Tennis legend Andre Agassi bats for technology in education sector

Tennis legend Andre Agassi said finding private sector solutions for daunting social problems is important and needs to be scaled up. He noted that addressing such gaps also presents significant opportunities.

 

Agassi emphasised that leveraging technology in education can fill a huge vacuum of personalised learning that every child deserves.

 

“I think technology can play an essential role, not just in scalability but also in personalisation,” said Agassi during a session themed ‘Marathon Mindset’ at the TiE Global Summit. “We need to solve daunting global societal issues collectively and together. The private sector is a huge vehicle for bridging that gap.”

 

This is why Agassi has backed Square Panda, an edtech firm offering multisensory learning solutions to help children learn to read. The firm is also working towards transforming the early education landscape in India.

 

Agassi, who struggled academically as a young student-athlete, now devotes his life to improving access to education for youth.

 

He shared his journey from dropping out of 8th grade to pursue tennis full-time, to transforming education in the United States by building 130 schools that have benefited over 80,000 children in the last 10 years.

 

“For me, education is about curiosity. You can learn from everyone. We need to learn like a child—a child is curious, playful, and willing to take risks,” said Agassi.

 

This mindset, he added, allows one to develop empathy and problem-solving skills.

 

“How does an 8th-grade dropout transform education nationally and globally? I focused on the person in front of me at every intersection of life. This led me into education and to building my own schools. I am constantly pushing myself for more, taking the next step, and following the ripples,” said Agassi.

 

Sports and social skills 

When asked about lessons from sports that helped him as a business person, Agassi said sports teach numerous social skills applicable to life. Beyond health benefits, sports help children and adults alike learn teamwork, compete for their position, and become more open-minded, creative, and adept at problem-solving.

 

“In sports, you get immediate feedback. It’s not like the business world, where you take a chance and may wait years to find out if it was a good decision. In sports, you make a decision, and you’re either penalised or rewarded in real-time. You adjust, pivot, and stay nimble,” said Agassi. “Tennis has taught me to navigate intense environments while maintaining objectivity and problem-solving abilities. Sports must remain part of the educational journey.”

 

On failure 

Regarding failure, Agassi said focusing solely on winning or losing is a distraction. Instead, one can turn situations around by blocking out noise and concentrating on improvement. “You need to think about how to get better. Whether I am at my lowest point or ranked 140 or number one in the world, I need to improve myself for my goals and objectives. If you lose and don’t learn, it’s a loss. But if you learn, it’s a gain.”

 

Agassi spoke about his strength and conditioning trainer, Gil Reyes, who is also one of his closest confidants. Agassi said Reyes was the first person to care for him beyond his performance, teaching him the importance of vulnerability.

 

“Vulnerability is essential for growth. It’s the capacity to be wounded, to always put yourself at risk, and not value the outcome but the process. This leads to humility. The earliest scars in life are the last to heal,” said Agassi. “When I was ranked 140 and started playing challenger levels, people thought I was being humbled. But I was committed to rebuilding myself.”

 

A hero’s journey 

Agassi, the former Wimbledon champion, reflected on overcoming fears and becoming calmer. He said life is the best teacher for such transformations.

 

“We all live a ‘hero’s journey,’ where the first part of life is about performing and achieving. Then life hits us with broken relationships and dreams. I went through this. Eventually, we realise that the last phase of the hero’s journey is about serving others. For me, I won everything in tennis and reached number one in the world, but I was probably at my unhappiest then.”

 

Agassi recounted sinking to No. 141 in the rankings in 1997 due to personal issues, prompting many to believe his career was over. However, he returned to No. 1 in 1999 and enjoyed his most successful years over the next four years.

 

“I realised that just because I didn’t choose my life doesn’t mean I can’t take ownership of it. I found my purpose, transitioning to serve others. When I turned my focus outward, it changed who I was internally and on the tennis court. At 28, my career seemed over, but I accomplished more after that than I ever had before.”

 

He joked about his relationship with his wife, Steffi Graf. “I’d never have gotten Steffi to say ‘yes’ unless I grew up and went through all this. I tried for years. She’s the hardest victory I’ve ever had. Also, I don’t bring my trophies home. If I did, she’d bring hers too—it’s bad maths.”

 

Work-life balance 

On balancing work and life, Agassi said it’s essential for families to define success for themselves. “My father’s definition of success was winning and money, and he pushed his children towards tennis for these reasons.”

 

“Sometimes we spend so much time giving our children what we never had that we forget to give them what we did have. So we try to give both to our children. I never had a choice, so we give our kids the choice to lead their lives. Discipline is key—not in telling them what to do but in listening to what they value and holding them accountable for their actions. This is how we strike the balance.”