How would Andre Agassi beat Novak Djokovic? “Let’s see,” he ponders. “. . . I would have probably gotten in a fight with him in the locker room before the match. I might have had a chance there.”
As for tennis, the former world No 1 is as taken aback as anyone by the rising standard at the top of the men’s game.
“It’s been amazing watching the standard continually get better. You wonder how it’s possible to continue at that sort of rate. What [Roger] Federer did when he came and when I said goodbye, a lot had to do with what I knew was untouchable.
“It’s just a different standard of tennis. It’s different rules of engagement when guys can do what these guys can do. I don’t recognise it from a standpoint of strategy, because I counted on getting somebody behind in a point and then slowly smothering them.
“But nobody’s behind in a point. You never know when they’re behind in a point. That would have eliminated any ability I had to move forward in the court.
“I would have had to be a different player, would’ve had to have a different body. It means the game has gotten a lot better. Fed raised it; [Rafael] Nadal matched and raised it; [Novak] Djokovic, for that intense little period of time, even raised it. It seemed like last year settled down a bit, and now all of a sudden [Andy] Murray is in the equation.
“When I see those top three guys, I see what history will say is the golden age of tennis. You’re talking about arguably the three best guys. Djokovic will still need some distance to cover, but best of all time, if you’re having that discussion in the same generation, it’s remarkable.” – guardian
