A day in Agassi’s life with Lavazza

“There's no way to explain what it feels like to overcome an obstacle that you fundamentally didn't think you could. Once the shock is over, emotions emerge…”.  

It was on the 6th of June 1999, when a boy from Las Vegas finally experienced the thrill of a victory on the central court of Roland Garros. As the match came to an end, he dropped his racket and released an unexpected, irrepressible cry of joy.    

This boy was Andre Agassi, one of the greatest tennis players of all time and the first to win the Career Grand Slam on three different surfaces: grass, clay and hard.

From 2017 to 2019, he was Lavazza’s Global Ambassador. This collaboration  between two timeless icons was quite the legendary partnership. It became an iconic sports story, thrilling right up to the very end. 

Andre Agassi was born on the 29^th of April 1970 in Las Vegas. Despite his love and respect for his beloved sport, his relationship with tennis was conflicting, as he had started practising at the very early age of two. Due to his reluctance to follow the rules, Wimbledon was always a source of love and hate for the Las Vegas champion.

Alongside Lavazza, he experienced some of the most important moments of his incredible career, including the 1992 final against Goran Ivanišević, a tremendous opponent whom Agassi both feared and admired. A battle up until the very last shot, it was in this decisive final match that a new page in the legends of tennis was written as the Croatian giant lost his set and the trophy went to an incredulous and exhausted Andre Agassi. 

The first time Andre attended Wimbledon, he had never played on grass, or “ice plastered with Vaseline” as he defines it, and had no idea what to expect.

Far from being the favourite, he began his ascent towards the Wimbledon final, competing against some of tennis’s biggest legends.

As he continued his march towards the final, where he was sure to meet his eternal rival -  Pete Sampras, he was surprisingly respectful towards rules and regulations of the oldest tournament of the Slam.

He recalls the special atmosphere on the central court that made everything even more magical: the whispers of the spectators and the smell of the grass created a quiet intensity that was truly unique.

Andre remembers this fondly as he retraces with us the journey to the heart of the temple of tennis. 

Our journey continues retracing Andre Agassi's experience at Roland-Garros, recalling his love/hate relationship with red clay. Both the 1990 and the 1991 editions of the prestigious tournament, saw a young Agassi repeatedly eliminated in the finals. Only in 1999, did Agassi manage to have his revenge.  

Agassi’s commitment, constant dedication and pursuit for perfection led to his Grand Slam win. Though a very challenging one, as he played from the bottom of the court, this victory made Agassi one of only eight athletes able to win all four Grand Slam Tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. 

6 June 1999: Andre Agassi was in the final, once again.

The 1990 and 1991 editions saw him lose the trophy at the very last hurdle, first against Andres Gomez, then in favour of Jim Courier.

 The tension was through the roof, and his opponent, Andrei Medvedev, seemed to dominate the match. But something occurred in the ninth inning of the third set, and the rest is history.