"Losing 3 Grand Slam finals had me questioning myself" - When Andre Agassi made brutally honest admission about self-doubt before maiden Slam win

Andre Agassi once revealed that repeated failures shattered his confidence, making him question whether he was truly capable of winning a Grand Slam. He reflected on this struggle while reminiscing about his breakthrough victory at the 1992 Wimbledon Championships.

Before Agassi achieved his breakthrough at Wimbledon, he suffered three Grand Slam final defeats. His first came at the 1990 French Open against Andres Gomez, followed by another setback at the US Open that same year against his rival Pete Sampras. He then fell short once more at Roland Garros in 1991, losing to Jim Courier.

By 1992, the American was hesitant about returning to SW19, as his confidence had taken a hit. The previous year, he believed in his chances but saw them shattered after a quarterfinal loss to David Wheaton. Reflecting on that period in a 2012 interview with the BBC, he said:

"I would have had to play Boris Becker in the semis and Michael Stich in the final and I had a very good winning record against both of those players, so I actually left Wimbledon in 1991 thinking that my chance to win had gone," he said.

"So, the next year, I was enthusiastic about coming back. However, the circumstances of losing three Grand Slam finals had me questioning myself," he added.

Andre Agassi faced Goran Ivanisevic in the 1992 Wimbledon final and triumphed in a grueling five-set battle to claim his first Grand Slam title. Ahead of the match, he was overwhelmed with thoughts, which he later reflected on:

"I didn't really believe in myself, getting out there in the final I had a lot of self-doubt. I knew playing Ivanisevic that I was going to have to do something special and I assumed I was going to lose. I went out there and let my shots fly and it taught me how to win."

Andre Agassi's career skyrocketed after Wimbledon 1992 win

Andre Agassi pictured at the Pickleball Slam 3 | Image Source: Getty

Andre Agassi's career skyrocketed quite literally after his remarkable title win at the 1992 Wimbledon Championships. He went on to win seven more Grand Slams and ended his career with a total eight.

Agassi's most successful Grand Slam was the Australian Open, where he triumphed four times (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003). Apart from that, he claimed the French Open title once (1999) and won the US Open twice (1994, 1999).

The American retired from tennis on September 3, 2006, after losing to Benjamin Becker in the third round of the US Open. Since then, he has stayed connected to the sport through coaching roles, engaging in charitable work, and even turning his attention to pickleball.