Andre Agassi waves to the crowd after he lost to Tommy Haas of Germany at the Pacific Life Open tournament in Indian Wells, California in March. Agassi said yesterday he would retire from tennis after this year's US Open. - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters):

ANDRE AGASSI announced his retirement yesterday and said he would play his final tennis match at the U.S. Open which starts in August.

The 36-year-old American, one of only five men to win all four grand slam titles in their career, said he planned to compete at Wimbledon and two other tournaments before the U.S. Open which begins in New York on August 28.

"This Wimbledon will be my last and the U.S. Open will be my last tournament," Agassi told a news conference at the All England Club two days before the start of the grasscourt grand slam.

Agassi, who has been struggling with a chronic back problem, won the first of his eight grand slam singles titles at Wimbledon in 1992 when he beat Croatian Goran Ivanisevic in five sets in the final.

The former world number one has barely played since his defeat by Roger Federer in the U.S. Open final last September because of injury and missed the entire claycourt season in order to get fit for Wimbledon.

SACRIFICES

"It's been a lot of sacrifices the last few months trying to get myself right to come back here and enjoy this tournament for the last time," he said.

Agassi, who is married to former German tennis player Steffi Graf and has two young children, said he had made his decision to retire several months ago.

"This is where it all started for me, my dreams. We waited until now to say something as it is only right that I say it at the place it all started," he added. "It's like it was yesterday."

Agassi plays Serbian Boris Pashanski in the Wimbledon first round next week in what will be his final match at the grasscourt grand slam if he loses.

He could face double French Open champion Rafael Nadal in the third round.

However, the Las Vegan is desperately short of match practice and lost in the first round of the pre-Wimbledon Queen's Club event to Briton Tim Henman.

One of tennis's most flamboyant personalities, Agassi has won the Australian Open four times, the U.S. Open twice and Wimbledon and the French Open once each.

Agassi's victory over Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev in the 1999 French Open final made him only the fifth man in history to win a career Grand Slam of all four major tennis tournaments, joining Don Budge, Rod Laver, Fred Perry and Roy Emerson.

FACT FILE

Born: April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Turned professional: 1986

Plays: Right-handed, double-handed backhand

1987: Wins first title as a wildcard in Itaparica

1988: Wins six titles in seven finals and reaches French and US Open semi-finals

1990: Reaches first grand slam final at Roland Garros and loses to Andres Gomez. Finishes runner-up to Pete Sampras at US Open. Helps US win Davis Cup with victory over Australia

1991: Reaches Roland Garros final but is beaten by Jim Courier

1992: Wins first grand slam at Wimbledon by defeating Goran Ivanisevic in five sets. Leads the U.S. to Davis Cup title

1994: Returns from wrist surgery to win first U.S. Open trophy. He becomes first unseeded champion at Flushing Meadows since Fred Stolle in 1966.

1995: Wins career-high seven titles in a season, including first Australian Open crown. Becomes 12th player in history of ATP rankings to become world number one in April.

1996: Wins gold medal at Atlanta Olympics

1997: Marries actress Brooke Shields in April. Suffers dip in form and ranking plummets to 141

1998: Makes biggest one-year jump into top 10 in history of ATP rankings by climbing from 122 the previous year to number six. Wins five titles from 10 final appearances

1999: Finishes year ranked number one after winning French and US Opens. Becomes fifth man - along with Don Budge, Rod Laver, Fred Perry and Roy Emerson - to win all four grand slam titles in his career.

Loses Wimbledon final to Sampras. Two year-marriage to Shields ends in divorce

2000: Wins sixth grand slam at the Australian Open

2001: At 31 is oldest player since a 32-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1984 to finish the year ranked in the top three. Successfully defends Australian Open title.

Marries former women's number one Steffi Graf in October days before the birth of their son Jaden Gil

2002: Injury prevents him defending his Australian Open crown. Loses to Sampras in the U.S. Open final.

2003: Becomes the first overseas player to win four men's singles titles at the Australian Open after defeating Schuettler.

June: Plays his 1,000th professional match at the Stella Artois Championships.

Daughter Jaz Elle born in October.

2004: Captures his sole title of the year at the Cincinnati Masters and finishes in the top 10 for the 15th time.

2005: Loses in the first round of the French Open for the second successive year. Pulls out of Wimbledon due to injury but reaches U.S. Open final, losing in four sets to Roger Federer.

2006: Misses Australian Open due to ankle injury. Skips claycourt season to prepare for Wimbledon.

June 24: Announces decision to retire after US Open which starts on August 28.