i never did pay much attention to the sport of tennis, mainly because it's one of my frustrations not having time–and the monetary resources–to properly learn the sport (even though i had–and still have–a wilson professional tennis racket collecting dust at home). unlike basketball where it's easy to pick up the game because it was part of physical education class in school, as with swimming; billiards where i basically taught myself how to hold a cue stick and hit the ball using the laws of physics; and bowling, where, for the most part, i guess i inherited the skill from my dad who used to play the game "semi-professionally" (in company-sponsored tournaments back when he was still employed here at home). well, maybe one exception is american football where i never played the game itself, but learned the basics and the rules just by watching espn–and ultimately, liking it. i would've done the same with tennis, yet at times, i found it too formal. no, wait, that's not the word i was looking for. i guess the right word i should be using is, the sport was too proper. except for one player who i followed, not too closely, but just enough to satisfy my frustration of playing the sport. andre agassi played his last professional tennis match today. though he lost, he'll be remembered as one of the greatest players ever.

andre broke into the tennis scene during the late 80s, a time when john mcenroe, boris becker and bjorn borg were masters of the court. but he didn't make headlines until the early 90s. yet what set him apart from the other players was his brash, cocky, image-first, and devil-may-cry attitude which raised the ire of tennis purists and the fans of a distant generation. fans who viewed tennis as one for the elites; the higher society where rules are synonymous with maintaining a social standing. yet he defied all these with his rock-star like hair, colored outfits (white is only color that should be worn by players) and a disrespect to the history of the sport. while most tennis fans became disgusted with his boorish behavior, others took notice and believed that he was put there to revolutionize the sport. soon, endorsement deals for sportswear and other products came knocking on his door. he appealed to the generation x of that era which stood for radical change, disrespect for authority and the youth movement. i started watching his games during the mid to late 90s as i saw him with that raw talent and energy, his desire to win in his eyes, and of course, that brash attitude he was known for and i instantly became a fan because of that. i then quietly started following his career and watched as he rose to greatness. as he won tournaments left and right and accumulated his titles, his fan base grew and other players slowly recognized the potential of this kid.

but not all change was towards the sport andre entered. he also made a name for himself outside of the tennis court which made him fall in the world rankings, most notably his marriage and divorce to actress brooke shields. i guess at the point towards the end of that marriage, he himself suddenly changed. he began taking tennis seriously and started the long road back to winning. gone were the long locks, the trash-talking and the chameleon outfits. he started to conform with the sport whose rules he once defied, which won more fans to his side. he also became an advocate to humanitarian missions and a crusader for underprivileged and disadvantaged children. to sum up all of these changes, he simply matured and grew up. yet his desire to win never faltered. battling injuries and age, he began competing at a higher level in his career of which the pinnacle was this year's US open. when he announced that this would be his final event, i tried to watch most of his games as possible. i was witness to the game between him and marcos baghdatis and it was, in my book, his greatest performance ever. i initially thought his match with benjamin becker (no relation to boris) would upstage his previous encounter as he showed flashes of that agassi flair of old as he tried to match experience with youth during the first two rounds. but after seeing him wince and grimace in pain while chasing shots during the latter half of the match, i then knew it would be impossible for him to overcome the odds. yet i endured the hope that he would beat his aging body and injuries that wore him down, but in the midst of the third set, it was clear: this was andre agassi's swan song. and as becker's final launched his final serve, andre, who had four cortisone injections given to him just to keep him playing, just stood there, didn't even move to chase and make the return, and accepted the end.

he was still standing, but the crowd stood with him as he walked to his seat. tears began to fill his eyes as he broke down amidst the roaring applause and cheers of the crowd at hand. a very long standing ovation was in effect, a worthy final send-off for arguably one of the greatest to ever play the game. his determination to keep playing was evident in his comments prior to the tournament, saying, "for me, it was never about winning and stopping. it was about getting the most out of myself as long as possible." and as he took the court one final time to address the fans at hand, he had this to say (transcript courtesy of the Associated Press):

"the scoreboard said i lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what i have found. and over the last 21 years, i have found loyalty. you have pulled for me on the court and also in life. i've found inspiration. you have willed me to succeed sometimes even in my lowest moments. and i've found generosity. you have given me your shoulders to stand on and reach for my dreams, dreams i could have never reached without you. over the last 21 years, i have found you. and i will take you and the memories of you with me for the rest of my life. thank you."

i'm proud to say that i'm an andre agassi fan. tennis will never be the same without him. as i saw him bid goodbye to the sport he shook to its very foundations, and to the crowd who faithfully followed his every move, that also sealed the fate of me at least following the sport itself. clearly, there will never, ever be quite another player like him.