The U.S. Open is over and Roger Federer is the champion again. But it didn't happen without a fight from Andre Agassi, who I'm guessing played in his last Open. It's not often that a 35 year-old athlete gets to compete for championships and that's too bad. Agassi seemed to appreciate this run more than any other he's been on in the past.
He took time to pause and look into the crowd. He seemed surprised by the amount of people willing to give slices of their lives to watch him play. And that realization seemed to motivate him to such a high level that he pushed Federer, probably the best player ever, to four sets, and for a brief moment, looked like he might actually beat him.
Agassi's final words to the crowd during the closing ceremonies were words of thanks to the fans for supporting him the past 20 years. The young kid who began his career as a bit of a rebel is ending it in a quite impressive manner. The middle wasn't bad either.
His Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation turned 10 years old this year. And part of that Foundation includes the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy for at-risk youth in Las Vegas where approximately 300 students receive a top notch education. And sometimes they even get a visit from Agassi himself.
To paraphrase the late Harry Carry, "OH, for another Andre Agassi."
