Andre Agassi and His Back Problems

Like many top athletes, Andre Agassi isn’t immune to pain. It’s not always practical for a top tennis star to reveal the extent of his pain – especially while still an active player. Now that the man once considered the top tennis player in the world is retired, however, he has no problem sharing his back pain issues in the official Andre Agassi biography.

Here at VacuPractor, we like to share stories about all facets of back pain. We have found that there is a lot of interest in reading stories about Famous People with Back Pain and Back Problems. So, this is our latest post featuring Andre Agassi. You can also click the links below to read some of our other Celebrity Back Pain stories.


Also in our celebrity’s with back pain series:

  • John F. Kennedy – A Life of Back Pain & Hidden Illness
  • Hulk Hogan and his story of failed back surgery
  • Elizabeth Taylor – A Life of Pain and Multiple Surgeries
  • George Clooney Contemplated Suicide From Back Pain
  • Lance Armstrong’s Training To Overcome Back Pain

To be fair, even before his official retirement after his final U.S. Open appearance in 2006, Agassi’s battle with chronic back pain wasn’t exactly a secret. Making reference to the back pain that was often obvious in some of his matches during the latter part of his 21-year career, Agassi said “It starts with your body and moves to your mind.”

In this 2009 autobiography, Open, Agassi revealed the extent of his back pain. He talks about moving from the soft mattress of his bed to the floor in the middle of the night to seek some type of comfort – or at least get some sleep. Agassi revealed that he was born with a condition called spondylolisthesis, which is a condition where the bottom vertebra is separated from the other vertebrae.

Having one vertebra out of whack constricts the nerves in the back. Agassi said that the condition was the main reason for his pigeon-toed walk. The slightest movement would aggravate the condition. It’s certainly not easy to remain still while playing tennis. The tennis great also had two herniated discs, which further compounded his back pain. When the nerves in the back get squished they send out distress signals to other parts of the body such as the legs. It was a pain that Agassi said made him “suck in (his) breath and speak in tongues.”

The thing about a back pain is that you never know when it’s going to hit. The Andre Agassi biography recounts bouts of severe pain that would spring up at the worst possible time – right in the middle of a match. When the pain hit during a match, Agassi would alter his swing or change the way he ran or other movements to find something close to a pain level he could tolerate to finish the match. He would receive temporary relief from a cortisone shot, but would remain in agony until the shot actually took effect.

Even the process of getting a cortisone shot can be agonizing. Agassi only received thirteen such shots during his career and three during his final year of professional playing. The shot itself has to be inserted in the right area of the back. Given his other back issues, it was difficult for the doctor to find the right spot without causing more pain. To be effective, the shot has to be injected almost flush against the nerves without actually touching them.

Agassi describes his back pain in a way that sums up what anybody suffering from similar back problems probably feels while trying to lead a productive life with chronic pain. Even before he finally made the decision to retire from tennis, Agassi jokes that his back had “already moved to Florida and bought a condo.” Another part of living with back pain, as Agassi alludes to his biography, is developing a way to look beyond the pain and find enjoyment in life.

Continue reading here: Back Pain Treatment Using Arthrostim Adjusting

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Readers' Questions

  • elise young
    What back disorder did andre agassi?
    7 months ago
  • Andre Agassi had a variety of back issues throughout his career, including several herniated discs in his lower back. He also had a condition called spondylolisthesis, which is the slippage of one vertebra over another. These back problems caused him significant pain and led to periods of time when he had to take breaks from playing tennis.
    • mhairi
      When did andre agassi retire?
      1 year ago
    • Andre Agassi retired from professional tennis in 2006 after 22 years on the tour.