What Andre Agassi said Rafael Nadal did in their first ever match which left him stunned, ‘I can’t fathom him’

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Andre Agassi’s longevity allowed him to enjoy a 20-plus-year stint on the ATP Tour, spanning from 1986 to 2006.

His lengthy run in tennis meant his career overlapped different eras, playing legends such as John McEnroe and Boris Becker, while also coming up against the likes of Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.

At the age of 35, Agassi reached the final of the Canadian Open, where he would meet another young star towards the end of his time in the sport.

The American faced off against Rafael Nadal, who left him completely stunned at the end of the match.

Andre Agassi’s first time meeting Rafael Nadal on the ATP Tour

In his autobiography, ‘Open’, Agassi recalled the 2005 season, which was his penultimate year on the tour.

He wrote: “Because I’ve pulled out of Wimbledon, newspapers and magazines print a fresh batch of eulogies. I swear off newspapers and magazines.

“In the late summer I play the Mercedes-Benz Cup and I win. Jaden is now old enough to watch me play, and during the trophy ceremony, he comes running onto the court, thinking the trophy is his. Which it is.

“I go to Montreal and scratch and claw my way to the final against a Spanish kid everyone is talking about. Rafael Nadal.

“I can’t beat him. I can’t fathom him. I’ve never seen anyone move like that on a tennis court.”

Andre Agassi’s head-to-head record against Rafael Nadal

Agassi and Nadal met just twice in their careers, with the first matchup coming in the 2005 Canadian Open final.

The American took their bout in Montreal that year to three sets, but ultimately the Spaniard emerged victorious to clinch his first hard-court title.

In their second and final clash, they faced off in the third round of the 2006 Wimbledon championships.

Nadal defeated Agassi once again, this time in straight sets, en route to his first final at the All England Club, where he fell to Federer.