Mike Agassi Iranian boxer. Father of tennis player Andre Agassi. Date of Birth: 25.12.1930 Country: USA

1. Biography of Mike Agassi
2. Early Life and Family
3. Discovering Tennis
4. Moving to America
5. Parenting and Andre's Success
6. Conflicts and Legacy

Biography of Mike Agassi

Mike Agassi, an Iranian boxer, is best known as the father of legendary tennis player Andre Agassi. Born Emmanuel Agassi on December 25, 1930, in the Iranian city of Selmash, his life was marked by dramatic and tragic relationships with his youngest son.

Early Life and Family

Mike's father, David Agassian, an Armenian native of Kiev, migrated to Iran after the revolution and changed his surname for safety reasons. In 1925, David married an Armenian woman named Nuni, who gave birth to five children, with Emmanuel (Manu) being the third. The family lived in poverty, sleeping on the dirt floor, and Mike's mother was known for her cruel and despotic nature, harshly punishing her children for the slightest offense, even sending Manu to school in women's clothing.

Discovering Tennis

As a child, Manu found solace in playing football on the streets. One day, he witnessed American and British soldiers playing tennis and was captivated by the sport. He began picking up balls for the players and maintaining the courts. Although he had no partners besides the wall, Manu dreamt of a career in sports and, at the age of 16, decided to pursue boxing. His agility, speed, and aggression impressed the coaches at the Nerou Rastey club in Tehran, and they trained him for free. Manu became the featherweight champion of Tehran and represented Iran in the Olympics held in London and Helsinki, although he did not achieve significant success.

Moving to America

After the Helsinki Olympics, Agassi chose not to return to Iran and bought a ticket to New York. He changed his name to Emmanuel, and later Mike Agassi, to earn a living by participating in boxing matches and taking up other odd jobs. His boxing career led him to Chicago, where he married Betty Dudley in 1959. In search of steady employment, the couple moved to Las Vegas, where Betty found a job in the state administration and Mike became a casino manager. They purchased a cheap house on the outskirts, which boasted a large yard where Mike set up a tennis court and ball-throwing contraption.

Parenting and Andre's Success

In the Agassi family, all four children were introduced to tennis from an early age. However, it was their youngest son, Andre, who achieved true success. Mike placed a racket in Andre's hands from infancy, and by the age of seven, he was hitting 2,500 balls a day. Mike arranged meetings and friendly matches for his son with renowned tennis players and took him to children's tournaments. At the same time, he attempted to provide Andre with forbidden stimulants and once smashed a beautiful prize Andre had won after a disappointing loss.

Conflicts and Legacy

Although not a professional tennis player himself, Mike clashed with tennis school director Bollettieri when he tried to change Andre's playing style. Mike was also involved in his son's personal life, investigating and exposing every detail about his romantic relationships. He was particularly displeased with Andre's marriage to Brooke Shields. However, Steffi Graf, Andre's current wife, managed to make a favorable impression on Mike, as only a tennis superstar of her caliber was deemed worthy of his son, in whom Mike tried to fulfill all his unfulfilled dreams of a successful career.