Agassi announces retirement date

 

 

 

Former Wimbledon champion Andre Agassi says he will retire after this year's US Open, which starts on 28 August.

 

The 36-year-old American has won eight Grand Slam singles titles in his career and is one of only five players to win all four Grand Slam events. He is a former world number one and has pocketed winnings of more than £17m. Agassi claimed his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 1992 and has also won the Australian Open four times, the US Open twice and the French Open once.

 

 

"This Wimbledon will be my last and the US Open will be my last tournament," said Agassi, who has won 60 ATP titles since turning professional in 1986. Agassi beat Goran Ivanisevic over five sets in the final to win Wimbledon 14 years ago, knocking out former champions Boris Becker and John McEnroe on the way. He returns to SW19 this summer after being absent for the last two years and will play Boris Pashanski of Serbia in the first round. Agassi has been struggling with a back injury and returned to competition last week after almost three months out, losing to Tim Henman in the Stella Artois Championships.

 

 

"It's been a lot of sacrifice trying to get myself right to come back here and enjoy this tournament for the last time," he said. "I sacrificed the clay to make sure my body was right. It's something that's meant a lot to me over the years so being here feels great. "I wanted to do everything I could just to come back here. This is where it all started for me. All my dreams started here. It's 14 years ago but it feels like yesterday." Agassi, who has only played eight matches in 2006, admits he has been considering retirement for the last four years.

 

 

The 36-year-old recaptured his best form when he reached the final of the US Open last year and it is in New York that the American wants to sign off his career. "I have given my body a good talking to and hopefully it will see me through the summer," said Agassi. "I look forward to ending on my home turf at the US Open. There's still a lot of fight left in me. "I promised I was going to try to do this as long and as hard as possible with the realistic hope of winning and when I felt I couldn't, whether it was my body or my mind, I would let you know." Agassi married seven-time Wimbledon champion Steffi Graf in 2001 and the couple have two children Jaden Gil and Jaz Elle.