Still one of my most favorite moments ever from sports- Andre acknowledging the fans and the sport. "You've given me your shoulders to stand on, to reach for my dreams." Love it.
I certainly cried my ass off when I watched this live. He was in the final the year before and hoped he would have a great final run. He had always played well at the US Open and even though everyone knew going into the 2006 tourney that he was retiring, I think I can speak for everyone when I say we weren’t ready to handle his last match. And when he gave that speech, it hit me like a ton of bricks that someone I’ve been at watching since I was a kid was now done.
I love him. I remember watching this on TV and crying during that speech. What a genuine, real, and thoughtful person. And what an addition to the world of tennis. He will forever be remembered as one of the best in the sport.
Amazing speech, right up there with the best like 'we shall fight the beaches' except it is better and such a moving outpouring of real emtions. Agassi has always been my favorite in tennis, in all his ups and downs, wonderful!
I seriously loved the way Agassi played his tennis. Battling with pros 15 years younger to him and beating them showed just how good he was. He had three very inconsistently bad years in 93, 97 and 98 at the peak of his physical prowess and that makes his career accomplishments all the more impressive to me..I would go out on a limb and say that Agassi was a better player than Sampras in Hard courts and Clay courts..
....that we have ever ever known....thank you giving us this. Thank you from the bottom of my eternal soul, and from the souls of all who come before and after me, for giving us this magic gift, of your words. Oh...whooops, stole that from a Spontaneous Agassi speech....
"As the best ever, I am going to retire, not because I can't play anymore, just because I am the GOAT, and as the GOAT, I will let the sheep get a chance to grow, thank you!"
agassi is a biigg man! as in tennis as in his life, unique with character. He has found a real nice family, people, and more. I really hope the best in his life, and thanks to andre who entertained us all with greatest tennis ever.
I'm pissed off at all the haters who basically judge a beautiful moment without really knowing much of the backstory. Critics of this are IMHO are projecting their own negativity on whatever they happen to be viewing at the moment. If it was somebody else they'd jump all over them just as personally. You weak spirits, just move on to the next target of your drive by criticism and leave this without your stain. Weak people. Thanks, Andre for your heart.
Agassi was amazing, Sampras was of the chart. Although Agassi does have a bit of greatness that even the great Sampras couldn't achieve, or Federer yet. WInning all 4 slams. This puts Agassi up there with the all time greats for me.
i was there at that game. u know benjamin becker was giving him a bunch of dropshots. he was 31. but the chair umpire sucked ass. agassi had no challenges left (his first two were really close but they went to becker ) and becker hit a shot that was at least half a foot out and the chair umpire called it in. the whole stadium erupted in like screaming and the ball boys were laughing and agassi was like WHAT?. it was ridiculous. it was really long i swear i sat right behind agassi
I'm guessing your going from his book? I think by this time he loved it like he said he wanted it to be over but he wasn't ready for it to end. His book made me love him more, I just wish he would have enjoyed more of his career cause I know I did
@kas6980 This statement was incomprehensible. However, let me speak to you spontaneously...and from the heart...just off the top of my head: You Kas6980, fly with songbirds to where the angels play and sing. Perhaps, just one day, we could all speak with the magical words that flow form you as a mountain waterfall of cold, pure, glacier water tumbles from above. Your words envelop us in the greatest support, love, friendship, caring, honesty, integrity, hopefulness, and purity....
I own his auto, read it when it first came out. I also own his father's and two copies of NIck Bolletierri's. I also own virtually every magazine profile of him, including some of the better ones from early in his career, and the two GQ ones. Again, he's always been a very fake guy. The autobiography in PARTICULAR was contrived, and fake. Very well written, but full of inaccuracies and omissions, to those who know the events. The most carefully orchestrated of press releases...
This was one of the sappiest "good byes" I have ever seen. I like Agassi but that speech left something to be desired. It was loaded with manufactured "thank you's" and laced with an inordinate amount of me me me's. Thank you Andre....thank you for the sap. LOL
Bro. Chill. It's okay. I just has to read it for Sports Psych. I was just going by what is in the book. Cause honestly, I think tennis is a crappy sport anyway. Just my opinion. Relax. lol :)
@koolfraser I was a tremendous Agassi fan at one point....but he is probably the most fake guy in the history of tennis. Even for people who don't know that, I can't quite fathom how people could be so moved by such a ridiculous pre-written speech. It's probably the most painful farewell I've seen....and not in a good way.
Watch the 8 minute video of this that starts with the last point of the match and understand why he was so emotional. NY gave him a 5 minute continuous standing ovation, he was overwhelmed before he ever spoke
