“My wife Steffi Graf can hold the kids longer than me, I struggle” – When Andre Agassi lamented about how his back injury affected his off-court life
Andre Agassi once expressed how his back injury impacted his life off the court, making it difficult for him to hold his and Steffi Graf’s children for an extended period. The couple, who married in 2001, share a son named Jaden and a daughter named Jaz.
Agassi was born with spondylolisthesis, a condition where one vertebra slips forward over another, causing compression on the spinal nerves. Even though he developed coping mechanisms, the slightest wrong movement could trigger excruciating pain.
This was evident during the 2006 NASDAQ-100 Open, now known as the Miami Masters, where the American had to withdraw due to his back issues. He attended a press conference afterwards and detailed how his chronic back problem even impacts his time spent with Graf and their children.
“If it gets bad from the court, it will transfer. I mean, my wife [Steffi Graf] can hold the kids longer than me, for sure (smiling). But I suppose most women can, too, it seems,” Agassi said.
The eight-time Major champion added:
“But I struggle. I struggle with, you know, standing for a long period of time. That’s when it’s bad off the court. But in everyday life, it’s okay if I’m not putting a toll on it.”
Talking about his withdrawal from the ATP 1000 tournament, Agassi added:
“I pushed through until yesterday. You know, my practice, the way I felt later in the evening and the realistic possibilities of how I can perform here was pretty clear. It was a couple good days followed by the last three being very difficult.”
Andre Agassi: “I’ll continue to work, I still think I can if my body responds, but only time will tell”
When asked if he could envision himself never playing tennis again during the same press conference, Andre Agassi expressed his determination to do everything in his power to prolong his career.
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However, he also acknowledged that ultimately, it all depends on his body holds up.
“I really, really want to, you know. I want to. I plan on it. I’m hopeful for it. I’m optimistic about it. But I have to also call it like it is right now. Is it possible that I can’t anymore? It’s definitely possible,” Andre Agassi said.
“But I’ll continue to work, and I’ll continue to put myself in a position to do this well, and I still think I can if my body responds. But only time will tell,” the former World No. 1 added.
Agassi ultimately bid farewell to the sport in 2006 after being eliminated by Benjamin Becker in the third round of the US Open. Since then, he has remained involved in tennis to some extent, while also engaging in business ventures and philanthropic activities.
