Former World No. 1 player, Andre Agassi admitted that he was “out of line” and apologized for poking fun at long-time rival, Pete Sampras, during a charity game held.
During the match, both players were wearing microphones as they played against each other at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. As a result, the audience could hear what was going on between the two players – which started light hearted and funny before turning a bit sour.
At a certain point during the match, Sampras mimicked Agassi’s noticeable pigeon-toed walk, and drew laughter from the crowds.
In some kind of answer, Agassi chided Sampras for being stingy. In the book that Agassi written, he had commented that Sampras was a poor tipper. As a result, Sampras shot a high, hard serve that forced his rival to duck.
Although both players were still smiling, neither of the two showed up at the news conference held at the end of the match.
Apologizing for his actions, Agassi said, “It was out of line… It was inappropriate. The night was on fire. We were all having fun. I was trying to be comedic. I only had a split second to make a decision. I went for it and it fell flat. I was trying to get past it but Pete didn’t really let me get past it. He didn’t really roll with it. I’ve texted Pete to ask him if I can apologize in person.”