14 DAY TRIAL // Former tennis champ Andre Agassi is coming out with a memoir and, in true memoir fashion, “Open” is not devoid of shocking revelations. Speaking of the ‘90s, Agassi writes of a troubled period on a personal level, problems that eventually pushed him to try crystal meth that, in turn, caused him serious issues in his career. He was not an addict, but he did use the drug to get away from whatever it was that was troubling him, he tells People magazine.
At a time when his relationship to Hollywood actress Brooke Shields was going downhill, Agassi was first introduced to crystal meth by one of his assistants at the moment, whom he only refers to as Slim. Slim liked to do drugs and occasionally to deal them as well, so, when he approached Andre one night with an offer, he chose not to refuse it. Shortly afterwards, he further says in the book, he tested positive during a routine checkup with the Association of Tennis Professionals, and for the first time ever he had to lie his way out of the problem.
“My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I’ve achieved, whatever I’ve worked for, might soon mean nothing. Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP. It’s filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth. I say Slim, whom I’ve since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth – which is true. […] I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it.” Agassi writes in the book.
Still, he tells People that, while he did use the drug more than once, he was not an addict in the true sense of the word. “I can’t speak to addiction, but a lot of people would say that if you’re using anything as an escape, you have a problem.” he says of his use in the past. He’s not afraid of coming clean about it, though, since, save that one time, he’s always been the kind of man that was honest with everybody, and especially his fans. “I was worried for a moment, but not for long... I wore my heart on my sleeve and my emotions were always written on my face. I was actually excited about telling the world the whole story.” he tells People.
Also in “Open,” Andre Agassi reveals that he always hated playing tennis, despite being the sport that made him famous, that he lived in fear of his violent father and sings the praises of his current wife, Steffi Graf.