"If I were to do what my dad did, I would consider that abuse" - When Andre Agassi opened up about his complicated relationship with father Emmanuel

Andre Agassi once opened up about his complicated relationship with his father, Emmanuel "Mike" Agassi. The American shed light on how he would feel if he treated his own children with his wife Steffi Graf the same way his father had treated him.

Andre Agassi's father introduced him to tennis at an early age, coaching the eight-time Grand Slam champion during his childhood in Las Vegas. However, when the former World No. 1 turned 13, Emmanuel felt that he had "nothing left to teach him" and sent him away to renowned coach Nick Bollettieri's prestigious academy in Florida.

Finding himself separated from his parents in what he described as a "prison camp" environment, Agassi admitted that the move ignited his "hatred" for tennis by negatively impacting his relationship with his father. In his book 'Open,' the eight-time Grand Slam champion expressed his deep love for Emmanuel but also revealed how tough his father had been on him.

Andre Agassi elaborated on his complicated relationship with his father in a 2017 interview with Inside Tennis, reflecting on whether his father's actions amounted to abuse.

The former World No. 1 expressed his view that abuse was driven by the intent to cause harm and emphasized that his father never intended to hurt him. Instead, Agassi suggested that his father acted out of a sincere belief that he was doing the right thing.

"I have to speak to that generally because of how people perceive abuse. I feel that in many ways it was unfair, but when you grow and come to understand who your parent is, you understand what their intentions were," Andre Agassi said.

"Abuse is an action of wanting to hurt. It’s not a byproduct of thinking you’re doing the right thing – it’s the intention behind it," he added.

Nevertheless, Andre Agassi admitted that if he behaved the same way with his own children, he would see it as abuse. The American also gave his father grace, acknowledging that while Emmanuel made many mistakes, his actions were driven by his love and loyalty to his children.

"If I were to do what my dad did, I would consider that abuse, because I wouldn’t know how that’s being perceived. My father, who came from a whole different background, had nothing but love and loyalty for his kids, but he made a lot of mistakes. We all are broken in a lot of ways, so I don’t judge it," he added.

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"I am raising my two children ... I try to imagine what it would've been like to say goodbye to my son or my daughter" - Andre Agassi on his feeling of 'abandonment'

Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and their son Jaden (Source: Getty)

During the same interview, Andre Agassi discussed how being sent away to train at Nick Bollettieri's academy in Florida at the age of 13 had a profound effect on his life, creating feelings of dread and abandonment that had followed him over the years.

"That feeling (of dread and abandonment) was very formative in my life. It puts you into a position of survival. It makes you raw. You start way too early in life to see it cynically," Andre Agassi said.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion also reflected on how difficult it would be to say goodbye to his own children at such a young age, emphasizing that watching them grow up had been some of the most beautiful experiences of his life.

"But I think now that I am raising my (two) children it’s grown in its profoundness because I try to imagine what it would have been like to say goodbye to my son three years ago or to say goodbye to my daughter a year ago," he said.

"They turned 16 and 14 last month and these have been some of the most beautiful years of my life since I’m sharing in their growth. Quite frankly, I would hope these years would be very important to them as it relates to who they want to be," he added.

Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf's son Jaden is pursuing a career in professional baseball. Their daughter Jaz, meanwhile, is exploring her passions in dance, fashion and fitness.