Parents on Tour
By Greg Garber
ESPN.com
NEW YORK -- Andre Agassi walked into the kitchen of his Las Vegas home earlier this year with a bulky tennis bag over his shoulder.
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| Andre Agassi, left, Jaden Gil, middle, and mom Steffi Graf are expecting another addition to the family this fall. |
"Stef," he told his wife, "the most important thing in my life is in this bag."
The former Steffi Graf, who missed the mischievous grin creeping across her husband's face, scowled and began to protest.
Agassi put the bag down, ever so gently, and unzipped it. He pulled out their son, 1-year-old Jaden Gil, and started laughing.
Steffi had been bagged.
Agassi, at 33, is a proud father, to say the least. He is also the world's No. 1-ranked player and the top-seeded player here at the U.S. Open. Somehow, Agassi has managed to balance the responsibilities of fatherhood and his supreme commitment to the game of tennis. Not that it has been easy.
When Agassi met Younes El Aynaoui in the third round at Wimbledon this year, the result was an entertaining four-set victory for Agassi, who later called it The Battle of the Zombies.
| Dads On Tour | |
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Andre Agassi Age: 33 Wife: Steffi Children: Jaden Gil, 1 year, 10 months Jonas Bjorkman Age: 31 Wife: Petra Children: Max (8 months) Alex Corretja Age: 29 Wife: Marta Children: Aroa (2 months) Albert Costa Age: 28 Wife: Cristina Children: Claudia and Alma (twins, 2) Younes El Aynauoi Age: 30 Wife: Anne Children: Ewin (6), Neil (2), Noam (2 weeks) Wayne Ferreira Age: 31 Wife: Liesl Children: Marcus (3 years, 11 months) Sebastien Grosjean Age: 25 Wife: Marie-Pierre Children: Lola (4), Tom (1) Tim Henman Age: 28 Wife: Lucy Children: Rosie (10 months) Yevgeny Kafelnikov Age: 29 Wife: None Children: Aleysa (4 years, 10 months) Todd Martin Age: 33 Wife: Amy Children: Jack (7 months) Jiri Novak Age: 28 Wife: Katerina Children: Jakub (4), Jiri Jr. and Katerina (twins, 2) Davide Sanguinetti Age: 31 Wife: Tatiana Children: Alice (1 year) Fabrice Santoro Age: 30 Wife: Chrislaure Children: Djenae (1 year, 2 months) |
"There's not too many guys that can play that get less sleep than I do," Agassi said. "Younes is probably one of those guys."
That's because El Aynaoui and his wife, Anne, were parents of Ewen and Neil, who are now 6 and 2, respectively. Past tense because they now have three children since Noam Ismail was born on Aug. 21 in Paris. The popular Moroccan was playing in Long Island at the time.
"I really wish I could be with my family, but I am also glad to be winning matches," he said after he advanced to the TD Waterhouse Cup semifinals the next day. "I had them in my thoughts all night long. They definitely gave me some added energy. I can't wait to see my new baby boy.
"I would like to have been there, but tennis is my job so I have to be here."
When Pete Sampras retired before a full house in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, he thanked his wife, actress Bridgette Wilson, for believing in him, particularly the two years without a tournament title before he finished his career with a victory here last year. But when it was time to say goodbye, Sampras scooped up his 9-month-old son Christian Charles for a victory lap around the court.
It was a symbol of changing times in men's professional tennis.
No fewer than 13 men in the singles draw are fathers, including Tim Henman, Todd Martin, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Jiri Novak and Jonas Bjorkman. Their ages range from 25 to 33. It is, Martin said, a predictable progression in the order of things.
"Usually, the longer you do something, the older you get," said Martin, who like Agassi is 33. "The older you get, the better shot you have of getting married. The longer you're married, the better chance you have of becoming a parent. It's really pretty logical."
By contrast, none of the 128 women in the singles draw are mothers. Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios of Paraguay, 27, was the only mom in the doubles draw.
"It is easy for the men," De Los Rios said. "They are not having the babies. Still, is good they are fathers. It's important to be parent."
Does being a father or mother have an impact on the court? Most interviewed said there were pluses and minuses. Since most fathers are well along in their careers, it is hard to measure. Most say the drain on their time and concentration is balanced by a new perspective and a desire to play well to support their family.
El Aynaoui, for example, has risen from No. 444 in the world to his present No. 21 after his children started arriving. He is playing the best tennis of his career.
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| Sampras took one last walk around center court with son Christian. |
"Before a match, I'll sit with my family in the players' lounge and I'll play with the children," El Aynaoui said. "It gives me a boost of energy. It helps take my tennis in the right direction."
Albert Costa of Spain won his only Grand Slam, the 2002 French Open, 13 months after his wife Cristina delivered twin girls, Claudia and Alma.
In his farewell press conference, Sampras blasted critics who blamed his wife for his wavering motivation the last few years of his career. Perhaps his lack of commitment was an unconscious but natural yearning for a family.
"I adore this little boy, I really do," Sampras said of his son. "He's starting to crawl now. I'm having to work a little more. I love being home with him and taking care of him, taking care of my wife. It has changed my life.
"It's made me pretty complete."
On Sunday, Agassi was talking about his off-day workout and the first thing he mentioned was diapers.
"Start by changing some diapers," Agassi said, smiling, "followed by, you know, cooking some breakfast for a 2-year-old, followed by a little bit of Buzz Lightyear."
A difficult dual career
Neffa-De Los Rios was a player of great promise when, three months after her 19th birthday, she married professional football player Gustavo Neffa. She stopped playing tennis altogether and three years later, Ana Paula arrived.
"Being a mother was more important than being tennis player," Neffa-De Los Rios said earlier this week. "Tennis was just my job. I always thought I stop for good."
And then in 1999, after a four-year absence on the professional circuit, Neffa-De Los Rios decided to mount a comeback.
| “ | I'll have a family, for sure. I want children. It's very hard right now to make any plan because I always said I want to have a long career. But I don't know. In seven, eight, 10 years, I don't know where I'm going to be. ” | |
| — Justine Henin-Hardenne, on having a family |
"After practicing and practicing, I do well," she explained. "It was hard with my daughter. My husband traveled with me, but we still needed a nanny sometimes. For us it is still not easy. Ana is five and she likes to watch tennis. Most of the bigger tournaments have nurseries, which helps."
While she describes herself as a smarter player -- "my mind has changed after Ana" -- she has struggled recently. Her best Grand Slam performance was reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2000, the first full season of her return. Currently, she is ranked No. 127 in singles and No. 70 in doubles. Neffa-De Los Rios is 3-13 in singles, including a 6-0, 6-0 loss to No. 1-ranked Kim Clijsters in the first round at Wimbledon. She and partner Rachel McQuillan, lost in the first round of doubles here in straight sets to Patricia Tarabini and Caroline Vis.
She has won $551,245 in her career and said she hopes to play three more years. After she retires, she plans on having another child.
"One," she said laughing. "One more. After that, it's too hard."
Martin has a difficult time imagining himself in that scenario.
"Take any one of us out of this realm for six or seven months," Martin said "It would take a few months to get back on your feet. Imagine popping back into perfect shape after giving birth, and it would still be hard. For seven, eight months, you aren't able to do what you want to do."
Justine Henin-Hardenne and Lindsay Davenport, the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, both say they will have children after they are finished with their career. Davenport married longtime companion Jon Leach earlier this year and Henin picked up her hyphen when she married Pierre-Yves Hardenne in November, 2002.
"I'll have a family, for sure," Henin-Hardenne said earlier this year. "I want children. It's very hard right now to make any plan because I always said I want to have a long career. But I don't know. In seven, eight, 10 years, I don't know where I'm going to be.
"But when I'm thinking in 10 years my big passion, what I love so much in my life is going to be over, it makes me a little bit afraid because I will only be 30 years old. Bu I have my husband, and I'll have children later, so that's good."
Proud papas
Technically, Room No. 1131, underneath Arthur Ashe Stadium and across the hall from the players' lounge, is called The Family Room. But in the bubbles emanating from SpongeBob SquarePants, the irrepressible yellow cartoon character on the glass wall, it reads: Kids Court.
There are stuffed animals and blocks and rocking chairs and crayons. You can always find a few strollers parked in the corners with kids playing nearby. Max Bjorkman, all of 8 months, has logged some time here this week with mother Petra and his grandmother.
His father, Jonas, a semifinalist here in 1997, is a typical dad.
He is working on a stationary bicycle and talking about his son. He gets so excited, so full of pride that his hands come off the handles several times.
"He started crawling five six days ago, right in the hotel," Bjorkman said. "It was so great. He was getting close -- you could see it coming -- and all of a sudden he picked it up. It's early to be crawling, but he's doing it."
Bjorkman, 31, is already learning that he has to put breakable things out of Max's reach. Perhaps the greatest lesson, he said, is learning that life is no longer solely about you.
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| Henman |
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| Bjorkman |
"In an individual sport like tennis, you focus hard on your game," Bjorkman said. "But (parenthood) changes your perspective. For me, it helps me handle the losses better. When you come home and you see the smile on the little guy's face, tennis doesn't seem that important. His life becomes the priority then.
"Everybody tells you it's the best thing in your life and, even though you try, you can't imagine it until it happens."
Since Max is so young, Bjorkman says, he still finds himself looking at him and wondering, "Is that really my son?" When he saw Sampras holding his son Christian, Bjorkman knew what he was feeling.
"Everywhere we go, we're so happy to hold our kids," Bjorkman says. "You're so proud to be a dad. It was nice to see Pete doing that because people say he doesn't show his feelings.
"I think that moment showed why he finally was able to make that decision."
| “ | Becoming a dad kind of changes your perspective a little bit. But in now way changes my determination or desire to succeed. When I'm out on the court, I'm going to give it everything I've got. ” | |
| — Tim Henman |
And while, many of the fathers on Tour are getting close to that point, they are choosing for the moment to play on. Alex Corretja passed on the first round at Wimbledon when he learned that his wife, Marta, delivered their first child, Aroa. His would-be opponent, Henman, soldiered on.
The tabloids made much of the effect his young daughter, Rosie, born 10 months ago, has had on his career.
"Becoming a dad kind of changes your perspective a little bit," the Englishman said. "But in now way changes my determination or desire to succeed. When I'm out on the court, I'm going to give it everything I've got."
Henman again failed to win the title that means more to him than any other. And so, a father hasn't won Wimbledon since Pat Cash in 1987.
One of Henman's closest friends on Tour is Martin. Along with their wives Lucy and Amy, they frequently compare child-rearing notes.
"We spend a lot of time sitting around and telling war stories, funny stories," Martin said. "In the locker room, we all share ideas on kids. What stage is yours at? You know, my kid can sit on your kid.
"For the most part, it's growth and maturity. Can you convince yourself that you can be a good dad? Jack (7 months) has forced me to be more efficient with my time. He's also ... so pure. To have that type of purity in your life brings you back to the good old days. It's nice to experience someone else's stages."
Agassi and his 22-time Grand Slam singles champion wife are about to experience another set of stages. Word leaked at the French Open that Steff was pregnant with their second child. Agassi, perhaps the most astute athlete ever with regard to marketing, has already poked fun at his new role as father.
A new American Express television commercial shows Agassi purchasing one of those wire tennis ball holders that automatically picks up balls. He hurries home, but walks past the ball-littered court ... all the way to the nursery, where he starts picking up toys.
"I think it makes a lot of things harder," Agassi said. "I mean, you don't have as much time to rest or sometimes do the things that make the difference (between winning and losing).
"With that being said, you have the benefit of really getting your mind away from the game. And that helps you, too, especially as you get older."
Greg Garber is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
