FILE – Andre Agassi and Roger Federer share a light moment. Photo: USTA/X
The good old times – when tennis was all charm, grace, and gentlemanly laughter. Nostalgia is like a well-loved photograph, quietly stirring emotions we did not know were still tucked away. And when we flip through the dusty album of tennis memories, those emotions return in waves – as familiar and comforting as an old rally. Andre Agassi and Roger Federer – two names that echo through tennis history – are not just champions of their eras, but torchbearers of the sport’s evolution.
Agassi, the American maestro, is an eight-time Grand Slam winner. Federer, who stepped onto the tour during the twilight of Agassi’s career in 1999, would go on to etch his name into eternity with 20 Grand Slam titles.
So, when the veteran Agassi met the rising Swiss in 2005, the encounter offered not just fierce tennis, but a moment of comic levity – now immortalised in tennis folklore. Federer, then a fresh-faced youngster with medium-length, slightly messy blonde hair held back by a headband, became the subject of Agassi’s playful jab in the semifinal of Miami Open.
“You know if you get a haircut, you would not have to wear that thing, right,” Agassi quipped, mimicking female players in jest – a nod to Federer’s hair constantly falling into his face mid-rally.
Federer took it with a smile, gracefully playing along. He showed off how he managed his hair, evoking laughter not only from Agassi but from the entire stadium. The crowd roared, united in a rare display of humour and camaraderie that defined the era. It was tennis in its most charming form – light, elegant, and full of personality. Federer would go on to defeat Agassi that day, extending his winning streak against the American to seven matches. In the final, he outlasted a young Rafael Nadal in a five-set classic – a prelude to one of the sport’s greatest rivalries.
That precious slice of the past – a moment plucked from the vault of time – was recently shared by Tennis TV on Instagram. It sent fans spiraling into nostalgia, revisiting a time when tennis felt more human, more joyful. While most basked in the warmth of the memory, one fan took a cheeky swipe at Agassi, who had notoriously struggled with male pattern baldness since the age of 19. “Jealous of Federer’s blonde hair,” the fan commented, adding a tongue-in-cheek twist to the tale.
Others, however, simply reminisced. One comment, poetic in its sentiment, stood out: “The good old times – when the best tennis players were fun, nice, and they behaved like sportsmen should, and the crowd followed – no offense or violent crap back then – it was truly a gentleman’s sport – with a spot of laughter here and there! I miss that!”