Hall of Fame returns love to Agassi today

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The big day has arrived for Andre Agassi, and the tennis legend from Las Vegas promises to embrace the moment -- even if he doesn't fully comprehend the magnitude of his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

"I'm fully prepared to not be prepared," said Agassi, 40. "I've talked to people who have experienced it, and I will allow myself to enjoy it. But it's still surreal. It's still hard for me to get my arms around it."

All Agassi needs is to see the exhibit of him at the Hall and he'll understand how his induction is a no-brainer: Eight Grand Slam titles. Sixty singles championships. Davis Cup victories. The 1996 Olympic gold medal. A No. 1 ranking.

It's all there, beautifully displayed and well chronicled.

Agassi's parents, Mike and Betty, toured the Hall on Friday, and they stood in awe in front of the exhibit.

"Look at that kid," Mike Agassi said, pointing to a picture of a mop-headed 7-year-old Andre holding a racket. "I knew he would be in here one day. I knew he would be the No. 1 player in the world.

"Of course, he should have won more grand slams."

Vintage Mike. Always seeking more from his son. It's a good bet Andre will mention that this morning in his remarks during the induction ceremony, in which Agassi and women's tennis pioneer Peachy Kellmeyer are the honorees.

"I've put a lot of thought into what I'm going to say," Agassi said. "You think about what you want to say and what comes out is an acid bath of emotion."

Agassi likes to say he has lived several lives and his tennis career reflects that. From child prodigy forced to play grown men because no kid could compete with him; to rebellious teenager who hated the game he excelled at; to a young man who soared to the top of his sport only to suffer a humiliating fall; to someone who picked himself up, climbed back up the mountain while falling in love with someone who had traveled the journey herself; to becoming the game's elder statesman, a beloved figure who was acknowledged for his many philanthropic deeds off the court as well as his success on it.

"What amazes me is the reality of life when you take one step at a time," Agassi said. "That manifested itself when I got back to No. 1 from No. 141."

Agassi was the king of men's tennis in April 1995. He was the No. 1 player in the world and would remain there for 30 weeks. That year, he went 73-9 and won seven titles, including the Australian Open.

But by 1997, Agassi's game and his world had unraveled. Plagued by a wrist injury, his unraveling marriage to actress Brooke Shields and a turn to crystal methamphetamine to escape the accumulative pain, Agassi dropped to No. 141 in the world and was playing in Challenger Series events, including one at UNLV.

"When you fall, it's hard," Agassi said. "But the climb back up is harder. You're climbing Mount Everest without oxygen, and you know at 24,000 feet you're going to feel pain. But I had people help me and allow me to grow on my own terms. It's a support system you need, especially in an individual sport such as tennis."

That support system -- his brother, Phil, his strength coach, Gil Reyes, his coach, Brad Gilbert, and his then-manager, Perry Rogers -- rallied around Agassi. And the comeback culminated with his 1999 win at the French Open, where he rallied from two sets down to defeat Andrei Medvedev and complete the career Grand Slam. He would end 1999 as the world's No. 1 player.

"The best part of that journey didn't end when I won (in Paris)," Agassi said. "I don't know if one win qualifies me as a Hall of Famer, but that day was profound for me. I recognized that if I won, I'd have no regrets in my career. It all worked together, and it was a microcosm of my life."

In a thoughtful and insightful move, Agassi's Hall of Fame plaque will reside next to that of his wife, Steffi Graf, who was inducted in 2004. Adjacent to Agassi's plaque is a famous quote from Arthur Ashe that reads, in part, "Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome."

For Agassi, whose philanthropic efforts have gained worldwide recognition, he no doubt appreciates the Hall's gesture to have Ashe's words next to his plaque. Agassi has often said that Ashe served as an inspiration for him to try to make the world a better place, whether through his charter prep school in West Las Vegas, his Boys and Girls Club or his recent effort to embark upon a national charter school fundraising project.

But today's ceremony is about Agassi the tennis player. His ability to not only come back from where he was, but to finish his career with grace and dignity is a testament to his maturity and adaptability. Moreover, it allowed him to finally love the game he hated for so many years.

"Every sport evolves and every sport changes," Agassi said. "The game I played, the game I was taught by my father, was a game that was designed to take away somebody's ability to control. I was always a thinker, an analyzer, and I think that helped me throughout my career."

Agassi said he knew it was time to step away from the sport when his back problems prevented him from maintaining a championship level of play. On Sept. 4, 2006, Agassi bade tennis a tearful farewell in cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium after a four-set, third-round loss to Benjamin Becker at the U.S. Open.

There's a good chance there'll be more tears today.

"Until you're at that moment, you don't realize the magnitude of the honor," Agassi said. "Your whole life and career which was one and the same for 36 years gets celebrated. It's a story of comeback and coming of age."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.