Günter Bresnik - "Andre Agassi has taken tennis to another level"
Andre Agassi celebrates his 50th birthday on April 29th. In an interview with tennisnet.com, star coach Günter Bresnik recalls the career of the exceptional American player.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Apr 28, 2020, 05:45 pm
tennisnet : Mr. Bresnik. As the coach of many opponents of Andre Agassi, you closely followed his career. What memories do you have spontaneously?
Günter Bresnik : Andre Agassi has been the outstanding personality in tennis for a long time. Not just because of his athletic performance, but what he also delivered alongside. For me it was a forerunner for Federer and Nadal , who simply raised tennis to another level. Agassi has gone a bit away from the sports side, into the social. He never said anything - whether everything he said was right or not is another matter. These are guys who are always good for me. Even if I wouldn't always sign what they say.
tennisnet : Is something missing in today's sport?
Bresnik : Basically, I like guys who don't hold back their honest, open opinions. I think Agassi is a smart guy, a good guy. People like Agassi are extremely important for the sport in particular and for the sport in general. Roger Federer in particular raised this to an even higher level, but you need these forerunners for that. And the right time. It's a lot easier these days: people like Andre Agassi have increased the status of sport so much that current players can do what they're doing right now. You should never forget that. Federer and Nadal don't either. Agassi did a lot more for the sport than the much more successful Pete Sampras.
tennisnet : Agassi tried briefly as a super coach with Novak Djokovic, with Grigor Dimitrov there was also a limited collaboration. Why didn't that work?
Bresnik : People who were so incredibly successful as athletes are rarely exceptionally good coaches. This has nothing to do with the fact that they are not hardworking, smart or empathetic enough, but with it: in order to be successful as an athlete, you need different requirements than to be successful as a trainer. But I don't think Andre Agassi wants to isolate himself from sports. It is only more difficult for him than for a completely fresh coach on the tour: There are not always a hundred cameras on him, so not every word or gesture is put on the gold scales. No miracle results are required. And starting at the grass roots would be nothing for someone like Agassi. But that is the root of performance. Then screwing around at the top is also interesting and important, but there are so many other factors involved that the influence of someone like Agassi is less. Of course, ex-players like Agassi assume that they can transfer their own experiences to other players. But that often doesn't work. You would have to gain experience as a trainer yourself - but that is almost impossible for prominent people.
Star potential in excess
tennisnet : What made Andre Agassi playful? Was he the first to pull off every forehand?
Bresnik : The Skoffi was there before! Incidentally, I was at the first tournament that Agassi won, with a wildcard in Itaparica. The nest lost the second round and quarter-finals. It was a very busy tournament and Agassi had already been announced as the new superstar. I just noticed that he brings more than just good tennis. Agassi has had what the Americans call "star potential" in excess. Bollettieri certainly contributed to this, and his father also influenced it. What impressed me: how well he returned and how close he was to the line. At that time there were still many aggressive players on the tour like Sampras or Becker and Edberg. And Agassi has improved the baseline game extremely by the position so close to the line.
tennisnet : And won on grass in Wimbledon in 1992. Which nobody would have thought possible.
Bresnik : He was just the best return player. He was told: You have to go to London, you don't have a chance anyway. See that you are doing well in Paris, the Australian Open or the US Open. And then Agassi comes without preparation and wins the tournament. He was also quick in the head. It is a quality that you cannot train. This now affects not only intellectual things, but also hand-eye coordination. Then Andre Agassi was a grand master.
"Agassi has always been known as generous"
tennisnet : If you read your autobiography, you could almost get the impression that Agassi was actually a shy guy.
Bresnik : I didn't find him shy. He was not one who got into the locker room and talked to everyone. In the first place, he dealt with the Americans, to a certain extent also as self-protection. Agassi has always had a close relationship with his coaches, first with Bollettieri, later with Brad Gilbert. It went far beyond the normal relationship between a superstar and a trainer. It was always very special and emotional, which also makes him likeable. And he has always been known to be generous.
tennisnet : How did you say that?
Bresnik : One of my favorite stories. Although I don't know if it's completely true or not. Agassi left late at an evening party in Monte Carlo and wanted to go out for a meal with his whole group afterwards. Probably ten to 15 people. There is a street just above the Monte Carlo Country Club where there are a few pizzerias. So Agassi gets there at nine-thirty, and they were locking up. So Agassi says they would still like to eat something. And that it would not harm the innkeeper if he kept his bar open. The first landlord says: no thanks, I don't care. Agassi drives on to the next restaurant, almost the same theater again, but the landlord says: well, come on in. And when it was time to pay, Agassi or one of his companions - he often had an American billionaire with him - said to the restaurant owner: I'll give you the check now, but please do me a favor: morning in the morning please go to your colleague and tell him what happened here today. And gives the landlord a check for $ 100,000.