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After turning pro at the age of 16, tennis prodigy Andre Agassi rose to international fame, earning 60 men’s singles titles, including eight Grand Slam singles championships, over a 20-year career. A former World No. 1 player, Agassi is the first male player ever to win all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. He was also a member of three winning Davis Cup teams (1990, 1992, and 1995). On July 9, 2011, Andre was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011.
While his tennis career took him all over the world, Agassi always stayed connected to his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1994, at the age of 24, he created the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. Early activities included building a shelter in Las Vegas for abused and neglected children, creating the Andre Agassi Boys and Girls Club, and developing Team Agassi, a tennis program that nurtures professional players and puts college within reach.
For over 25 years, the Foundation has honed its mission to focus on transforming public education. In 2001, the Foundation opened the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a tuition-free K–12 public charter school in historical West Las Vegas with approximately 1,200 students. Recognized as a model charter school, Agassi Prep graduated its first senior class in June 2009 with a 100 percent college acceptance rate.
After successfully graduating nine senior classes, Agassi Prep made the decision to turn over operations to Democracy Prep, a high-achieving charter management organization with 17 high-performing schools across the nation. Agassi Prep is now referred to as Democracy Prep at the Agassi Campus.
Since the inception of the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, $185 million has been raised to benefit the mission of the Foundation, including $118 million from the Grand Slam for Children fundraising event. The Grand Slam for Children served as the Foundation’s primary fundraising vehicle and brought together international stars to raise awareness and money.
After retiring in 2006, Agassi increased his focus on his foundation and on promoting education reform. He is also building a lifestyle business through endorsement relationships, joint venture investments, and real estate development. In November 2009, he released his autobiography Open, which reached #1 on The New York Times bestseller list and continues to hit record sales internationally.
In June 2011, as part of an effort to expand his impact on education, Agassi partnered with Turner Impact Capital on an innovative new real estate fund – the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund – to promote the success and growth of best-in-class charter schools in urban communities across the United States. As of 2024, the fund has opened 122 schools, serving over 100,000 students in some of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in America.
Most recently, Andre launched Square Panda, an award-winning educational technology learning system utilizing phonics with multi-sensory play. Designed for children two and older, the playset blends physical and digital learning through games grounded in a research-based curriculum. Square Panda’s mission is to give children the tools to become fluent, confident readers and empower them to love reading.
Agassi walks readers through the highs and lows of his tennis career and personal life in an open and reflective story. His early years, the demands of the sport, his relationships, and his journey towards self-discovery are all covered in the book.