A four-time Australian Open winner and world No.1 has touched down in Melbourne in almost anonymous fashion, looking nothing like the electric and colourful personality that once dominated the ATP tour.
US tennis star Andre Agassi was mobbed by a small group of tennis fans after enjoying dinner at upmarket restaurant Nobu at Southbank in Melbourne.
But the ageing ace, 55, was looking a far cry from the rock star personality that he cultivated in his playing days with his long, flowing mullet.
Andre Agassi looked relaxed and understated as he happily signed autographs for the small crowd that mobbed him at Nobu.
He wore a simple long-sleeve top and light jeans rather than anything flashy, his face showing natural lines from age and experience.
Once known as one of the most flashy players on the ATP circuit, Andre Agassi has adopted a more relaxed image
The US tennis star was mobbed while dining out at upmarket Japanese fusion restaurant Nobu in Melbourne
Agassi was happy to chat with fans, sign autographs and pose for photos after his dinner
The tennis superstar had a very different aura to his playing days, trading flamboyance and edge for a low-key, settled presence.
Agassi became famous in his playing days as much for his long, flowing hair as for his tennis.
His bold style and outspoken personality set him apart during the 1990s in a sport traditionally more known for tradition and restraint.
Agassi’s image helped make him a global star, bringing new fans and attention to the game.
However he later made a big revelation, writing in his autobiography that was published in British weekend newspapers that he wore a hairpiece held together with pins in his first Grand Slam final in Paris in 1990.
‘Every morning I would get up and find another piece of my identity on the pillow, in the wash basin, down the plughole,’ he wrote.
‘I asked myself: you want to wear a toupee? On the tennis court? I answered myself; what else could I do?’
Agassi admitted that the trademark mullet had become a key part of his personality and he was terrified of taking to the court without it.
Agassi’s trademark mullet made him instantly recognisable during his playing days that saw him rocket up to No.1 in the world
Agassi later revealed that the mullet was a hairpiece for most of his career after he started to go bald at a young age
‘Of course I could have played without my hairpiece, but what would all the journalists have written if they knew that all the time I was really wearing a wig?’ he wrote.
‘During the warming-up training before play I prayed. Not for victory, but that my hairpiece would not fall off.
‘With each leap, I imagine it falling into the sand. I imagine millions of spectators move closer to their TV sets, their eyes widening and, in dozens of dialects and languages, ask how Andre Agassi’s hair has fallen from his head.’
Agassi also wrote that his then-wife Brooke Shields was the one to convince him to finally take to the court without the hairpiece.
‘She said I should shave my head,’ he said.
‘It was like suggesting I should have all my teeth out.
‘Nevertheless, I thought for a few days about it, about the agonies it caused me, the hypocrisy and lies.’
But after taking the plunge, ‘a stranger stood before me in the mirror and smiled,’ Agassi said.
Agassi shaved his head at the behest of his previous wife Brooke Shields and has not looked back since
Agassi is a four-time Australian Open winner and will be at Melbourne Park again for commentary duties
‘My wig was like a chain and the ridiculously long strands in three colours like an iron ball which hung on it.’
Agassi emerged in the late 1980s as a teenage prodigy with a rebellious image and explosive baseline game.
He won eight Grand Slam singles titles across all four majors, completing a rare Career Grand Slam.
Agassi claimed four Australian Open titles, two US Opens, one French Open, and one Wimbledon.
He reached world number one in 1995 and held the top ranking for a total of 101 weeks.
One of his greatest highs came in 1996 when he won Olympic gold in Atlanta, completing the Career Golden Slam.
His career also included deep lows, marked by loss of form, injuries, and a dramatic rankings slide outside the top 100 in 1997.
Agassi later revealed struggles with motivation and personal issues, including a brief drug suspension early in his career.
He reinvented himself through fitness, discipline, and tactical consistency, leading to a remarkable comeback.
This resurgence produced multiple major titles in his late twenties and early thirties.
Agassi finished his career with 60 ATP singles titles and over 850 match wins.
He retired in 2006 after an emotional final US Open run, limited by chronic back pain.
