Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf’s important parenting lesson: Agassi gave up his childhood to become a tennis

August 31, 2026 - 10:21

Andre Agassi has opened up about a key lesson he and Steffi Graf applied while raising their two children, Jaden and Jaz. The tennis legend admits he gave up his childhood to chase greatness on the court, and that sacrifice left a mark. It also shaped the way he and Graf approached parenting.

Instead of pushing their kids toward tennis, the couple let them find their own paths. Agassi said he never wanted his children to feel the weight of expectation the way he did. He wanted them to enjoy being young, make mistakes, and discover what they loved on their own.

That meant no early morning drills, no pressure to pick up a racket, and no talk of legacy. Jaden and Jaz were free to try different sports, hobbies, and interests without the shadow of their parents' famous careers hanging over them.

Agassi has spoken before about the emotional toll of his own childhood, where his father pushed him relentlessly from a very young age. He has said that experience taught him what not to do. With Graf, who also had a demanding upbringing in tennis, the two agreed that their kids would get something different: a normal, unhurried childhood.

The approach seems to have worked. Neither Jaden nor Jaz pursued professional tennis, and Agassi has said he is proud of the people they have become. For him, the real win was not a title or a trophy, but watching his children grow up happy and free.