Andre Agassi’s presence lights up the Wimbledon semis! The first match of the day didn’t take long to wrap up as two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz faced American No. 1 Taylor Fritz on Centre Court. It was a nail biter, and Agassi was right there in the commentary box, excitedly sharing his thoughts. After years away from the sport, Agassi has been back in the spotlight with TNT Sports since the French Open. Still, he admitted to some nerves: “It’s going to hurt, I’m going to stretch my skin, but then I settle in, and then I’m usually glad I did it.” Now at Wimbledon, he’s got another worry on his mind!
On Friday, Alcaraz and Fritz delivered an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Fritz took the first set, but the Spaniard stormed back to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6). As the fourth set heated up, Agassi was already thinking ahead! “Is it against protocol to ask your prediction of the next match or shall we not even visit there? We got a 5-3 lead, maybe changeover we’ll go there,” he asked his fellow hosts Andrew Castle and Tim Henman.
While neither Castle nor Henman gave a prediction, the former was surprised to hear Agassi bring up Djokovic vs Sinner, the next big match on Centre Court. “You already looking ahead?” Castle replied. Agassi clarified: “It’s not ahead. It’s just a matter of when they play. I’m not suggesting this is over with. I’m just saying we’ve got one heck of a match to follow.” Castle agreed, saying it would “no doubt” be a cracker.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 08: Andrea Agassi attends ‘The Love Behind Food Danone’ photocall on May 08, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Europa Press Entertainment/Europa Press via Getty Images)
In the end, Andre Agassi is still a highly sought former pro, and his contributions since retiring. The American once stood at the No.1 position in the ranking, held it for 101 weeks, and clinched a total of eight grand slam titles, including one at Wimbledon in 1992. He defeated Goran Ivanišević, who later became Novak Djokovic’s coach, in the final, 6–7, 6–4, 6–4, 1–6, 6–4 to win the gentlemen’s singles tennis title!
And while it might not be against the rules to ask the question, some fans were not too happy with his “obsession of the Royal Box”! But Agassi meant well nonetheless! Even if he’s off the tennis court and hung up his racket, he knows he can’t stay away from the sport after giving two decades to it in the past!
Andre Agassi opens up to being “dangerous” on or off the court
During a candid chat with Andy Roddick on the Served podcast on June 3, Agassi opened up about stepping away from tennis and how family took center stage. Ever since marrying WTA legend Steffi Graf in 2001, Agassi’s priorities shifted. “I can’t say I look at my life in sort of decades because I’m really not the kind of person who maps out anything. But I sort of follow the ripples and it was really important for me to stay true to something I promised Steffi (Graf) when we first met, which is like after she really kind of knew me.”
He kept two promises: “I’m not going to be too busy, I’m not going to be too bored because I’m really dangerous in both scenarios.” Parenthood changed things even more. “I think when the kids sort of, you know that emptiness thing and all of a sudden that chapter you kind of move into a different season in life.” The couple welcomed son Jaden in 2001 and daughter Jaz in 2003.
Agassi’s heartfelt confession came just before his big return to the commentary box at Roland Garros last month. For the first time since 1999, he was back at the clay slam, joining an all-star lineup with Chris Evert, Jim Courier, Lindsay Davenport, Caroline Wozniacki, and Venus Williams.
But it’s not just family and tennis for Agassi these days. He’s also fallen for pickleball, making waves in the sport across the US. The eight-time Grand Slam champ isn’t just promoting pickleball—he’s been competing at the pro level too, showing he’s still got that competitive fire.
Now, Agassi is back in the commentary booth, bringing his trademark energy to fans online! With the semifinals heating up and the finals just around the corner, can we expect more of Andre Agassi’s electric commentary? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are set for another Centre Court showdown—a rematch of their epic Wimbledon clash in 2023 and this year’s French Open semi. Stay tuned and updated with EssentiallySports Live Blog for match updates and player news!
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