Editing Andre Agassi (section)

==Early life==
Andre Agassi was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Iranian [[Emmanuel Agassi|Emmanuel "Mike" Agassi]] (Aghassian), a former Olympic boxer from [[Salmas]], Iran,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/mar/20/andre-agassi-life-after-tennis-steffi-graf|title=Andre Agassi: 'One day your entire way of life ends. It's a kind of death' – Donald McRae|first=Donald|last=McRae|date=March 20, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=March 22, 2017|archive-date=July 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713023903/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/mar/20/andre-agassi-life-after-tennis-steffi-graf|url-status=live}}</ref> and American Elizabeth "Betty" Agassi (née Dudley).<ref name="bio" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/bio/andre_agassi.shtml |title=Andre Agassi Biography |publisher=Netglimpse.com |access-date=August 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911163118/http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/bio/andre_agassi.shtml |archive-date=September 11, 2007 |url-status=live  }}</ref> His father is of [[Iranian Armenians|Iranian Armenian]] [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] heritage and was a casino worker in [[Tehran]] and former [[Amateur boxing|amateur boxer]].{{sfn|Agassi|Cobello|Welsh|2004|pp=1, 12–14}}<ref name="persianbio">{{cite web|url=http://www.persianmirror.com/culture/famous/bios/andreagassi.cfm |title=Bio:Andre Agassi |work=Persian Mirror |access-date=January 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212151257/http://www.persianmirror.com/culture/famous/bios/andreagassi.cfm |archive-date=December 12, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="zindamagazine.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/1995/zn082895.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010412033524/http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/1995/zn082895.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 12, 2001 |title=400 ASSYRIAN ATHLETES IN THE STATE OLYMPICS |publisher=ZENDA renamed Zinda Magazine in 1999 |date=August 28, 1995 |access-date=June 6, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="peoplebio">{{cite web|url=http://www.peopleandprofiles.com/ProfilesDet-28/Andre+Agassi.html?profile_id=127 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708231152/http://www.peopleandprofiles.com/ProfilesDet-28/Andre%2BAgassi.html?profile_id=127 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2007 |title=Andre Agassi Profile |publisher=Peopleandprofiles.com |access-date=June 6, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5R1y1nvcWccC&pg=PA278 |title=Aramaic (Assyrian/Syriac) dictionary |isbn=9780781810876 |access-date=June 6, 2011 |last1=Awde |first1=Nicholas |last2=Lamassu |first2=Nineb |last3=Al-Jeloo |first3=Nicholas |year=2007 |publisher=Hippocrene Books |archive-date=July 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713023616/https://books.google.com/books?id=5R1y1nvcWccC&pg=PA278#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The man behind Andre">{{cite web |url=http://www.agassi.fr/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=527 |title=The man behind Andre |access-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-date=March 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323075855/http://www.agassi.fr/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=527 |url-status=dead }}</ref> His parents married in 1959 after dating for two months, then moved from [[Chicago]] to Las Vegas.{{sfn|Agassi|Cobello|Welsh|2004|pp=62–64, 68}} He has three older siblings: Rita (who was married to former number one tennis player [[Pancho Gonzales]]), Philip and Tami.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=127375 |title=Column: Q&A with Rita Agassi; a tennis life and journey |work=The Daily Courier |author=Howard, Chris |date=January 14, 2014 |access-date=January 25, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140120040638/http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=127375 |archive-date=January 20, 2014 }}</ref> Andre was given the middle name Kirk after [[Kirk Kerkorian]], an Armenian-American businessman. Emmanuel Agassi, then a waiter at the [[Tropicana Las Vegas]], had met his employer Kerkorian in 1963 and they became friends.{{sfn|Agassi|2010|p=47}}<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sassounian|first1=Harut|author-link1=Harut Sassounian|title=New Biography Portrays Kirk Kerkorian, Not Trump, as 'the Greatest Deal Maker'|url=https://www.azatutyun.am/a/29007312.html|publisher=[[RFE/RL]] via [[The California Courier]]|date=January 30, 2018|access-date=May 27, 2018|archive-date=May 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527202204/https://www.azatutyun.am/a/29007312.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

At the age of 12, Agassi and his good friend and doubles partner, Roddy Parks, won the 1982 National Indoor Boys 14s Doubles Championship in Chicago.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 24, 2020 |title=Andre Agassi: One of the greats in tennis pantheon |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-school/andre-agassi-one-of-the-greats-in-tennis-pantheon/story-iGfIba14DLefRqpkOJsz7J.html |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |archive-date=December 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214185141/https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-school/andre-agassi-one-of-the-greats-in-tennis-pantheon/story-iGfIba14DLefRqpkOJsz7J.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Agassi describes memorable experiences and juvenile pranks with Roddy in his book ''Open''.{{sfn|Agassi|2010|pp=62, 63}}

When he was 13, Agassi was sent to [[Nick Bollettieri]]'s Tennis Academy in Florida.<ref name="greatath">{{cite book |last1=Jensen |first1=Jeffry |editor1-first=Dawn P |editor1-last=Dawson |title=Great Athletes |edition=Revised |volume=1 |year=2002 |orig-year=1992 |publisher=Salem Press |isbn=1-58765-008-8 |pages=17–19 |url=https://archive.org/details/greatathletes0000unse |url-access=limited }}</ref> He was meant to stay for only three months, because that was all his father could afford. After thirty minutes of watching Agassi play, Bollettieri, deeply impressed by his talent, called Mike and said: "Take your check back. He's here for free."<ref name="lxbpdn">{{cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/magazine/08/30/agassi0717/index.html |publisher=Gary Smith for Sports Illustrated |title=Coming into Focus |access-date=February 15, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105073645/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/magazine/08/30/agassi0717/index.html |archive-date=January 5, 2010 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Agassi then dropped out of school in the ninth grade to pursue a full-time tennis career.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/books/12agassi.html |work=The New York Times |title=A Team, but Watch How You Put It |first=Charles |last=McGrath |date=November 12, 2009 |access-date=May 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110114052/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/books/12agassi.html |archive-date=January 10, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref>