What was Andre Agassi’s original name? Why did he change it?
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Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi is a popular and quite well-known name in the tennis fraternity. Despite retiring almost over 15 years ago, the new age tennis fans do know a thing or two about him as well. The American won eight singles major titles, and is among just a few players to have completed their Career Slam.
Despite being such a popular figure in the sporting world, yet not many people know about the backstory behind his name. Andre Agassi’s father, Emmanuel Mike Agassi was an Iranian-born Armenian, who represented Iran in Boxing at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics. Originally, their family name was Aghassian, which was dropped by his ancestors generations earlier to avoid persecution from the Ottomans.
The word ‘Agha’ in the family name stands for a token of respect, and is referred to as a Lord or a Master.
Also Read: Roger Federer’s parents name the defeats of their son that hurt them the most
Why did Andre Agassi change his name?
Andre Agassi was introduced to the sport by his father Emmanuel Mike Agassi, who was determined to make one of his children a world-class tennis player. His father changed his name to Mike Agassi in the 1950s, once he relocated to the United States of America.
Andre Agassi was born and brought up in Las Vegas. The family name ‘Agassi‘ is quite rare in USA, and as stated earlier, not many tennis fans are aware of the backdrop behind the same.
The American legend’s full name is ‘Andre Kirk Agassi,’ which was given by his father. Interestingly, his father named him after his bosses at the casino, something which still surprises Andre Agassi. When asked about the same in an earlier interview, Agassi said, “My father named me Andre Kirk Agassi, after his bosses at the casino. I ask my mother why my father named me after his bosses. Were they friends? Did he admire them? Did he owe them money? She doesn’t know. And it’s not the kind of question you can ask my father directly. You can’t ask my father anything directly.”
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