Grade 8 to pursue tennis, the former world No.1 player is vocal about creating educational opportunities for students.

For 10 years, he helped build 130 schools for about 80,000 children in the US.

He also believes the private sector, aided with personalised learning and technology, is the key to bridging the gap between sports and education. 

“Finding private sector solutions to daunting societal issues is not just a way to scale but also an opportunity,” said Agassi, an investor in edtech startup Square Panda, as he discussed his investment philosophy at the summit.

Mumbai edtech startup Square Panda develops solutions to improve literacy and language learning catering to K-12 students through interactive tools.

He added that entrepreneurship and social change don’t only co-exist but are also symbiotic.

Having gradually changed courts from tennis to philanthropy, Agassi says there are many life lessons to learn from sports, including growing as a team player—figuring out how to work with a teammate and against them when fighting for a position—as well as social skills, problem-solving, real-time decision making, and navigating intense environments.

So, what’s the one life mantra that Agassi abides by? “Winning and losing, and focusing on winning and losing is a distraction from what you need to be thinking about—which is to keep getting better.”

One turns the failure around by blocking out all noise, and the fastest way to the finish line, Agassi said, is focusing on what is in front—controlling the controllable better than the competition.