On Art
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Eight-time Grand Slam singles champion Andre Agassi was inducted into the Intrnational Tennis Hall Of Fame on Saturday in Newport, Rhode Island. Here is the full transcript of his speech:
Ive stood at this podium twice before. Once was to introduce my beautiful wife, Stephanie Graf. I was so much more comfortable that day because I felt the recipient to be far more worthy. The second time was in my fathers imagination (laughter), in his minds eye. From the day I was born, my father Mike saw this day in my future and described it to me many times.
So my feeling of déjà vu right now almost rivals my feeling of gratitude. Almost.
You know, not long ago I was giving a talk in my home town of Las Vegas, and after I spoke there was this answer and question period. The first hand up, first questions out of the box, was a man in the front row. You could see in this mans face that he was really struggling with something. He took the microphone, stood up and asked, “How do you know when to stop telling your kids what to do?” The questioner was my father.
I was caught off guard that night. I didnt know what to say. I dont remember what I did say. But the answer has come to me now so clearly. Dad, when I was five, you told me to win Wimbledon; when I was seven, you told me to win all of the four Grand Slams; and more times that I can remember you told me to get into the Hall of Fame. And when I was 29, I dont know if you remember this, you told me to marry Steffi Graf. Best order you ever gave me. So Dad, please dont ever stop telling me what to do.
If were lucky in life, we get a handful of moments when we dont have to wonder if we made a parent proud. We dont have to ask them; we just know. I want to thank tennis for giving me one of those moments today. Its one of the many things for which I need to thank this sport.
I look at Simone and the thousands of young people she represents at Agassi Prep, and I say under my breath, “thank you, tennis”. I look at my wife and
my children who I live for, and I say, “thank you, tennis”. I look to the future, my efforts to build high performing charter schools in inner cities across the U.S., schools that will impact tens of thousands of Simones, and I say, “thank you, tennis”, for making that possible.
I fell in love with tennis far too late in my life, but the reason that I have everything that I hold dear is because of how much tennis has loved me back. Im thrilled, humbled, quite terrified to be honest to stand in front of you right now. Ive felt vulnerable on the tennis court many times but not quite like today. Ive grown up in front of you. Youve seen my highs, my lows. Weve laughed together, weve cried together.