“The best part of the tour is I ran into you, I’ll be forever grateful” – When Steffi Graf was moved to tears by husband Andre Agassi’s speech on her
When Steffi Graf was moved to tears by husband Andre Agassi
Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi treated fans to several endearing moments over the course of their relationship as a power couple on the tennis tour. One of the most notable of those moments came in 2004 during the German’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, where Graf was moved to tears by a lovely speech from her husband.
Graf is one of the most successful players to hold a racket in the history of the game, winning 22 Grand Slam titles. In the Open Era, only two players have won more than her — Serena Williams with 23 and Novak Djokovic with 24. She also reigned supreme at the top of the WTA rankings for a total of 377 weeks, the most by any woman and the second-most among all players (after Djokovic).
For her contributions to the game, the former World No. 1 was entered into the Hall of Fame in 2004, with Agassi delivering her introduction speech. An eight-time Grand Slam champion and a former World No. 1 himself, Agassi made no secret of his love for his wife, sharing his admiration for the way Graf conducted herself on and off the court.
“You have never defined yourself by what you have achieved; rather, you have achieved by how you defined yourself. And even now, it has taken my breath away to see how you’ve quietly laid down your racket to pursue love and motherhood, with the same zeal and high standards you have always demanded of yourself,” Andre Agassi said.
“No one has ever known you to be infatuated by your own accomplishments. The history books will record for posterity, your ability to embrace and rise above adversity, to play through injury, and to win again, and again, and again,” he added.
Graf, who had been wiping away tears throughout the ceremony, acknowledged her husband’s words while accepting the honor, using the chance to profess her love for him as well.
“Not that this occasion isn’t emotional enough, to hear how much you are loved is amazing,” Steffi Graf said. “The best part of the tour is I ran into you. I’ll be forever grateful for that,” she added, looking at her husband.
Seven years after Steffi Graf, Agassi was also inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
“The greatest person I’ve ever known” – Andre Agassi on his wife Steffi Graf
CTP Cluj-Napoca – Sports Festival 2024
During the speech at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Andre Agassi lavished further praise on Steffi Graf for all she had done for him and their two children — son Jaden and daughter Jaz. Stating that their lives will never be the same again because of her, the American referred to his wife as the ‘greatest person’ he has ever known in his life.
“We have been touched deeply by your life, you have made us better, and we will never be the same. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the greatest person I’ve ever known,” Andre Agassi said.
After months of dating, Agassi and Graf got married in 2001 and welcomed their son in 2001 followed by their daughter in 2003.
