(Los Angeles, CA) What’s the fastest way to get into an argument about tennis? Ask any fan who they think is the best player. For life-long tennis enthusiast and writer Alexandre de Chambure, the answer is simple: Andre Agassi....

“Agassi is simply the best all-around player,” says de Chambure, author of the new book Andre Agassi: Through the Eyes of a Fan. 

Selected as one of Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006, Agassi has proven that he has star power both on and off the court. When he lost his final match at the September 2006 U.S. Open, Agassi received a four-minute standing ovation, a tribute to his 21-year career.  

“With Agassi’s retirement, the tennis world has lost a champion,” says de Chambure. “He played his last match in incredible pain and still managed to bow out with style.” 

De Chambure backs up his stance with these Agassi facts: 

• He’s 1 of 5 men to win all 4 Grand Slams
• He boasts the most men’s Grand Slam appearances in the Open era: 61
• He ranks number seven in most career men’s titles in the Open era: 60
• Agassi is the only man ranked in the year-end top 10 during 3 different decades
• He’s also fifth on the men’s career wins list, with 870 victories overall

With 8 Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal to his credit, at 33 years of age, Agassi became the oldest player to be ranked number 1 in the world. 

In Andre Agassi: Through the Eyes of a Fan, de Chambure tells the story of two parallel athletes—himself, a gifted young tennis player from Paris, France, and Agassi, one of the sport’s top performers. With insight and sensitivity, he traces his hero’s journey from the tennis ball hanging over his crib to his amazing career triumphs. 

The ultimate tennis aficionado, Alexandre de Chambure now coaches the sport full-time. He was born in France, where he earned a master’s degree in English. After emigrating to the United States in 1995, he taught French at the University of California, Irvine and Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles. Recently, he translated Mike Agassi’s book, The Agassi Story, into French.