The Australian Open is now just four days away, as the tennis world prepares for another year of Grand Slam action.
128 ATP players will enter the main draw in Melbourne next week, all with one goal, to lift the Australian Open title.
Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open last year, as he beat Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling final on Rod Laver Arena.
He may not have things all his own way this year, however, as ten-time champion Novak Djokovic will be working alongside new coach Andy Murray, to try bring home a record-extending 11th title.
Similarly, 2024 quarter-finalist Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to complete the Career Grand Slam by adding the Australian Open title to his collection.
A Grand Slam title is the most sought-after prize for any tennis player, something that one former Major champion recognized as he realized his biggest regret last year.
Andre Agassi admitted that he regrets ‘skipping’ nine Australian Open’s at the start of his career
Speaking in an interview with Eurosport during the 2024 Australian Open, eight-time Grand Slam winner Andre Agassi admitted one of his big regrets from his time in the sport.
“For me, the most memorable was my first trip down,” he said.
“I skipped this tournament for nine years, and then when I came down I wasn’t sure how I was going to be received.
“But not only did they embrace me, they led me on to victory the same year.
“It was a pretty good memory there.
“Tennis was something I struggled with in a lot of ways back then.
“I’m regretful of it because this tournament turned out to be my most successful stop.”
Agassi won the Australian Open on his first attempt in 1995, as he beat Pete Sampras in four sets in the final, a match that the American still remembers to this day.
“That match was something,” he said.
“I remember winning it in four, pretty much not losing my serve the whole tournament till the first set in the final, and sure enough, Pete was the first one to break me.
“I managed to turn it around with an epic third-set tiebreaker, where I was down two set points.
“I hit some kind of low percentage return, got away with it, and managed to get through the third and finish it off in the fourth, it all stands out.”
Looking back, Agassi felt lucky to have won his semi-final match when he did, due to the weather that soon followed.
“In my semi-final, I played Aaron Krickstein,” he said.
“He defaulted in the third set against me and the match stopped.
“I left and turned on the news, and 15 minutes after we stopped, the court was flooded, so we might have been hung up there for days.”
Was the Australian Open Andre Agassi’s strongest Grand Slam?
Agassi had participated in 21 Grand Slam tournaments before he first stepped foot on the courts in Melbourne.
As had been the case with many before him, the American had neglected the Australian Open, in favor of the other three tournaments, where in his defense he had already picked up two Major titles.
Following his success on debut, Agassi continued to perform down under, but was it really his best Slam tournament?
| Tournament | Titles | Win % | Win/Loss record |
| Australian Open | 4 | 90.6 | 48-5 |
| French Open | 1 | 76.1 | 51-16 |
| Wimbledon | 1 | 78.0 | 46-13 |
| US Open | 2 | 80.6 | 79-19 |
Agassi won more titles and held a far higher win % at the Australian Open, than any of the other three Major tournaments.
Losing just five matches down under, it’s fair to say that the American knew his way around Rod Laver Arena.
We will never know just how many titles the now 54-year-old could have won in Melbourne had he not skipped the event for the first nine years of his career, but it seems likely that he would have finished up with at least a few more Grand Slam titles.
The 2025 Australian Open is set to begin on January 12.
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