Andre Agassi was on “60 Minutes” this Sunday, interviewed by Katie Couric to promote his new autobiography, “Open”. He and Couric cover the book’s big controversies: his nightmarish Tennis Dad, “Image is Everything”, Brooke Shields and his use of crystal meth and subsequent drug test cover-up.

I got my hands on the book this weekend.* (It goes on sale today – click here to buy it) After reading about halfway through – to where Agassi meets Brooke in the mid-90s – I found it jarring to watch this composed, media-ready sports icon chat in the “60 Minutes” studios. I was expecting to see the Agassi that I’ve come to know in the first 200 pages – a vulnerable man-child, a tortured soul, a narcissist without a cause. The book’s that good – I’m so caught up in the narrator’s story, that I feel disoriented when I return to the present and see a philanthropic family man expounding on the TV screen

I hope to finish “Open” in the next couple of days and will try to post my thoughts on it soon. If any of you do pick up a copy, I hope you’ll leave some comments. It will be like a virtual tennis book club!

Now onto the “60 Minutes“ interview:

Part 1, wherein Agassi can’t remember a time he didn’t hate tennis:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Part 2, wherein Agassi avoids estimating how many times he did crystal meth:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Andre was also on the public radio program “Fresh Air” in a 40 minute long interview:

The following are web extras from “60 Minutes” – but not too much extra.

“Steffi vs. Andre,” wherein Agassi admits his masochistic tendencies:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

“Wigging out,” wherein Agassi condemns French hair conditioner:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

“Andre on Brooke,” wherein Agassi dips his toe in the Blue Lagoon:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

“Meth Fallout,” wherein Couric pretends Roger Federer reacted “harshly” to Agassi’s drug admission:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

*Here’s where I say I got my copy of the book for free from the publisher, but was not otherwise compensated for this review.

A lot of interesting stories continue to develop in Tennis Land, so I thought I’d put them all down in one place:

Let’s start with some fun stuff. Reporter Matt Cronin via Twitter: “Sharapova recently began dating the Lakers’ Sasha Vujacic. Now if she can only help “The Machine” get his deadly jump shot back.”

Vujacic is 25 years old, Slovenian and 6′7″ tall (so about Sharapova’s stiletto-height.)  Last year, he signed a three-year, 15 million dollar deal with the LA Lakers. Have fun, kids!

Here’s Sasha working the red carpet, Sharapova style:

Speaking of the young and super-rich – after collecting her $1.5 million dollar check in Doha this weekend, Serena Williams set the single-season record for prize money earned on the WTA tour: $6,545,586. Earlier this year, Serena surpassed Lindsey Davenport to become the first woman to earn more than $23 million in career prize money in any single sports league. (via Reuters) Serena may only have won three titles this year, but she knows how to pick ‘em. But Serena is not picking Fed Cup this weekend, abruptly withdrawing her participation last week just days after volunteering it. Here’s the reaction of team Captain, Mary Joe Fernandez via ESPN:

Fernandez, the ESPN analyst who was once a Fed Cup stalwart herself, sounded as if she had a little emotional whiplash Saturday after getting the news. “[Williams] e-mailed me,” Fernandez said. “She said she feels terrible and wishes she could be there, but she feels like she’d be a burden. I’m watching her play (in Doha) now.” “We were so excited that she was going to go, but what can you say? It’s the end of the year and everybody’s hurt. Billie Jean King always told me that you have to take the people who can go and who want to be there.”

Perhaps Serena’s exhausted by the Battle of the Books, as the hype surrounding Andre Agassi’s autobiography “Open,” continues to dominate the headlines. Shortly after winning in Doha she flew to London to promote her own book “My Life: Queen of the Court” at a book signing at Harrods. Agassi will be appearing on “60 Minutes” this Sunday, the evening before his book hits the shelves.

Andy Murray is the latest tennis star to offer his opinion on Agassi’s crystal-meth use and drug test cover-up, offering this supportive take (via the Guardian):

I don’t think any of the players expected it, but you’ve just got to move on,” he said in Valencia, where he is due to return to the ATP Tour tomorrow after six weeks off with a left-wrist problem.

“I loved Andre, met him numerous times. He was unbelievably nice to me. I practised with him quite a lot. I guess it’s something he has to deal with himself. He’s entitled to say whatever he wants and I wish him the best.”

“I judge him as a tennis player, he was great, a great player, one of the best of all time. From the experiences I have had with him, he’s been nice to me. No one wants drugs in sport but everyone makes mistakes.”

“I didn’t play in those times [when Agassi failed a test] so I don’t know what it was like. There are even cases now where guys get off, with failed tests and contaminations, mistakes, like with the [Richard] Gasquet case. Sometimes things like that happen. People get away with it sometimes but I just don’t think drugs in tennis is a big problem like it is in other sports.”

Fernando Verdasco, who has recently spent some quality time in Las Vegas with Agassi and Adidas trainer Gil Reyes, agrees with Murray:

“He was my idol, all my life when I was a kid, and he will still be my idol,” the Spaniard said. “Everyone can make mistakes. My thoughts about Andre will not change because of this. He is a great person, he is always trying to help me and that for me is more important.”

Tennis writer Peter Bodo thinks more players should be voicing their support of Agassi, and condemns cynics who think Agassi’s confession is a ploy to sell more books: “Condemn Agassi all you want, but he respected you enough to tell the truth about himself and his time in the game.”

But if you still want to condemn the ATP for the cover-up, click here to read a former ATP-exec’s inside story.

Super-coach Brad Gilbert, who worked with Agassi from 1994 – 2002, told the The New York Times he had no idea about Agassi’s drug problems or the failed 1997 test:

“Maybe it was me being naïve, but I had no clue,” Gilbert said in a telephone interview Friday from his home in San Rafael, Calif.

“I did a really good job of sticking to the tennis court,” Gilbert said. “If Andre asked for something outside it, I would give it. I just wouldn’t ask him about it or volunteer something I wouldn’t have knowledge about. Because we hung out a ton, but that doesn’t mean you ask things that are personal.”

“I probably would have been up a creek if I would have known,”

Someone who always seems to be up the injury creek is Tommy Haas, who has withdrawn from this week’s Davidoff Swiss Indoors tournament due to Swine Flu. He came down with the flu before withdrawing from the Stockholm tournament a couple weeks ago and is unlikely to participate in the Paris Masters (via the Telegraph):

“I did a test because I suspected I had the swine flu and the test was positive,” he said. “It was obviously a shock for me.”

“I am quite relaxed because I know that swine flu is a particularly strong form of flu, but when you are in a good physical condition like I am, then you can quickly beat it off,” he added.

“It was really bad for three days and I couldn’t leave my hotel room,” he revealed. “I felt really bad.”

This will be Haas’s third straight withdrawal/retirement, having started the streak at October’s Shanghai Masters, where he retired from his second round match due to a shoulder injury.

Haas may be out of contention for the World Tour Finals in London, but plenty of other guys are still fighting for the last two spots. Click here for the ATP’s “on the bubble” break-down. (Hang tough, Stepanek fans!)

Rafael Nadal, who is taking a break from tennis this week, will appear in an in-depth interview on CNN’s Talk Asia. Here’s some of what he has to say:

On how Roger Federer has inspired him:

“What makes me a better player isn’t seeing Roger being a perfect player. What makes me a better player is to watch Roger always improve because when he was number one in 2004…I saw him and he was an unbelievable player, but after a few times, he was better and he was improving during all his career. And that says to me is you must improve all the time.”

On his career’s longevity:

“A lot of people finish their career at 29 years old and he started at 20 or 21. But I started at 16 and already I have seven years in total. I am not finished. I expect to be here and hope to be here for a long time. That’s what I can say. . .I think if I am not having chances to win important tournaments, I’m gonna go. That’s my feeling. I have already seven years like this and I hope be here as long as I can, but having 14 or 16 career years seems a lot.”

Click here for more from Rafa.

French chicken – and I’m not talking coq au vin. The French Tennis Federation is threatening to pull the French Open out of its current location if the Paris city council continues to stall the tournament’s expansion plans (via ESPN):

“It seems that the mayor’s entourage has become more hostile to our project — which was not the case when we launched it,” (FFT director general Gilbert) Ysern said. “Add to that the residents’ opposition and we are now forced to look for other options, including that of leaving the premises.”

A site near Disneyland Paris is a rumored alternative. I say it’s a stupid idea – roof or no roof, the French Open belongs at Roland Garros!

True story – while playing tennis today, I overheard a woman on the court next to me say: “Forget the crystal meth, the toupee is the really shocking part!”

Agassi’s upcoming autobiography keeps getting juicier. Beyond the drug use, the abusive father and the admission that he hates tennis with a deep, dark passion, Agassi also reveals that he wore a wig on court. Image really was everything, it seems. Via the New York Daily News:

“Every morning I would get up and find another piece of my identity on the pillow, in the wash basin, down the plughole.” Agassi writes.

“I asked myself, ‘You want to wear a toupee? On the tennis court?’ I answered myself: ‘What else could I do?’ ”

Agassi says he was too embarrassed to admit to his premature baldness and went to great lengths to mask the shiny truth.

He claims he lost his first Grand Slam final, at the French Open in 1990, because he was worried the wig would fall off.

“With each leap, I imagine it falling into the sand,” he wrote.

“I imagine millions of spectators move closer to their TV sets, their eyes widening and, in dozens of dialects and languages, ask how Andre Agassi’s hair has fallen from his head.”

Well, at least he went for it. This was no insurance salesman from Fargo’s hair piece. It’s funny to watch this clip from Agassi’s 1990 Roland Garros final against Andres Gomez and think about his interior monologue, “Is it creeping up? I think I can feel it! Dang, missed that forehand!”

But could anything be tougher than going hairline to hairline vs. Boris Becker at the US Open?

Though it was Brooke Shields who encouraged Andre to go with the shaved head look, Andre looks happiest going au naturel with Steffi:

Marat Safin may be limping off the tour in a couple weeks (WAH!), but he still has the best BS meter in the game. Here are Safin’s thoughts on Andre Agassi’s recent admission (via his autobiography) that he lied his way out of a drug suspension (CBS Sports):

“One should know how to be silent, but if you are so smart you should have spoken up earlier,” Safin said of Agassi after reaching the quarterfinals at the St. Petersburg Open.

“You will never live to see such revelations from me.”

“How they will escape this situation — this is the ATP’s and Agassi’s problem.” Safin added.

Does this mean that Marat won’t be writing his own tell-all memoir? I was so looking forward to reading Notes from the ATP Underground or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Sveta.

At the very least, Safin should continue to show up at tournaments for photo ops and press conferences. He doesn’t even need to play tennis anymore. Think about it, Marat.

Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, the Williams sisters and others have responded to Andre Agassi’s “shocking” confession that he used crystal meth and lied to the ATP about it after a drug test came back positive.

UPDATE: Rafael Nadal was less moderate than others in his reaction to Agassi’s confession. He wonders why “now that he is retired, he comes out and says this,” adding, “it’s a way of senselessly damaging the sport.”

“If the ATP covered for Agassi at the time, then I think that’s dreadful,” Nadal, the world No 2, said in Madrid yesterday. “The only thing I can say is that if they covered at that moment for the player and punished others for doing the same kind of thing, then that would seem to me to be a lack of respect for all sportsmen.” (via BBC)

Roger Federer responded today at a press conference with his new sponsor, Lindt, calling Agassi’s confession “a shock”. Quotes via Blick.ch (translated):

“I am disappointed that something like this has happened. I hope that the outing was good for Agassi.”

“With his Foundation, he (Agassi) has generated over 100 million U.S. dollars. This is at the forefront.”

“In the future, such a thing won’t happen. The sport must remain healthy.”

Andy Roddick via Twitter:

“Andre is and always will be my idol. I will judge him on how he has treated me and how he has changed the world for (the) better.”

“To be fair, when Andre wrote the reported letter, he was well outside the top 100 and widely viewed as on the way out.”

Serena Williams gives a classic response in Doha (via Reuters):

“I don’t even know what crystal meth is so, you know, that’s what my reaction to it is. I haven’t read anything about Andre Agassi’s book. All I know is that I have a book coming out.“

And Venus: “His book will probably sell. It seems very interesting, to say the least.”

He may not be a tennis super-star, but I like this reaction from CBS columnist Ray Ratto:

“Hope it’s very therapeutic for him. Hope it causes someone else to walk away from meth, or coke, or Peruvian poisonous toad extract, or whatever else is out there now. We’re not here to kick a guy now that he’s back up, although in fairness we’ve always found honesty to be more refreshing when it doesn’t come at $31.99 a copy.“

Here’s the ATP’s official statement:

“Under the tennis anti-doping programme it is, and has always been, an independent panel that makes a decision on whether a doping violation has been found. The ATP has always followed this rule and no executive at the ATP has therefore had the authority or ability to decide the outcome of an anti-doping matter.“

And Francesco Ricci Bitti, the International Tennis Federation president:

“The ITF is surprised and disappointed by the remarks made by Andre Agassi in his biography admitting substance abuse in 1997. Such comments in no way reflect the fact that the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme is currently regarded as one of the most rigorous and comprehensive anti-doping programmes in sport. The events in question occurred before the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was founded in 1999 and during the formative years of anti-doping in tennis when the programme was managed by individual governing bodies.”

What with the drug confessions, memories of an abusive father and stories of hustling around the courts as a kid, this book will definitely be on my nightstand after it comes out in November. Are you buying it?

Andre Agassi admits in his upcoming autobiography to taking crystal meth while still on tour, testing positive and then duping the ATP into believing his innocence:

Via The Times, U.K.:

Agassi, now 39, relates how he took crystal meth — possession of which carries a maximum five-year jail sentence in the US — in 1997, when his form was falling and he was having doubts about his impending marriage to the actress, Brooke Shields. .  .

. . .In his book, Agassi recounts sitting at home with his assistant, referred to only as Slim, and being introduced to the drug. “Slim is stressed too … He says, You want to get high with me? On what? Gack. What the hell’s gack? Crystal meth. Why do they call it gack? Because that’s the sound you make when you’re high … Make you feel like Superman, dude.

“As if they’re coming out of someone else’s mouth, I hear these words: You know what? F*** it. Yeah. Let’s get high.

“Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed.

“There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I’ve never felt so alive, so hopeful — and I’ve never felt such energy.

When an ATP doctor calls to inform Agassi that he failed a drug test and could face suspension, Agassi writes that he decided to lie:

“My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I’ve achieved, whatever I’ve worked for, might soon mean nothing. Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP. It’s filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth.

“I say Slim, whom I’ve since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth — which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter. I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely.

“I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it.” The ATP reviewed the case — and threw it out.

Here’s my take:

1. The ITF owes Martina Hingis a big box of chocolates. Heck, let’s make it a lifetime supply of chocolates. Or coke. Or whatever she damn well wants.

2. Andre Agassi is going to make a boatload of money on his book (it comes out in November.)

3. Richard Gasquet: “Just wait until my book comes out!”

What do you think?

Click here for more from The Times U.K.

Andre Agassi hosted his 14th annual Grand Slam for Children charity event on Saturday night at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas, with proceeds supporting his Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. Andre attended with Steffi Graf, and three-time French Open Champ, Gustavo Kuerten, was also there.

Comedian Dane Cook, rock band Daughtry, and musicians Macy Gray, Tim McGraw, Lionel Richie and Brian McKnight headlined the evening, which also included a cocktail reception, dinner and live auction. Tickets started at $3,500 per couple and went up to $85,000 for a “Diamond” level sponsorship package for ten people.

The AP reports that since the event’s inception in 1994, the Grand Slam for Children has raised $75 million dollars for the Andre Agassi Foundation and it’s educational programs.

Steffi looking glam:

Gustavo Kuerten:

Guga with partner Mariana Soncini:

Double date:

Daughtry:

Jackie Joyner-Kersee:

Some of the kids:

Say you, say Richie:

Click here for more info on the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education.

Roger & Mirka and Steffi & Andre may have formed the ultimate tennis love-matches, but there are many more tumultuous examples: Kim Clijsters & Lleyton Hewitt, Jimmy Connors & Chris Evert and Radek Stepanek & Martina Hingis broke off their engagements, for example, while Verdasco & Ivanovic, Pennetta & Moya and Stepanek & Vaidisova experienced well-documented courtships and break-ups (yes, ladies, “The Worm”  is back on the market, per Tennis.com!)

With the increase in co-ed tournaments and prize money (get thee back, gold digging groupies!), The Wall Street Journal claims that love is in the air – and on the courts – more than ever. I’d argue that Marat Safin’s imminent retirement has dashed the hopes of lusty WTA players, making Radek et. al. more appealing, but what do I know?

Here are some excerpts from Hannah Karp’s WSJ article called Tennis Gets Hot and Heavy: Increase in Co-Ed Events Sparks More Love Matches; Federer as “Eye Candy.” (Click here for the full article and thanks to Forty Deuce for posting on this.)

The allure of The Worm, explained:

Defending the title of ATP playboy, though, is Czech Radek Stepanek. He was engaged to Martina Hingis, is (not) dating Nicole Vaidisova (anymore) and is known for charming ladies with his sense of humor and a victory dance he calls “the worm,” which he debuted at a player party in the Austrian Alps several years ago after a big win and a little too much Schnapps.

“Everyone was very impressed,” recalls Mr. Stepanek, adding that he hopes his popularity with beautiful women, a subject of much speculation on tennis forums, is “because of who I am as a person.”

Federer “as eye candy.” (No surprise, Marion Bartoli’s quoted on this one!)

Much to the dismay of many female players, Mr. Federer married one of their own in April, former pro Mirka Vavrinec, and is officially off the market. “He was great eye candy,” says France’s Marion Bartoli, who took his picture off her wall after she heard the news.

Tennis players are just like bloggers:

Thirty years ago, just catching a glimpse of players of the opposite sex at the four Grand Slams each year was a thrill. Leslie Allen, a former WTA player who joined the tour in 1977, recalls an early WTA ritual: ranking the male tennis players based on their looks. “We’d choose a captain and a co-captain—we had a whole ranking system,” says Ms. Allen, now a coach at Riverdale Country School in New York.

Forget “Mars vs. Venus”, it’s “Neanderthal vs. Jonas Brother fans”:

“It’s kind of an incestuous world,” says Dr. Mayer (a sports psychologist). When it comes to romance, he says, even the most accomplished male players tend to behave like “neanderthals” and female players like “giggly Jonas Brothers fans.” This often results in “very adolescent” relationships, he says, that last an average of three to four months and tend to have noticeable effects on a player’s performance at various stages.

In the seduction or “wooing” period, Dr. Mayer says, performance generally peaks. Canada’s top player, Frank Dancevic, for example, says he achieved the best result of his life the first time he brought his girlfriend to a tournament in Indianapolis two years ago. “I think I was just trying to show off—I didn’t want to look like a wuss,” says Mr. Dancevic.

As relationships progress, however, things can get complicated. Dr. Mayer says he watched one tour relationship hit the skids after the male player repackaged a watch given to him by a major tour sponsor and sent it to his girlfriend, another pro player, fibbing that he’d bought the watch in Paris—not knowing that his girlfriend had received the same watch from the same sponsor.

Any guesses on who the re-gifter was? URGH! I’m dying to know! The article does mention one cad by name, when Dominika Cibulkova’s coach describes her ex-beau, Gael Monfils, as charming but not “a relationship guy.” We know what that means!

Here’s an audio-visual guide to famous tennis couples (player-on-player and otherwise) – the Roddick photo at the end is priceless!

This calls for a poll!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Big thanks to GTT reader Eimear for passing along this fab BBC video from today’s A Centre Court Celebration from Wimbledon. Andy Murray made a surprise appearance at the event, which featured Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters playing under Centre Court’s new roof. What luck, it even rained!

“No pressure, Andy!” Yeah right. . .

Before I launch into how Americans suck on clay, I want to congratulate Andy Roddick for an impressive three set win over Tommy Haas in Madrid on Wednesday. It was a gutsy debut on the red stuff. Okay, back to business. . .

There’s been lots of talk going into the French Open about both the Americans’ lack of success on clay and their lack of success in general. There’s a good article from The Canadian Press that breaks down the U.S. troubles: the 21 Majors that have passed since Andy Roddick took the 2003 U.S. Open title is the longest American men’s Slam singles drought in the Open Era. Andre Agassi won Roland Garros 10 years ago and was also the last American man to make it to the quarterfinals there – in 2003.

Patrick McEnroe, the USTA’s General Manager of Elite Player Development, thinks that curing the American clay court phobia is the key to improving the USA’s performance on every surface. He spoke with reporters via conference call on Tuesday. Here’s some of what he had to say:

On teaching young Americans to play on clay (via Reuters):

“If you develop players more on clay…they will become better all court players, even …better fast court players.”

“The way the game has changed with the technology, the rackets, the strings, the athleticism and the speed you have to learn how to build the point and play with spin, play with angle, take the ball early. You basically have to do it all.”

But don’t turn them into “clay-courters” – oh, the horror! (via a terrific article at ZooTennis):

“I want to sort of clear this up for people. Some say, you’re trying to teach our players to be clay-courters. No, we’re not. I’ve actually had this conversation with Jose (Higueras, the USTA’s Director of Coaching) numerous times. I always remind him. I say, Jose, most of our great American players essentially are attacking players. We don’t want to take away that as our mentality of players. So we want to keep that. But at the same time we want our kids to be able to learn how to build points better, how to use all the court better, and, yes, how to be fitter. If you play on clay from a younger age, you will automatically become fitter because you have to hit more balls and you have to create more opportunities rather than just going for broke all the time.”

When Rafael Nadal retires, I’m sure Patrick McEnroe will come a knocking! Care to ditch Majorca for Carson, Rafa?

If you’d like to read more on this topic, check out the following articles: Reuters (click here), ZooTennis (click here), The Canadian Press (click here), and The New York Times (click here). Also, I “Twittered” this yesterday, but in case you didn’t check it out – click here for a must read piece on Jose Higueras from Bonnie D. Ford at ESPN.com.

Confidential to Van @ Tennis Talk, Anyone?: I’m eagerly awaiting your take

“Hey, Andy, do ya’ see any of them danged clay-courters out there?” Photo by Ron Angle via DavisCup.com.