New York: Andre Agassi headlined a list of nominees for the International Tennis Hall of Fame following a sparkling career highlighted by eight grand slam titles and an Olympic gold medal.
Agassi, who shocked the sporting world late last year when he admitted using the highly addictive drug crystal meth and lying to tennis officials to escape a ban, was the only name in the recent player category, the Hall said Wednesday.
During his singles career, Agassi went 870-274 with 60 titles, including four victories at the Australian Open, two at the U.S. Open, and one at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Agassi, who also captured a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, is married to Steffi Graf, a retired tennis player and 2004 Hall of Fame inductee, with whom he has two children.
"It is a pleasure to recognise Andre Agassi, undoubtedly one of the most talented and iconic athletes of all time, with our sport's highest honour," Tony Trabert, International Tennis Hall of Fame president, said in a statement.
The 40-year-old American retired in 2006 but was thrust back into the spotlight when his autobiography "Open" candidly described being introduced to crystal meth in 1997 and the moment when he was informed he had failed a drugs test.
Voting for the 2011 ballot will take place over the next several months with an announcement expected early next year.
Australian Thelma Coyne Long and Briton Christine Truman Janes were nominated in the master player category, while tennis administrators Mike Davies and Fern Lee Kellmeyer were nominated in the contributor category.
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