Andre Agassi asks for compassion

Embattled former tennis champ Andre Agassi pleaded for compassion over his revelation that he took crystal methamphetamine while on the pro-tennis circuit.

Agassi – talking about a forthcoming book titled Open – shocked the sporting community with anecdotes about fooling drug-testing officials. The world anti-doping authority, WADA, is now calling for an investigation into the claims.

But Agassi, once married to Brooke Shields, asked for compassion in an interview, alleging he was depressed and needed help in 1997. He said: “It’s what you don’t want to hear. I would hope with that would come some compassion that maybe this person doesn’t need condemnation. Maybe this person could stand a little help. Because that was at a time in my life when I needed help. I had a problem, and there might be many other athletes out there that test positive for recreational drugs that have a problem. So I would ask for some compassion.”

WADA has written to the ATP to show it was responding to the revelations but director-general David Howman has said no action could be taken since the eight-year statute of limitations had run out.

Agassi said: “I don’t know what the ramifications are. I had way more to lose by telling this story in its full transparency than I had to gain. The price that that comes with is the cost that I’ve assumed and I’m OK because the part that I worry and think more about is who this may help.”

Tags: Andre Agassi, autobiography, Brooke Shields, David Howman, drug, WADA