The Boys are Back in Town: Tennis Legends

Welcome to Young Hollywood. Hey everyone, Nicky Novak here for Young Hollywood at Staples Center, where the boys are back in town. We're here to talk to three of the biggest tennis legends about their return to the game, and I'm going to see if I can get some tennis lessons for free. I'm here with Andre Agassi, who needs no introduction. Andre, I heard you had a birthday a couple days ago.

I did.

What did you do to celebrate?

We had a barbecue with friends and family, and a lot of them, and it was fun.

Did you blow out the candles?

Uh, I did. They didn't have enough room for 41 of them.

So, have the kids picked up the tennis bug? Do they love it?

Um, my daughter plays a couple times a week, and she seems

Her dad?

Uh, no, I get her lessons and I make the coach really nervous.

You're probably the worst person to have to deal with when you're coaching. So, can I just check to see if my grip is right? Do you mind?

Please.

Okay.

You need a little bit of a western, semi-western grip. Yeah, don't go all Nadal on me and go heavy western. That's Nadal.

That's Nadal, yeah. I was kind of aiming for the badass style, you know.

Don't, yeah, don't go Pete, which is a little bit too continental. Go like my style, which is semi-western.

So, how did you convince Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe to play competitively and put their reputations on the line?

Well, we're all in this together, you know. I mean, this, this is a player's tour. You know, we've got seven incredible players playing. If I could call myself an incredible player, I think it's a little generous, but I, I'll go with it.

I think you were number one in the world. I think that qualifies.

We do what we love. Like getting Andre and Pete and and Mac to come out and play on the Champions series. It's doing what they, they innately do best. Um, it seems like there's like a little bit of fire still left there. I think they've got some unresolved, you know, court issues that they have to deal with. Well, that's what the Champions series will be good for. If they are harboring anything, uh, in there that they want to get off their chest, why not do it in front of 15,000 of their closest friends?

Who are you most looking forward to playing?

Uh, I think I'm probably most looking forward to playing Andre. We're the same age. We've known each other since we're about 12 years old. I know when I play Andre, win or lose, I'm going to be, uh, you know, either happy that I won or I'm going to be happy that he had a good night and he won. You know, he just taught me his western grip. But Andre is an expert in, in all things related to the tennis grip. So, if you're going to take advice from anyone, he's the guy. He's a master tinkerer. He could, he could definitely.

Tinkerer. What's that?

It means he changes his grip, he fiddles with it. He, he's, he's very precise, very particular. I'm much less so.

What would you call yourself?

Uh, I call myself a ginger. What's? Oh. Obvious. Ginger. Lovely ginger locks. Ginger locks, yes.

Pete, can I ask you a question? Recently, I heard you called Nadal a stud. Can you explain that comment?

Well, he, If I was a chick, you know, he he'd be interesting to me, but I I I I Yeah, he he's, you know, as a I meant as a player. I mean, he's he's a phenomenal player, he's a great athlete.

So, I just started playing tennis about six months ago. My backhand is pretty badass. My forehand's okay, but my serve sucks. Can you give me some tips?

It's like throwing a football. You know, it's the same motion. It's just that's got some different elements with the ball toss. Same thing.

So you're telling me to just imagine I'm using a football.

Yeah, throw it as hard as you can.

Okay, so like Okay. There you go.

Hey, I'm Jim Courier, and you're tuned in to Young Hollywood, and I am not young, and I am not Hollywood, but I am here nonetheless.