"I'll hug my father again before I embrace Wimbledon": When 17-year-old Andre Agassi vowed never to return at the grasscourt Major

Andre Agassi made his Grand Slam debut at the 1986 US Open and his first appearance at Wimbledon came the following year.

The American was drawn against ninth-seeded Frenchman Henri Leconte in the opening round and was thrashed 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.

Agassi wrote about his first Wimbledon fixture in his book "Open: An Autobiography" and said that the ball did not bounce right for him on the grass and that he felt uncomfortable on the surface.

The American stated that he told his then-coach Nick Bollettieri that he would never come back to the All-England Club and would rather hug his father.

"Consequently the first time I ever hit a ball on grass is the first time I play Wimbledon. And what a shock. The ball doesn’t bounce right, doesn’t bounce at all, because this grass isn’t grass, but ice slathered with Vaseline," Agassi wrote. "And I’m so afraid of slipping that I tiptoe. When I look around, to see if the British fans have noticed my discomfort, I get a scare: they’re right on top of me."

"The building is like a dollhouse. Add my name to the list of those who’ve expired on Graveyard Court. Leconte euthanizes me. I tell Nick that I’m never coming back. I’ll hug my father again before I embrace Wimbledon," he added.

Andre Agassi did not compete at Wimbledon from 1988-1990 due to his disagreements with the tournament's all-white dress code. He made his return to the grasscourt Major in 1991 and went on to reach the quarterfinals before losing to compatriot David Wheaton.

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Andre Agassi's maiden Grand Slam singles title came at Wimbledon

Andre Agassi at the 2018 Australian Open

Andre Agassi won his only Wimbledon title in 1992 when he beat Goran Ivanisevic 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the final. He also beat two former champions Boris Becker and John McEnroe during the tournament. This was the American's maiden Grand Slam singles title.

Agassi never won the grasscourt Major again, with his best performance since 1992 being reaching the final in 1999, where he was beaten by Pete Sampras. The American also reached three semifinals in 1995, 2000, and 2001.

Andre Agassi's last appearance at Wimbledon came in 2006 when he was seeded 25th. He reached the third round of the tournament before losing 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4 to second seed and eventual runner-up Rafael Nadal in the final.