The legend behind Marcos Giron's first title

Fernando Murciego | 22 Jul 2024 | 19.17

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The evolution of medicine and teamwork caused the retirement age for professional tennis players to be closer to forty than thirty a few years ago, a reality that has allowed many players to reach their best version on the court at a much older age. A clear example of this happened this Sunday at the ATP 250 in Newport, where Marcos Giron opened his professional record just three days before turning 31. A lot of credit goes to the California native, who, through hard work and conviction, also achieved the highest ranking of his career this Monday: #38. However, the success of the American still holds one more piece to reveal, a piece that moved some strings from the shadows to make so many good things happen.

That piece has a first and last name: Andre Agassi. What does the eight-time Grand Slam winner have to do with all this? Those who followed the event in Newport closely will know what I'm talking about, as the kid from Las Vegas was present at more than one match, following Giron's matches from the front row. Thanks to a report by the colleagues of ATP from the scene of the events, we now know that there is a close relationship between the two Americans, a bond that never crossed the professional barrier, where Andre could travel with Marcos to certain tournaments, but always maintained a connection between the two during the last few seasons, an ideal scheme for the former world No. 1 to advise and help his compatriot. The classic pact between mentor and pupil.

"The more time I spend with him, the more I realize that he is just a pretty face," Giron joked at one of his matches this week when asked about Agassi's presence in the interview at the side of the court, pointing to the stands. "No, speaking seriously now, Andre is an unreal guy, I would say he is the nicest guy I have ever met. His knowledge is incredible, so it's always very special to have him near me. He's a person I admired as I grew up, so it's an amazing feeling." He quickly corrected himself after his joking comment.

"Our relationship was born out of nothing, that's the truth. I met him in San Diego four years ago thanks to a group of training sessions, I remember being completely excited to see him on the court. Later that same year, Sebastian Korda went to Las Vegas to work with him, so he started looking for some guys to accompany him and hit the ball together. I spent a few days there, we talked a bit and it was an incredible experience. He gave me some advice at that time that were epic for me, then from time to time we exchanged some messages, even a call," explains the man born in Thousand Oaks in July 1993.

Marcos Giron y Andre Agassi. Fuente: ATP

THE MAN WHO EXTENDED HIS CAREER

What seemed like an encounter with a star turned into something much greater. A cordial relationship that quickly turned into a friendship, to the extent that Marcos and Andre never lost contact since then. To the extent that this relationship ended up somehow saving the Californian's career from ending prematurely due to lack of success.

That three-day trip to Las Vegas changed my life, I can assure you, at least it changed my vision of the game. That trip extended my career for a few years, everything has been different since I have him as a guide, with his knowledge and his vision. Andre sees tennis from a totally different perspective than others, that's why we have kept in touch, besides being a super kind and insightful person," he acknowledged after winning his first individual title this Sunday in Newport.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La leyenda detrás del primer título de Marcos Giron

ATP