Andre Agassi says that the revelation in his autobiography, Open, that he had inhaled crystal meth during his career has actually done the sport some good. Both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer criticized Agassi for damaging tennis' reputation. "Ultimately, it (the book) has a phenomenally powerful positive impact on the game," Agassi told the Sunday Herald Sun. "Whether Federer or Nadal recognize that now, I'm not sure. I think over time, they can only come to conclude that."
The eight-time Grand Slam champion also said the details of the painful chapters of his life in the book might encourage readers to pick up tennis. "You've got to remember when I came on the tour in jean shorts, (Ivan) Lendl said I was a haircut and a forehand ... that's all I am," Agassi said. "On some level, what I was doing was attempting to broaden the tent ... attempting to not undermine anything around me, but broaden it. What will this do for tennis? Whether it's acknowledged or not yet it will broaden the sport and it will deepen the appeal. It connected more with people. One person said, 'Now, I'm playing the game. Now, I'm watching the game.' That's what I believe the book is going to do for tennis. It's going to show people how tough it is, how much respect these guys deserve and what we go through."
Agassi, who retired in 2005 but has begun to play senior events again, said that the game has improved remarkably since he left. "I rate it (the game now) a hell of a lot better than it was when I played. These guys are something special. Tennis is about dimensions and angles and when you add spin to the equation, that kind of spin, you're talking about changing the dimensions of the game. You're not talking about tennis any more. You're talking about a different sport. You start to see a guy like Pat Rafter disappear because nobody can come in any more. You don't just have to cover the line, the ball's up there and then down in a hurry. Federer and Nadal would have a had a field day if they only had to worry about playing myself."