SPIEGEL Interview with Andre Agassi: 'I Really Hated Tennis'

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SPIEGEL: Did you find the courage to openly talk to your father about all this? Did you reach a new level or perhaps forgiveness?

Agassi: In my personal life, I've talked to him about all these things. There was a beautiful scene during my last US Open, in 2006. My back hurt. Then, a man comes out of the shadows, puts his arm on me, pulls me aside and tells me I have to quit, tells me I should just stop now because it was enough. He can't take seeing the pain any longer; he can't take seeing how much I'm going through, all the suffering. That's my father. And I see in his eyes, for the first time, that he actually hates tennis. He actually resents what it's taken, what he's watched me go through, how he's lived and died with every point.

SPIEGEL: Do you understand him even today?

Agassi: Yes, of course, but he was always proud of me. When I was seven, he told everybody that, one day, I would be number one. It actually is quite simple: My father is a man who didn't have choice in his own life. And, as a result, he wanted to give us the one thing he could: freedom for us to choose our life by giving us the American Dream. He associated choice with economics, and he wanted the fastest road to the American Dream for his kids. As a child, you don't see these subtleties. But when you are grown-up, you return and look at things differently. He's not a man of psychology; he's a man of discipline and work, tremendous loyalty and generosity. These days, we spend our weekends with the grandparents.

SPIEGEL: There is a very sad scene in the book when you try to embrace him, and he stands still, unable to move.

Agassi: We did not do these kinds of things. We never touched each other, and we never said "I love you." Today, we do all these things.

SPIEGEL: Did he ever say he was sorry?

Agassi: He doesn't feel like there is anything to be sorry for; he's proud because everything he did helped make me a champion. There is real pride -- "You're damn right, and I'd do it again."

SPIEGEL: Did he read the book?

Agassi: He won't read it. He told me he's not going to read it. He said it two years ago, last year and yesterday. As he puts it: "What the hell do I have to read your book for? I was there. I know what you did; I know what I did. I don't like to read, anyhow." He also says that it was tennis that destroyed our relationship for years -- not him, not his decisions. He would do it all over again. But, today, I would have to play golf -- and then become the best golfer on Earth.

SPIEGEL: What sports do your children play?

Agassi: Jaz, my daughter, plays tennis three times a week. She does not want to play more often, and we don't push her. And Jaden, my son, plays baseball, which I love because it's healthy. It's a team sport, but it's an individual sport, too. There are very few sports where you are on a team but yet, for that one moment, it's all you, no excuses.

SPIEGEL: Is he good?

Agassi: He is. He's playing with kids two years older than him, and he's hanging with them and doing great.

SPIEGEL: Do you practice with him?

Agassi: Coach and practice and play with him.

SPIEGEL: Are you proud?

Agassi: Very. He's an amazing spirit, my son. I learn from him every day -- about being a professional at something in your life. I think you kind of ask the basic question, which is: Does he have anything that stands out? And you try to be objective. In baseball, you need fast feet or you need a fast arm, or you need great eye-hand coordination. And he has a pretty fast arm and he has great eye-hand, and his feet are good, not great. And so, if it's nurtured, it's fair to say he has a chance. But that's all you need in life: choices and opportunity.

SPIEGEL: Do you force him to play?

Agassi: No. Stefanie teaches him German, which is more important to us.

SPIEGEL: Do you ever play tennis with your wife?

Agassi: We go out occasionally; and when we do, we enjoy it. I enjoy it if she doesn't make me run. If she hits it to me, I'm happy; and if I make her run, she's happy. She likes the exercise; I just like to hit the ball.

SPIEGEL: After ending her career, your wife wanted to live in either New York or San Francisco. How did you manage to move her to Las Vegas?

Agassi: Her mom is here regularly, and her brother is living here with four kids. And my family is here, too. Life came here first, I would say; we just followed. Her mom was basically alone in Florida and wanted to be closer. And Vegas was a beautiful opportunity for her because she's a single grandma, and you can actually go out to dinner in Vegas alone and not feel uncomfortable, and you can actually have your friends want to come visit -- or use Vegas as an excuse to come visit -- so she could see a lot of people throughout her life periodically. My foundation started to grow dramatically, and my business is here. And, then, Steffi's brother decided to move out. My brother is here with his daughter, so there are seven cousins every weekend together. There are places that are more beautiful in the world, like Germany, but the truth is that beauty is in between life. And regarding Stefanie, I would say that she loves me very much; she loves the family and our extended family. And as a result, she loves our life.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Agassi, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us.

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• Part 1: 'I Really Hated Tennis'
• Part 2: A Fight Between Fathers
• Part 3: Why He Wrote 'Open'
• Part 4: Fake Hair and Crystal Meth
• Part 5: Fathers and Grandfathers