From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life
--Arthur Ashe
It took time for Agassi to believe he could give so much only by playing good tennis.
Always a crowd's darling, he found how much a player could really achieve during the 1999 Parisian summer.
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With his speed, agility and power on groundstrokes, Agassi was theoretically always a big threat on clay. But in 1999 he was still making a comeback, still unsure of how well he could sustain at the highest level, testing his trade against the relentless clay court specialists at Roland Garros.
One by one, with caution but determination, he slashed opponents.
Agassi sensed it was the time to resurrect his career and life. He shrugged off a two-set deficit against Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine in the final to complete a tearful 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory. The crowd rose as one to celebrate his courage.
The applause hasn't stopped ringing since then.
In turn, Agassi has shown how much he needs the fans every single time.
'It's an expression of appreciation,' he says.
'It started when I realised how much people support me. I saw that there are times in life when feelings motivate actions. And then are times when actions motivate feelings. When you force yourself to do something, you remind yourself why something is important to do. When I come out here and play in the arena, I'm overwhelmed with the support and the way that I've been embraced over the last half of my career.'
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