Tennis Reacts to Agassi Drug Confession
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I’m going to use this space to post and collect player reactions on Andre Agassi’s crystal meth confession. I will update as more players weigh in on the issue. Agassi’s book, “Open”, will be released on November 9. ADHEREL
Andy Roddick: “andre is and always will be my idol. i will judge him on how he’s treated me, and how he has changed the world for better … and to be fair when andre wrote the reported letter, he was well outside the top 100 and widely viewed as on the way out (link)”
Amer Delic: “In re to Agassi: if that’s the worst he has done than, it doesn’t take anything away from his career. … Continued: He had to have the balls to come out with the truth when there was no reason other than his guilty conscience.”
Roger Federer: “It was a shock when I heard the news. … I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future. Our sport must stay clean.” (the australian)
Rafael Nadal: “Cheaters must be punished and if Agassi was a cheater during his career, he should have been punished. … To me it seems terrible. Why is he saying this now that he has retired? … It’s a way of damaging the sport that makes no sense. I believe our sport is clean and I am the first one that wants that.” (the australian)
Martina Navratilova: “It’s shocking … It’s not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn’t own up to it. He’s up there with Roger Clemens, as far as I’m concerned. Andre lied and got away with it. You can’t correct that now. Do you take away a title he wouldn’t have won if he had been suspended? He beat some people when he should have been suspended.” (the australian)
Boris Becker: “I’m the last person to throw stones, as there have been some difficult times in my own life, but to hear that he took crystal meth, that certainly puts a whole new light on Andre and it’s not a beautiful light. … Andre didn’t just take drugs, he also tested positive for drugs and then got away with it, and that’s not good at all for tennis, especially for the governing bodies. People are going to be thinking, ‘How could this happen? How could he get away with this?’ If it had been made public in 1997 that Andre was using drugs, his career, and his life, would have been very different. He wouldn’t be where he is today. Maybe his career would not have survived if everyone knew that he had taken drugs, and if he was banned from the tour for a while. But no one knew until now, and it was after he took crystal meth that he played some of the best tennis of his life. He won many grand slams after that.” (daily telegraph)
Marat Safin: “One should know how to be silent, but if you are so smart you should have spoken up earlier. … You will never live to see such revelations from me. How they will escape this situation — this is the ATP’s and Agassi’s problem.” (foxsports/AP)
Serena Williams: “I don’t even know what crystal meth is, so, you know, that’s what my reaction to it is.”
Jelena Jankovic: “You know, I don’t want to comment on that because, you know, I’m more of — I take it more — I appreciate fair play and players giving their effort, how good they can be, and being clean. You can be hundred in the world, but as long as you’re clean, I appreciate that.”
Nick Bollettieri: “I don’t condone what he did. I’ve made mistakes too, but I’ve done more good than bad. … Let’s look at what Andre has done; he funds a school for 400 kids from the inner-city. I know underneath he’s a hell of guy. … Whether you’re No1 or 1000 there can’t be an exception. If top players are found to be using drugs then they should be banned. That will send a message, stronger than any written message, ‘we will not tolerate drugs’.” (the australian)
Brad Gilbert: “Maybe it was me being naïve, but I had no clue. … I did a really good job of sticking to the tennis court. If Andre asked for something outside it, I would give it. I just wouldn’t ask him about it or volunteer something I wouldn’t have knowledge about. Because we hung out a ton, but that doesn’t mean you ask things that are personal.” (ny times)
Andy Murray: “I judge him as a tennis player; he was great, one of the best of all time. No one wants drugs in sport but everyone makes mistakes. … Sometimes things like that happen. People get away with it sometimes but I don’t think drugs in tennis is a big problem like it is in other sports. .. I loved Andre, met him numerous times. He was unbelievably nice to me. I practised with him quite a lot. … I guess it’s something he has to deal with him himself. He’s entitled to say whatever he wants and I wish him the best.” (bbc)
Marat Safin: “I’m not defending the ATP, but what he said put it in a delicate position. The ATP allowed him to win a lot of tournaments, a lot of money. It kept his secret. Why does he need to be so cruel with it? … If he is as fair play as he says he is, he has to go to the end. You know, the ATP has a bank account and he can give the money back if he wants.” (ap)
Pete Sampras: “I didn’t even know what to say. I respect him, he’s a friend of mine. He was my main rival in the ‘90s and would I tell him flat out he made a mistake, absolutely. I’d say, ‘What were you thinking?’ and to lie about it. But when I look at Andre in his mid-twenties to his late-twenties, he was like a different guy.” (access hollywood/KTBC-TV/FOX 7)
You can click on the player names for the full source and more.
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