Andre Agassi career timeline

NEW YORK – Timeline on the tennis career of Andre Agassi which ended here on Sunday with defeat in the third round at the US Open: 1970 – Andre Kirk Agassi is born in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Mike and Elizabeth Agassi.

He is the youngest of four children – Rita, Philip and Tami. 1972-1973 – Iranian-born Mike Agassi introduces his son to tennis from the time he took his first steps as a toddler.In the years to come, Andre is coached intensively by his father at their Las Vegas home, which had a full-size tennis court and hits balls with the likes of Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase.1984 – Mike Agassi enrols his son in the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.1986 – Agassi turns professional and sets out on the ATP Tour.He wins his first tour title as a wildcard at Itaparica the following year.1988 – Agassi is ranked third in the world after winning six titles and reaching the semis in the French and US Opens.He adopts a rebel image with rock star hairstyles and cut-off denim shorts.Declines to play at Wimbledon from 1988-90 in protest at their “all-whites” dress rule.1992 – Wins his first Grand Slam title, surprisingly at Wimbledon and wearing whites, defeating Goran Ivanisevic in the final.Defeats former champs Boris Becker and John McEnroe along the way.1993 – Agassi and longtime coach Bollettieri part company.He begins dating glamorous actress Brooke Shields.1994 – Asks fellow tennis player Brad Gilbert to be his coach and promptly wins the US Open,the first unseeded player to do so, defeating Michael Stich in straight sets in the final.1995 – Agassi wins the Australian Open by defeating Pete Sampras in four sets and is World No.1 for the first time for 30 weeks from April to November, but loses to Sampras in the US Open final.Shaves his balding head.1996 – The American wins the Olympic gold medal for men’s singles at the Atlanta Olympics.1997 – Agassi and Shields marry in Carmel, California but his tennis suffers and he slumps to 141st in the world rankings by November.1998 – With a new look and new approach to life, bounces back into the top 10 in dramatic fashion from the launch pad of the second-tier Challenger Series.1999 – Files for divorce from Shields.Wins the French Open from two sets down to Andrei Medvedev becoming the first player since Australian Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four Grand Slam events.Also begins dating German legend Steffi Graf.Wins US Open and completes comeback by ending the year back as World No.1 2000 – Agassi wins Australian Open for second time but takes two months off from tennis to be with his family.His mother and sister Tami are both diagnosed with breast cancer.2001 – At 30, Agassi defends Australian Open in January for his seventh career Grand Slam title and is back at the top of the rankings once again.Marries Steffi Graf in Las Vegas.Son Jaden Gil is born shortly after.2003 – Wins the Australian Open for the fourth time, his eighth Grand Slam title and reaches the semi-finals of the US Open and the final of the Masters.Daughter Jaz Elle is born.2004 – Reaches the semi-finals at Australian Open and finishes in the world top 10 for 15th time, at 34 the oldest to do so since Jimmy Connors in 1998 2005 – Struggles with chronic back pain but stages a remarkable US Open campaign at 35 winning three consecutive five setters before losing to Roger Federer in the final.2006 – Injuries accumulate and announces he will retire at the US Open in August/September aged 36.Gets through two rounds against Andrei Pavel and Marcos Baghdatis but bows out in the next round after losing to Benjamin Becker.Nampa-AFP1972-1973 – Iranian-born Mike Agassi introduces his son to tennis from the time he took his first steps as a toddler.In the years to come, Andre is coached intensively by his father at their Las Vegas home, which had a full-size tennis court and hits balls with the likes of Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase.1984 – Mike Agassi enrols his son in the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.1986 – Agassi turns professional and sets out on the ATP Tour.He wins his first tour title as a wildcard at Itaparica the following year.1988 – Agassi is ranked third in the world after winning six titles and reaching the semis in the French and US Opens.He adopts a rebel image with rock star hairstyles and cut-off denim shorts.Declines to play at Wimbledon from 1988-90 in protest at their “all-whites” dress rule.1992 – Wins his first Grand Slam title, surprisingly at Wimbledon and wearing whites, defeating Goran Ivanisevic in the final.Defeats former champs Boris Becker and John McEnroe along the way.1993 – Agassi and longtime coach Bollettieri part company.He begins dating glamorous actress Brooke Shields.1994 – Asks fellow tennis player Brad Gilbert to be his coach and promptly wins the US Open,the first unseeded player to do so, defeating Michael Stich in straight sets in the final.1995 – Agassi wins the Australian Open by defeating Pete Sampras in four sets and is World No.1 for the first time for 30 weeks from April to November, but loses to Sampras in the US Open final.Shaves his balding head.1996 – The American wins the Olympic gold medal for men’s singles at the Atlanta Olympics.1997 – Agassi and Shields marry in Carmel, California but his tennis suffers and he slumps to 141st in the world rankings by November.1998 – With a new look and new approach to life, bounces back into the top 10 in dramatic fashion from the launch pad of the second-tier Challenger Series.1999 – Files for divorce from Shields.Wins the French Open from two sets down to Andrei Medvedev becoming the first player since Australian Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four Grand Slam events.Also begins dating German legend Steffi Graf.Wins US Open and completes comeback by ending the year back as World No.1 2000 – Agassi wins Australian Open for second time but takes two months off from tennis to be with his family.His mother and sister Tami are both diagnosed with breast cancer.2001 – At 30, Agassi defends Australian Open in January for his seventh career Grand Slam title and is back at the top of the rankings once again.Marries Steffi Graf in Las Vegas.Son Jaden Gil is born shortly after.2003 – Wins the Australian Open for the fourth time, his eighth Grand Slam title and reaches the semi-finals of the US Open and the final of the Masters.Daughter Jaz Elle is born.2004 – Reaches the semi-finals at Australian Open and finishes in the world top 10 for 15th time, at 34 the oldest to do so since Jimmy Connors in 1998 2005 – Struggles with chronic back pain but stages a remarkable US Open campaign at 35 winning three consecutive five setters before losing to Roger Federer in the final.2006 – Injuries accumulate and announces he will retire at the US Open in August/September aged 36.Gets through two rounds against Andrei Pavel and Marcos Baghdatis but bows out in the next round after losing to Benjamin Becker.Nampa-AFP