After eight Grand Slam titles over the course of his 20-year pro tennis career, Andre Agassi enjoyed a much-deserved break from the sport when he retired in 2006. But now it's been 20 years since his retirement, and he's excited to be back in the thick of it all with a return to Wimbledon — but in a wholly new capacity.
Agassi, whose two kids with his longtime wife, fellow tennis star Steffi Graf, are now all grown up, opened up to HELLO! about returning to tennis in recent years in various ways — as a Laver Cup team captain, a commentator and analyst, as well as for friendly exhibition matches.
This reconnection with the sport will continue when Agassi, who has also taken to a new-for-him sport of pickleball, returns as a Wimbledon commentator for BBC for the second year in a row. Though the grand slam began last week, the former pro is set to join in on the fun for the final few days of play.
"It's not the love of playing the game necessarily, but it's the love of communicating the nuances of it, because there's so much going on that probably a lot of people aren't aware of," Agassi explained to HELLO! at The Wimbledon Court event in New York of what attracted him to returning to the sport in an analyst capacity.
© Getty Images for AELTCInside Agassi's role as Wimbledon commentator
Agassi candidly detailed his complicated relationship with tennis in his 2009 memoir, Open, but he's recently reconnected with the sport through his love for analyzing matchplay, dissecting it, and exploring all of the little intricacies.
This week, when Agassi heads to Wimbledon for the final days of the 2026 tournament, he's looking forward to doing just that.
The chance to go deep on his dissection of the matches on a large, uninterrupted platform like the BBC only made the "cool" gig that much more enticing.
"I like the BBC because there's no commercial breaks," Agassi explained. "So, it really gives you a chance to set the narrative of a match and get more nuance about what's happening."
© Getty ImagesHe said he finds other forms of commentating "disruptive" and "not the easiest platform for me to enjoy hoping to contribute information to people that love the game." But, he shared, working with BBC he's able to actually sit and discuss the game. "And I still enjoy doing that," he said.
Plus, it doesn't hurt that this analyst role takes place at one of his all-time favorite tournaments, which he called "unique" and praised Wimbledon for its "tradition [and] history."
He added: "I think most players will probably tell you that if they could only win one tournament it'd be that one."
© Getty ImagesHis own 1992 Wimbledon win kicked off his grand slam-winning career
As an eight-time grand slam champion, Agassi knows exactly what the players out on that court are going through, as well as the nuances between the four different major championships.
In 1992, Agassi earned the opportunity to check the Wimbledon box off of his own career bucket list after winning the first grand slam of his career — and his one and only Wimbledon title.
After defeating John McEnroe in straight sets in the semifinals, he went on win the final over Goran Ivanišević in five sets, landing not only the Wimbledon championship but also his first-ever grand slam title.
Aside from the London-set tournament, the eight-time grand slam champion has also taken home the top prize at the Australian Open four times, the French Open once, and the US Open twice.
"You can feel the pressure, the quietness of it, the lack of sound with the ball except off the strings," the 56-year-old added of the special qualities of Wimbledon. "It has such a cool vibe."
© Sports Illustrated via Getty ImaLongtime fan-favorite Agassi now has his own set of favorite players to watch
Now, the 2026 edition of Wimbledon is well underway, and new champions are days away from being crowned. Ahead of his commentator return, Agassi opened up about the players he was looking forward to watch during this tournament, as well as the ones he's simply always excited to see play.
"There's a lot to say about every player, and there's a lot to say about every two-player dynamics, and how one is feeding off the other, or what the strategic objective is, or how they're how their problem-solving," Agassi said, like the all-time tennis great he always has been and the true analyst he now is.
"Obviously I love watching, like everybody, love watching [Carlos] Alcaraz, I love watching [Jannik] Sinner, I love watching those dynamic players that can do something so unique and so special, right," he continued.
"The [João] Fonsecas that can just obviously crush a ball. Now we have [Rafael] Jodar, who just is coming out of nowhere as a teenager. So you got these young guys, [Arthur] Fils, who's such an athlete."
© Getty ImagesHe added: "So it can be a variety...they can impress me athletically, they can impress me with certain shots, but what really excites I think the viewers is understanding the dynamic of the matchup."
While Alcaraz sat Wimbledon out this year due to a right wrist injury, Fils made it to the second round, and Fonseca and Jodar both made it to the third round. Sinner, meanwhile, is still in it, with his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic set for Friday. Just in time for Agassi to be there in person to enjoy the excitement and sure-to-be incredible match play.
A look at Agassi's recent return to the Wimbledon grass court (in New York!)
Before returning as a commentator and watching as others step onto the grass court, Agassi took the opportunity to hit the Wimbledon court himself recently — well, sort of. The tennis legend played an exhibition match-up in New York City alongside fellow former pros — James Blake, Caroline Wozniacki, and Genie Bouchard.
© Getty Images for AELTCCentral Park's Wollman Rink was transformed into a pop-up grass court for the tournament's The Wimbledon Court in New York event, which ran from June 26 to June 29 and saw the four tennis superstars play a mix of singles and mixed doubles that Friday.
The players added to the fun of the friendly match by wearing microphones for the entirety of the play, adding their own color commentary throughout the exhibition, only adding to the one-of-a-kind experience for the lucky, ballot-winning fans in attendance.
Although Agassi revealed to HELLO! moments before the Invitational match that he hasn't been playing tennis recently, let alone on a grass court, he related getting back out there to riding a bike.
"It's like riding a bike on some level. I wouldn't want to go compete, that would be a different challenge, but playing with friends and hitting the ball well together [that's achievable]."
Hitting the ball with friends enticed him to step back out onto the court, as did the "iconic" location of it all. He found it incredible that they were able to bring and build the grass court in Central Park, especially so quickly, and that it allowed tennis lovers to not only watch them play on the surface but also to potentially get the chance to try it out themselves throughout the weekend.
What it all boiled down to, Agassi explained: "I look forward to being part of something that's helping the game and helping those that support it."
