"It’s like touching her... Every forehand is foreplay": When Andre Agassi opened up about his profound experience with Steffi Graf on the tennis court

Andre Agassi once opened up about his transcendent experience of practicing with Steffi Graf for the first time. The practice session proved to be a turning point in the duo's relationship, which resulted in them getting married and having two children together.

Agassi had been "thunderstruck" by Graf long before the two officially met. As such, he was very disappointed when he didn't get to dance with the German after they both clinched the singles titles at the 1992 Wimbledon Championships.

It was only years later in 1999 when the American got the chance to reconnect with Steffi Graf after his coach Brad Gilbert arranged a hitting session with the German's coach Heinz Gunthardt in Key Biscayne. In his 2009 autobiography 'Open,' Andre Agassi opened up about his "shameless" approach to spark a romance with Graf while sharing a court.

"I tie my shoes quickly. I pull a racket out of the bag and walk onto the court—then impulsively whip off my shirt. It’s shameless, I realize, but I’m desperate. Steffi looks and does a barely detectable double take," he wrote.

Agassi revealed that while the German was her "flawless" self on the court, he found himself struggling to even get the ball over the net. The American admitted that he was captivated by Graf's beauty, describing her as a "goddess." The eight-time Grand Slam was also enamored by the opportunity to experience Graf's legendary forehand up close, likening it to "foreplay."

"But I can’t help myself. I’ve never seen a woman so beautiful. Standing still, she’s a goddess; in motion, she’s poetry. I’m a suitor, but also a fan. I’ve wondered for so long what Steffi Graf’s forehand feels like. I’ve watched her on TV and at tournaments and I’ve wondered how that ball feels when it comes flying off her racket," Andre Agassi wrote.

"A ball feels different off every player’s racket—there are minute but concrete subtleties of force and spin. Now, hitting with her, I feel her subtleties. It’s like touching her, though we’re forty feet apart. Every forehand is foreplay," he added.

A few days after their practice session, Andre Agassi sent Steffi Graf an enormous bouquet of red roses. However, the German put a stop to Agassi's advances by reminding him that she was in a relationship with German racing driver Michael Bartels at the time.

"Everything went really quick" - Steffi Graf on the beginning of her relationship with husband Andre Agassi

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi - Source: Getty

In an interview with Vijay Amritraj, Steffi Graf recalled being baffled by Andre Agassi's desire to practice with her because she was under the impression that the American was still married to actress Brooke Shields. The 22-time Grand Slam champion also shared the details of the phone call that followed their practice session.

Graf explained that once the news of Agassi's divorce came to light, everything began to make sense. The two started dating a few months later and quickly settled into a relationship before tying the knot in 2001.

"Our coaches set up practice in 1999 and I was like, 'Why does he want to practice with me? He's married, I've got a boyfriend.' It was all a little confusing to me. But after the practice, I found this beautiful bouquet of roses in my hotel room with a beautiful letter," Graf said.

"We had a brief conversation after that where I said that I've got a boyfriend and all I know is that he's married. I had no idea that he's going through a divorce. A few weeks later, I heard about the divorce and understood things a little clearer. It took us a few months, but then, everything went really quick," she added.

Meanwhile, Andre Agassi has disclosed that the universe had been "screaming" at him that Steffi Graf was the one, after he had spent years "marveling" at her from a distance.