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