From the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8329193.stm I'm sure the American media will be all over it as soon as the US wakes up.

 

American Andre Agassi has admitted in his new autobiography he lied to tennis authorities about his use of crystal methamphetamine to escape a ban.

Eight-time grand slam winner Agassi, who retired in 2006, said he used the drug in 1997 when he had an assistant known as 'Slim'.

"Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table," writes Agassi in his book, which the Times are serialising.

"He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some."

Crystal meth, which looks like small ice crystals, is a very powerful and addictive form of the drug speed, which can be eaten, inhaled through the nose or injected.

Agassi recounts in the book, which is called 'Open', being introduced to the drug in 1997, by his one-time assistant.

The 39-year-old revealed he failed a drugs test that year but escaped a ban by saying his use was accidental.

"There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness," he writes about the first time he used crystal methamphetamine.

"Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful - and I've never felt such energy."

Agassi later writes he received a call from a doctor working for the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in the autumn of 1997 to inform him that he had failed a drugs test.

The Las Vegas-born American says he wrote a letter to the ATP to argue the use was accidental, blaming his former assistant Slim.

"My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I've achieved, whatever I've worked for, might soon mean nothing," Agassi writes.

"Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP. It's filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth.

"I say Slim, whom I've since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth - which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter.

"I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely.

"I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it."

Agassi writes the ATP reviewed his case and while he faced a minimum three-month ban, decided to believe his account and the case was withdrawn.

I can already predict how this drug use will be handled. Andre will go on the Oprah show and confess that he did wrong. Oprah gives him a big hug. She turns to her audience and says give it up for Andre Agassi. The studio audience stands and cheers wildly. Andre and Oprah wipe away tears. Within 24 hours the book is number one on amazon.com. The next day Andre goes on Dr. Phil. Dr. Phil glares at Andre and says you have let your family down. Andre says yes Dr. Phil I did that. I let them down. Dr. Phil says do you understand that you did wrong? Andre says yes and they hug and wipe away tears. Dr. Phil says you have redeemed yourself Andre. The book sells even more.

Tennis may not attract a huge readership but a tennis player who confesses sin on Oprah's couch is going to be a big seller.

 

So lets go back to 97..Agassis is suspended for 2 years for failing a drug test...Would he have come back and would he have been the player fighting for majors?

Hingis must feel betrayed now really bad,if all it took the big shots of tennis in 97 was a weepy letter from a superstar to free him from a failed test..

Wonder how many more "superstars" lied their way out of failed tests when it was only the governing body of Tennis administering the tests..

Wonder if Perry Rogers knew about this, and this was a first strike by Agassi, so he could control it, rather than it coming from Rogers at his lawsuit trial against Graf, or a book he would write..

 

I think the bigger issue is not that AA took crystal meth, but that he was able to get off without being suspended. As you say, how many other star players were let off their positive drug tests? And if AA got off with taking crystal meth, did he also get off taking steroids? There was a report a few years back that Magnus Norman would report in a book that he knew Agassi took steroids, but then the book never came out.

I don't really know the extent of how crystal meth is a bad drug, devastating or what. It's not surprising AA took mind-altering drugs, this is a guy who used to do all kinds of crazy things. I hear 5 million copies of the book have to be sold for the publisher to make back its money. I don't think there are that many interested readers.

This appears to be calculated marketing. As much as people admired Andre's tennis skills and his charity work you aren't going to sell alot of books about Andre's match with Richard Krajicek at the Pilot Pen 15 years ago. The drug use puts him back in the news and the media loves the saga of confession and redemption. Look for Andre to go on a confession tour starting with Oprah and Dr. Phil, then onto Larry King. If CBS is part of the same company publishing the book he will be on 60 Minutes this Sunday.

Agassi's admission is no big deal. His usage occured during his lull period of 1997 and most likely was recreational. Most people think the ATP protects their stars and only disciplines the rank and file players concerning drug tests. For instance, most people I talk to believe Nadal is protected.

Been thinking about this Agassi admission and it just strikes me as total Bull****...

Agassi knew his assistant was a crystal meth head and he and his handlers let him continue to work, what if the clown known as "Slim" was carrying going through an airport..Who in the world asks their boss if you want to do crystal meth..What did he think, he was working for the Grateful Dead?..No way this was a one time thing, or that he hadnt experimented with other things before..No recreational drug user goes right to crystal meth...

It will be funny to see those Agassi school commercials on TC now. Does he call an assembly and address the students about drug use? Should the kids believe him?

Cant believe Agassi needed the money from this book so much that he would air stuff like this ?

It doesnt change my feelings for him..Never liked the whole contrived personality marketing strategy,the wig(no one goes from long hair to bald in 60 seconds, plus his brother was bald by his early 20's), the pink clothes, his phony court persona,(he cursed on court as much as anybody and was as vile as anyone) but definitely respected his talent and skills..Recreational drug use is a personal thing and dont blame him for that either, surely didnt help his game...

 

 

So Bjorkman was right when he said in SI in 1999 that he's heard of cases where the ITF covered up positive drug tests.

Roy Jones tested positive after his win over Richard Grant in Indianapolis in 2000. Grant let that fact out in a QA on a small web site, which everybody in boxing read and knew about. Grant admitted he and Jones BOTH tested positive. But nobody followed up on it. Except me. I called the Indiana state commisioner and he said point blank, Yes he tested positive. I wrote it up on BoxingInsider.com. And STILL no USA media followed up on it. The entire media was part of the cover up. A week later I called the commissioner of Indiana back - to see if anyone followed up on it. He said two people called - a newspaper from France and Jones's attorney. That was all.

So the point is, there was a major cover up in boxing to protect Roy Jones, - and who knows how many coverups there have been in tennis.

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You are so right Scoop. Tennis is a "star" driven sport. They sell tickets and are part of the tour marketing. There is no doubt they're protected. The tour would be foolish not to. This won't hurt Andre at all. His recreational drug use didn't enhance his performance. Most likely he was at a personal and career crisis.Kudos to Agassi for his honesty and exposing the hypocrisy of the ATP. He was headed down the wrong path and changed his lifestyle and revived his career. I wish Nadal and the rest could  be as honest and come clean.     

Hey Jersey, do you mean come clean now - or 12 years after the fact? :0

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The whole thing is a marketing ploy. It's designed to sell books. It's as simple as that. 

Vinko I don't disagree with your premise but when you say it is as simple as that I am not sure whether you think AA did or did not do drugs as AA is supposedly admitting.  If it is just a marketing ploy, are you suggesting AA never did CM?  or does it not matter one way or the other?

 AA has been a master marketer his entire career and he SET the STAGE for tennis and marketed tennis in the USA better than many of his predecessors, without reverting to perverting.  Even though I was never a big fan personally he sold tennis well and developed a fan base well and had his own personna that the press in the US hammered.  IMO  He really was a "rebel."

Hey Scoop,

 Thanks very much for your insight on the coverups in boxing.  So much government, so much BS.

 Here's a special query, do you think there have been or are any coverups going on in college or pro football and in govnmnt as far as giving them a free pass???   I jsut can't figure out how football has been given a free pass.     any idea???  overall I find tennis patrolled much better but sometimes I wonder.........

Sports fans tend to be far harsher on athletes in team sports who use steroids or cocaine or other substances than they are on athletes in individual sports. I do not know why that is but it seems to be the case. It may be that most fans feel more loyalty to a team than they do to athletes. Even though the news about Mark McGuire's drug use came out after his retirement, fans were totally infuriated by McGuire and he has been a marked man (no pun intended) ever since. With Roy Jones, it may be the case that most fans don't put the same emotion into a boxing match or a tennis match that they do into a team sport. The exceptions of course would be Louis-Schmeling and Ali-Frazier.

Now to Andre. If Andre had used steroids, I think the reaction would be far harsher. He would then be getting an illegal advantage over an opponent. And that is unethical. His use of meth, while illegal and stupid, was not done in preparation for a tennis match or during a tournament and would not in any case have given him an edge during a tennis match. In fact, the euphoric feeling would probably hinder his concentration returning serves.

Question for RP: In your interview with Donald Dell a a few months ago, Mr. Dell admitted that he and Jimmy Connors concocted the diarea excuse so that Jimmy could leave the court and get an injection for his foot during the 82 US Open finals against Ivan Lendl. Dell further conceded that he and Jimmy made sure the door was shut and they could do the deed without being detected. Mr. Dell didn't address the issue of how unfair that was to Ivan and how utterly improper it was as Mr. Dell was also representing Ivan. And it was clearly against the rules. IMHO, this was far worse than Andre being a stupid 26 year old trying some meth for the first and only  time. RP, Curious if you agree with me on this one. 

    

Vinko, You said Andre could not generate any interest writing about a 15 year old match with Krajicek. You are wrong on that one. I looked up the match that I think you are talking about. It was August, 1995 Volvo International Tournament in New Haven, Connecticut finals between Andre and Richard. I took about 15 minutes of research and I found the match. This must be the one you are talking about. It was a great match. Andre had won every match he played that summer after Wimbledon, beating Pete twice. In that finals with Krajicek, Krajicek had match point and was about to end the streak. Andre managed to come back and win. It was a great match. Why wouldn't tennis fans be interested in the match? I haven't found any video of the match on youtube but there are articles about the match readily available.