Their first heroes: A look at tennis’s most famous dads

4. ) Mike Agassi

This entry may come as a surprise to many, especially those who have read Andre Agassi’s autobiography ‘Open’. In the book, Agassi writes in great detail about how his father pushed him during his early years, so much so that Agassi began to hate the game. However, once it is looked at from a different perspective now that Andre’s career is over, we realise the true value of his father’s commitment to the cause.

Mike Agassi, like many on this list , was also an immigrant, with his family hailing from Iran. While he could not make it as a tennis pro himself, it was a dream for him to see at least one of his children make it where he could not. As Andre’s siblings fell by the wayside one by one, it was up to him to live out his father’s dream as he was made to train relentlessly, his potential slowly being harnessed by his observant father.

Agassi finally did make it to the pro tour and ended as one of the game’s greats, winning 8 Grand Slam titles along the way. While he still bears some resentment towards his father, it is obvious that he holds him in high regard, and admits that deep down, he thanks his father for what he did for him.