Tennis and the Meaning of Life

Let’s get one thing straight. It’s just a game, no big deal. Tennis is as simple as pie. Yellow ball and nifty racket: hit it over that net and into the rectangle and you’re home free. Win two or three sets, and you’re a hero. Gotta love it. “If you really think about it,” says Maria [...]

Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation

Which Era In Tennis Is Best?

Okay, the whole notion of “a generation” is a sticky wicket, a big-picture shortcut that invites oversimplification. Still, we adore our categories. We love to compartmentalize, label and list.  So, ever since the Lost Generation, pop culture gurus have divided and wrapped up our eras into nice neat, user-friendly packages.

Michael Chang Speaks Out

Hall of Famer Weighs In On Chinese Tennis, Agassi’s Accusations and the Transformation of the Fab Four

INSIDE TENNIS: I see you’re part of the 12-city Champions Series tour along with John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and your former rivals Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier. Seems like old times. MICHAEL CHANG: It’s going to be extremely competitive. There’s a lot on the line. It’s not going to be quite like [...]

Agassi to Play Newport Exhibition

Match Will Follow Las Vegan’s Hall of Fame Induction

Andre Agassi has captured eight Slams, Olympic gold and is known around the world as one of the most exciting athletes to ever pick up a racket. On July 9, he’ll be recognized with the highest honor in tennis – induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Topping off the festivities, the Hall of [...]

‘Did I Leave the World a Better Place?’

The Agassi Interview

Over three decades, from Berkeley to Vegas to Munich, Inside Tennis has interviewed Andre Agassi many times. On the eve of his induction into the International Hall of Fame, we wanted to chat with him about his perspectives. Agassi asked IT Editor Bill Simons to send him his questions. He did. Here are his answers.

‘Til Death Do Us Part: A Tennis Marriage Primer

They Say Love Means Nothing In Tennis. Think Again.

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton delighted billions. And why not? It was a fairy tale like no other. Well, no other since William’s mother and father — Lady Di and Prince Charles — did their royal thing. Of course, at times like this, tennis is far from the radar screen. Except, in [...]

The Art of Celebration

Reflections On Tennis' Most Poignant Moment

We’ve all had them — peak experiences — those singular moments of sheer joy and pure ecstasy.  You know them, you’ve felt them. The moment you got into college, your wedding day, the birth of a child – those precious few big bang moments when we’re flooded with a certain intoxicating mix, a heady tonic: [...]

Agassi, Mac, Sampras, Courier Headline Champions

Formidable Foursome to Play 12 One-Night Tournaments

Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier will headline a newly expanded and reformatted Champions Series circuit with one-night tournaments in 12 cities nationwide this fall. The Champions Series will feature former Grand Slam greats competing for ranking points and a bonus pool totaling $1 million that will be shared by the top [...]

The Naked Truth: Aussie Open Notes

GOING SOFT?: Regarding conflicts of interest that seem to permeate the world of tennis broadcasting (example: TV commentator Mary Joe Fernandez is married to Roger Federer‘s agent, Tony Godsick), SI.com’s Richard Deitsch asserted, “The sport’s television entities have long fostered a climate where players are subjected to questions about as soft as a Francesca Schiavone [...]

Hall of Famer Agassi: ‘It Was Worth It’

Newest Inductee Says Sacrifices Were His ‘Cross to Bear'

Ask the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s latest addition if all the sacrifice, all the hardship, was worth it and he’ll give you the short answer. “Yes.”