Andre Agassi Admits to Using Crystal Meth as a Player

Andre Agassi used crystal meth in 1997, tested positive in a drug test and then lied to tennis officials to avoid sanction. These surprising revelations come from an excerpt published yesterday in the Times of London from Agassi’s autobiography, “Open” which is scheduled for release in early November.

Agassi played professional tennis for more than 20 years, racking up 60 individual title championships, 8 Grand Slam titles and more than 31 million dollars in prize money. In 1997, the year of his meth use and while recovering from a wrist injury, Agassi’s ranking had dropped to 141^st.

In the book, Agassi describes his first meth experience, saying, “Slim (his assistant) dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed. There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head.”

After testing positive for drug use a short time later, Agassi wrote to the ATP, saying that he had inadvertently consumed an assistant’s soft drink, which has been laced with the drug. His lies were believed, apparently, he faced no professional sanction from his positive test and he went on to win his last 2 Grand Slam tennis tournaments in the following couple of years.

Andre says he felt ashamed at the time, for his lies, but said that he did not regret his present day openness, saying about his revelation, “I was worried for a moment, but not for long."