It may be troublesome to grasp that two of the world’s biggest tennis professionals with 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them can really feel ache and struggling so deeply. Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf have tasted actually every part there’s on the platter on the largest stage of tennis: Grand Slam success, world No. 1 rating, Olympic gold. And but, for them, wrestle remained a companion even on the top.

“We all struggle. It might look like a beautiful bed of roses because you’re holding a trophy, but the pain and suffering that goes into it creates the same anxieties in all of us,” stated Agassi, who has given a riveting account of his fall from the top within the mid-Nineteen Nineties as a result of accidents, drug use and a damaged marriage wth Brooke Shields in his autobiography, Open.

“That’s why I decided to write my book, because I wanted to understand my struggles and express it. I believe everything should transparent in our journey. It can only help each other to know that we are not alone in it,” stated the eight-time Grand Slam winner, who overcame these adversities and fought his method again to the top.

No such emotional curler-coaster for Graf, a 22-time Grand Slam champion who was glued to the top of the world rankings for a document 377 weeks, it’s secure to imagine? “I was a good actress, then,” Graf quipped.

“Oh, I’ve had my ups and downs and challenges. In tennis, every day you go out on the court and strive to reach your limits. And it’s difficult to find that emotional balance. You might have it physically, but sometimes emotionally it’s hard to, day after day, ask the best of you. When you get closer to the top, the expectations and demands that you have, you don’t always feel that way but you’ve still got to ask the best of you. It’s hard, and you don’t realise the amount of pressure that sometimes you ask of yourself, not even from the outside. You’re far from having that equilibrium that you hope.”

Equilibrium is what they present in one another. Agassi, an unfiltered persona wrapped in lengthy hair and brilliant garments throughout his youthful days, met his calming affect in Graf, and the 2 married in 2001 to develop into tennis’ most outstanding couple. Agassi stated his solely remorse in life was that the union occurred 10 years too late.

“There’s a lot to be said for being attracted to what you respect and what you’re not,” Agassi stated. “The discipline she has always shown in her career is something that my personality couldn’t abide. Her personality and skill-sets allowed her to go about things differently. And that’s attractive. It’s the same, but it’s different.”

Graf agreed. “I think we came together at a time when we knew each other pretty well already,” she stated. “There might be certain differences in how we handle things and personalities, but in all of the right things I find that we are similar. Our priorities and thoughts are very aligned. By raising kids too you learn so much about each other. Between the value, respect and trust for each other, it’s working really well, let’s just put it that way.”

The two have additionally discovered their calling in philanthropy of their post-tennis life. While Agassi has fashioned the “Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation” to offer instructional alternatives for teenagers, Graf has established the “Children for Tomorrow” that helps kids from battle-torn locations.

“I felt like my lack of choice, being forced into tennis at a young age and out of school, left me very disconnected with my life,” Agassi stated about taking the plunge into charity. “At one of the lowest points of my career is when I decided to give children with no choice that opportunity. Getting involved in this gave me the platform to move forward with my educational objectives.”