"Last night I had a hard time eating, everything is just tense"- When Andre Agassi opened up on being a 'nervous wreck' ahead of Australian Open final

Andre Agassi claimed that he was a nervous wreck before the 2001 Australian Open final.

The American entered the tournament as the defending champion and was seeded sixth. He beat Jiri Vanek, Paul Goldstein, Davis Prinosil, Andre Ilie, Todd Martin and Pat Rafter to reach the final. Here, Agassi beat 15th seed Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to successfully defend his Australian Open crown.

After the match, Agassi told the media that he had arrived in Melbourne with a purpose and expressed his pleasure at the way things turned out for him.

"I was down here with a purpose," the then-30-year-old said. "It was great for it to turn out the way it did."

Agassi also claimed that he was a nervous wreck before the match and that he had a "hard time" eating dinner the previous night. The American added that what he felt meant that he still loved playing tennis.

"You're a nervous wreck," Andre Agassi said. "Last night at dinner I had a hard time eating. Everything is just tense, and you're just excited. That lets you know you still love what you do."

Andre Agassi was more successful at the Australian Open than at any other Grand Slam

Andre Agassi at the 2019 Australian Open

Andre Agassi attained more success at the Australian Open than at any other Grand Slam tournament, winning 46 out of 51 matches at the Melbourne Major with four titles to his name. In fact, his worst performance in the tournament was fourth-round exits in 1998 and 1999.

Agassi's first title at the Australian Open came in 1995 when he beat his rival Pete Sampras in the final. His second title came five years later in 2000, when he triumphed over defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the title clash.

After successfully defending his title in 2001, Agassi missed the following year's tournament. He then competed in 2003 as the second seed and won his final Grand Slam crown by beating Rainer Schuttler in the title clash. The American dropped just one set en route to his fourth triumph in Melbourne.

Agassi's title defense in 2004 ended in the semifinals as he lost to Marat Safin in five sets. The American's last appearance at the Australian Open came in 2005 when he was the eighth seed. He booked his place in the quarterfinals following wins over Dieter Kindlmann, Rainer Schuttler, Taylor Dent and Thomas Johansson. Here, Agassi lost 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to then-World No. 1 Roger Federer.