Editorial: Mild sort of autobiography

OPINION: So far the big stories out of Andre Agassi's autobiography are that he took P, wore a wig and went commando when he won the 1999 French Open.

Not exactly edifying.

Agassi has called his book Open, a laboured pun on what is expected of an autobiography and the name of a tennis championship. It's very doubtful this is the full story of the Vegas-born star but only the bits he thinks we can deal with and won't harm his image too much.

At the same time he has to write a book that people want to read, which will create a bit of a stir.

Agassi won eight grand slam titles and an Olympic gold medal while playing.

Agassi is, with Rod Laver, Don Budge, Fred Perry, Roy Emerson and Roger Federer, one of only six men to have achieved a career Grand Slam.

The player has come across as likeable enough in his later years. He gained more fame for his private life at times rather than his exceptionally good tennis. This included marrying and divorcing actress Brooke Shields and then marrying tennis great Steffi Graf.

But he is one of the most charitable of tennis players, in fact of all international sports stars, giving away and raising millions over the years. But that doesn't make a best seller, or get you a great deal of publicity these days.

And he has received the headlines with his confession over the use of P, or crystal meth as it is known in the United States. The publication of his drug use has sexed Agassi up a bit, made him a little more dangerous than his current bio as a balding ex-tennis star in his 40s deserves.

The book describes how Agassi was caught taking the recreational drug by the Association of Tennis Professionals. But they let him go, buying his excuse that his drink had been spiked.

While performance-enhancing drugs would carry a suspension of two years in the tennis world, recreational drugs such as crystal meth are in a different class and would mean a three-month suspension. While the punishment is much milder, Agassi says he still couldn't bear the consequences and lied.

What will be the ATP's excuse? It is unlikely, given that it was more than 10 years ago, they will feel an urgent need to 'fess up. But the revelations by Agassi do leave a nasty taste in the mouth and are illustrative of how poorly-monitored drug use is in international sports, and when athletes are caught, how easily they can get off.

When faced with one of their biggest stars transgressing, the ATP chose to look the other way. That too, is hardly edifying.

- The Marlborough Express

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