‘Disconnected’ from tennis: Agassi’s advice for ‘authentic’ Kyrgios

Tennis great Andre Agassi is buoyed by Nick Kyrgios’ authenticity, impressed that the injured Australian speaks openly about his personal battles.

Kyrgios, who turns 29 in April, will miss the Australian Open with a wrist injury, the fifth consecutive major that the wildly talented player will be absent from.

L-R: Rafael Nadal, Madison Keys, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Nick Kyrgios, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov, John McEnroe, Genie Bouchard and Pete Sampras in New York nine years ago.Credit: Getty Images

Kyrgios has given conflicting messages about the likelihood of him returning to tennis. However, in November, before his Open withdrawal was announced, the Canberran candidly said “the stars have to align a little bit” for him to make a successful comeback after more than a year out.

Eight-time major winner Agassi, a legend of the sport, is fondly remembered for reviving his career in his late 20s. An Australian Open champion four times, Agassi came back from the brink to win multiple majors after his ranking slumped from world No.1 in 1995 to 141 just two years later.

The American climbed back to the top ranking in 1999, winning his solitary Roland Garros title that year, a career-defining victory that delivered him a career grand slam.

Agassi told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald that his personal fight to turn himself around was arduous, and he had to “rebuild on so many levels”.

Asked if he had any specific advice for 2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, Agassi said he was pleased that the Australian was transparent about his battles.

“What I think he can still do with his game from a talent perspective, I think that’s pretty clear,” said Agassi, who retired in 2006.

Andre Agassi: The tennis legend features in an advertisement filmed Down Under. Photo: Supplied.

Agassi said he came to terms with his “hate-love” relationship with the sport.

“When I was at my lowest after I was No.1 in the world, I felt like I had to rebuild on so many levels when I kind of got disconnected from the game for a good year, year and a half,” he said.

“If I [got to] spend time with him [Kyrgios] … for me the most important thing is to understand who somebody is, where somebody’s at, and meeting him where that is.

“Because regardless what demons one fights with, regardless how real they are or not, if you think they’re real, they exist, so you have to deal with them.

“When I listen to Nick speak, I see somebody who at least has acknowledged the honesty and what he’s feeling. And I think you always get that from him.

“We all wish we could handle ourselves maybe with more discipline at times in our life. But at the same time, you have to sort of say it’s nice when something is authentic and real.”

Agassi retired after a 20-year professional career when Roger Federer was beginning to cut a swathe in the game and in the early stages of the dominant era defined by the Swiss, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who won nearly every slam on offer.

World No.1 Djokovic, 36, has pushed past his two great rivals on the grand -slam ladder and Agassi believes the Serbian, gunning for an 11th Australian Open, will continue to be the men’s star to beat “for a few more years”, still playing like he was five years younger.

Andre Agassi trains in Melbourne for the Australian Open in 2005.Credit: Ray Kennedy

“The only thing I’m absolutely convinced about is Novak will not beat Father Time. It’s just a question of how long you can postpone it,” Agassi said.

“I definitely see a few more years of him being the one that has to be dealt with.”

Agassi said he couldn’t project whether Djokovic, a record 24-time major winner, could reach 30.

“How can you say something isn’t possible? Records are meant to be broken, right?

“Obviously we’re just we’re speculating on so many things, which includes health, and that’s going to start to rear its head.”

On statistical measurements alone Djokovic was the legitimate GOAT of men’s tennis, Agassi said.

“You can’t argue with the stats that Novak has put on the board for crying out loud.

“From the slams … to the number of weeks of No.1 – there’s so many stats that he [is] just kind of is redefining, you know.

“[But] how do you leave … Federer out of that conversation and how do you leave [acknowledge] the elegance in which Federer did what he did.

“[And] with Rafa ... I don’t know if tennis has ever seen somebody who competes like that.

“For me, it’s like what has got me on paper is one thing, but who’s who’s really benefited the game? I think the game has benefited dramatically from all of them. Absolutely.”

Nearly two decades ago, Agassi thought Federer was capable of winning 17 or 18 majors.

“I played him a year earlier in the finals of US Open. I knew what I was facing, and I didn’t see anybody around [in that generation] who had any answer [on matching him].

“[But] then Rafa comes, and Novak comes. Think about if those three guys didn’t have one of [the other two] to deal with. Would we really be looking at two guys that have 35 grand slams?”

Andre Agassi was made available for interview through his role in an Uber ad campaign during the Australian Open.

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