"Who does Andre Agassi think he is?" - When John McEnroe lashed out at Agassi over last-minute illness 'stunt' to pull out of their exhibition event 

Andre Agassi once courted controversy when he abruptly withdrew from his highly anticipated exhibition event with John McEnroe, just hours before it was set to commence. McEnroe did not take kindly to Agassi citing illness as the reason for his absence, only to be spotted enjoying himself elsewhere.

In 1989, Agassi and McEnroe were scheduled to participate in two nights of exhibition matches in Canada. However, shortly after Agassi and his team learned about the sub-zero temperatures in Toronto, the then-teenager pulled out of the event with bronchitis, just eight hours before he was supposed to take the court.

After Agassi's unexpected withdrawal, event promoter Andrzej Kepinski was forced to shell out $80,000 in additional expenses to fly Jimmy Connors out to Canada as his replacement. However, in a shocking turning of events, Agassi was spotted unwinding by the pool at the Sonesta Sanibel Harbour Resort in Florida that same day, rather than dealing with his supposed illness.

In a 1989 interview with Sports Illustrated, John McEnroe didn't hold back his frustration over Andre Agassi's conduct, arguing that such a "stunt" was something he expected from more established players.

"Who does Agassi think he is? He's not supposed to pull this kind of stunt until he's 25," McEnroe said.

McEnroe frequently aired his grievances with Agassi's behavior, both on and off the court. The former World No. 1's criticism was particularly pointed after their tense clash at the 1988 Volvo Tennis Los Angeles.

"Andre Agassi's act is wearing thin... it's not good for tennis either" - John McEnroe after contentious Las Vegas clash

John McEnroe and Andre Agassi - Source: Getty

Andre Agassi and John McEnroe locked horns in a blockbuster semifinal clash at the 1988 Volvo Tennis Los Angeles, with Agassi claiming a 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 victory to advance to the final.

However, McEnroe believed that the then-teenager had intentionally tanked the second set, denouncing the perceived move as "insulting and immature." The former World No. 1 also accused Agassi of disrespecting his opponents and contended that such actions weren't good for the sport.

"Insulting, immature, a cop-out. His act is wearing thin. I don't think that's showing respect for your opponent. And it's not good for tennis either. But I expect to see a lot more of it before we see less," McEnroe said in the aforementioned interview.

Andre Agassi and John McEnroe only faced each other in four tour-level encounters, with their head-to-head record standing level at 2-2. However, Agassi emerged victorious in their sole meeting at the Majors, claiming a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over the seven-time Grand Slam champion in the 1992 Wimbledon semifinals.