Papa Agassi preaches: Kids help me bounce back

Andre Agassi lost his shot at a ninth Grand Slam and his world number one ranking to Juan Carlos Ferrero on Saturday but says his family wil...

Andre Agassi lost his shot at a ninth Grand Slam and his world number one ranking to Juan Carlos Ferrero on Saturday but says his family will help him get over it.

The 33-year-old American thinks his wife Steffi Graf, the former world number one who is carrying their second child, and his son Jaden Gil will help him recover from his US Open semi-final defeat.

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“It’s always difficult (to lose),” Agassi said after the 6-4, 6-3, 3-6 6-4 defeat. “But hopefully these days the disappointment doesn’t last quite as long. You have the distraction of kids at home, which is good.”

Agassi said he was not considering retirement and suggested that he will almost certainly be back at the US Open next year for a record 19th straight time.

“I’m just thinking about today…and that’s a difficult feeling,” the twice champion said.

“I don’t make any decisions from an emotional standpoint. I mean, for me, I put myself in a position to give myself a look at the basket. You know, I guess there are some positives there. I just got to go back to work. Something would have to change drastically for me not to be back.”

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Agassi, one of the hardest working players in the sport, will be practising as much as ever.

“Nothing will change, it’s hard… it’s always hard… it’s been hard for a lot of years,” he said.

“But as hard as it is for me to admit it, I’m probably gonna suck it up and do it again. Tennis has been great to me,” he added. “So I feel like I’ve got to give everything I have to it so that I can live without regrets.” (Reuters)