Rafa Nadal is just two steps away from winning his 14th Roland Garros. He will do so at 36 years old (he replaces them on Friday, the day of the semifinals with Zverev), an age where few tennis players reach full condition.
In fact, until recently, the oldest player to win a Grand Slam was Ecuadorian Andrés Gómez.. It was in the 1990 edition of Roland Garros. A victory, without a doubt, though over time his success was not the most memorable from that afternoon. [+] THIS IS HOW WE LIVE IN THE SPORTS WORLD
And it is that when your rival is Andre Agassi, and also confesses years later that he played that final with a wig, you have all the numbers to go in the background.
It all happened on June 10, 1990 at Piste Philippe Chatrier. Young Andre Agassi (20 years old), the sensation of the circuit at the time, was looking for his first Grand Prix against a more experienced rival than him (30 years old) and his defeat a few weeks before in the round of 16 of the Miami Open (6-7, 6-2, 6-3).
However, the start of the final was not good for the Las Vegas player, who lost the first set (6-2).. He reacted later and was able to balance the match (3-6), but since then he has shown a lack of security and confidence that resulted in the third and fourth sets for the same score (6-4, 6-4).
What was the reason why Agassi didn’t complete the comeback and ended up losing in the final? Well, as she herself confessed when she presented ‘Open’, her autobiography, in 2009, most of the blame was on a wig.. He explained it like this:
“Every morning I woke up and I saw another piece of my identity on the pillow, in the sink, in the gutter. I thought you wanted to wear a toupee? On the tennis court? And I answered myself: what more can I do?”.
Total, who decided to play Roland Garros with a wig, and things didn’t go bad for him. His trajectory was impeccable throughout the tournament. He gave up just four sets and left players of stature Michael Chang, the defending champion, or Jim Courier, champion for the next two years, on the sidelines.
confusing situation
But a Grand Slam was too long and he was accused of his wig. After it was washed the night before the final it started to get worse, and that’s where the drama started.. With the help of his brother Phil, they made the necessary adjustments to see him on the pitch as the rebellious, long-haired young man who wanted to take over the world, but it didn’t seem to work.
“During the warm-up before the game I prayed. Not because of winning, but because my wrong hair didn’t fall out. With each jump I think I fell on the clay. I think of the millions of viewers leaning on their televisions, their eyes widening and, in dozens of dialects and languages, wondering how Andre Agassi’s hair fell out of his head. “
Concentration problems frustrated what was his first Grand Slam, which ended in 1992 at Wimbledon. His revenge in Paris came in 1999, hairless and unforgiving, when he defeated Andrei Medvedev in the final on one of the most memorable returns to Paris (1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4).
That day, in addition, he achieved the only Grand missing and finished the Grand Slam, who wrote his name on the greatest in tennis history. He cried like a child, it was not for less.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
