A man of the 90s, you never liked Pete Sampras, too smooth, too perfect. You, you've always preferred a more complex character. You loved the craziest, most eccentric, most unstable player. You were a fan of the “Las Vegas Kid”, you were a fan of Andre Agassi…
...You keep saying that the 90s were far better than the 2000s. And you pretend to believe it.
...You have origins that nobody knows - Armenian origins…
... However you’re from Las Vegas and this is immediately obvious. Because you’re completely crazy.
…When you were young, you loved to dress differently from the rest of your classmates.
…One summer, you even tried to wear denim shorts and a crazy blond mullet.
…When you got older, you became bald and wore sober outfits.
…You were eccentric, but you're all quiet now.
…Yes, you've changed a lot.
… After marrying a neurotic, you dated a German girl, with the most beautiful legs on the tour.
…When you were young, you often dreamed of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. But you were merely in a third-rate club.
... But you don't care, you had the same little steps than Andre. Or at least you pretended to. For the look.
... In your life, you had many ups and a few lows.
…You had an oppressive, even a bit tyrannical, father…
… At your lowest point, you were addicted to methamphetamine, a synthetic drug that causes euphoria.
...Your favourite TV show is Breaking Bad. Obviously.
...You loved his victory against Medvedev at Roland Garros.
…You almost shed a tear when you saw him cry.
...You hated his defeats against Pete Sampras.
... Pistol Pete may have won more trophies, but you're still convinced that it is Agassi who wrote history by being the first in the Open era to win each Grand Slam.
...You don't have much strength. But your game allowed you to shine on all surfaces. Because you could do everything.
...A great server? With your return, you love it.
… Every time that an opponent goes up on the volley, your mouth curls up in a little grin.
… When Andre explained that the ATP didn't want to punish him for doping in 1997 so as not to ruin the image of tennis, you felt very relieved.
…When he confessed that he was wearing a wig at the beginning of his career to hide his baldness, you weren't mad at him.
…You miss him because he belongs to the previous generation of crazy players.
By Léon Belkacem
