Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) is an American professional tennis player (1986-). As of 2004, he has won over $25 million in prize money and achieved a number 1 ranking on the ATP tour.
Agassi was born and raised in Las Vegas, and lives there when not on tour. His father, Emmanuel "Mike" Agassi, was a boxer for Iran in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics before emigrating to the U.S. When he became a citizen, he shortened his name from Agassian to Agassi.
Mike Agassi was a tennis fanatic, to put it nicely, determined to turn at least one of his four children into a world-class player. When he was 14, Andre was shipped off to teaching guru Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy in Florida, and turned pro when he was 16. He surpassed $1 million in career prize money in December 1988 after just 43 tournaments -- the quickest player in history to do so.
Agassi keeps in exceptional shape and can outlast many players over the course of a long match. He typically employs a baseline style of play, rarely serving-and-volleying. His serve is average at best among the top players on the men's tour, but his return-of-serve may be the best in tennis. Agassi has won eight Grand Slam singles titles.