Tennis legend boycotted Wimbledon three times after refusing to follow strict rules
The multiple Grand Slam winner did not agree with one particular aspect of Wimbledon.
John McDougall
A tennis legend and multiple Grand Slam winner boycotted Wimbledon on three occasions after not agreeing with one key rule for the tournament.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club has hosted Wimbledon since 1877 and the current edition of the annual tournament is currently taking place with its final day of action being July 13.
American Andre Agassi won eight Grand Slam titles during the 1990s and early 2000s.
This included four Australian Open titles, two US Open crowns, the French Open in 1999 and coming out on top at Wimbledon in 1992.
Advert
On that occasion, Agassi defeated Goran Ivanisevic across five sets to claim his first Grand Slam title.
The 55-year-old - who is married to fellow former tennis player Steffi Graf - retired from playing in 2006.
Since then, the had been a tennis coach to the likes of Novak Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov.
Agassi first competed at Wimbledon in 1987, where he was dumped out in the first round after losing to Henri Leconte.
He then won Wimbledon in 1992 and beat two former champions in the form of Boris Becker and John McEnroe en route to the crown.
But Agassi did not play in the three Wimbledon tournaments between 1988 and 1990 due to a boycott he imposed after not agreeing with a particular rule.
Wimbledon has an incredibly strict rule that players must wear all-white kit when participating in the tournament.
And though Agassi eventually relented and complied with the rule, he did not take part in three tournaments after making it clear he did not agree with it initially.
In his autobiography, 'Open', which was published in 2009, Agassi wrote: "It’s my first time at the most hallowed venue in tennis, and from the moment we arrive I dislike it.
"I'm a sheltered teenager from Las Vegas with no education. I reject all that’s alien, and London feels as alien as a place can be.
"The food, the buses, the venerable traditions. Even the grass of Wimbledon smells different from the grass back home.
"I resent rules, but especially arbitrary rules. Why must I wear white? I don’t want to wear white. Why should it matter to these people what I wear.
"Above all, I took offence at being barred and blocked and made to feel unwanted."