USTA Foundation to honor Andre Agassi with Serving Up Dreams Award at the 2025 US Open
Tennis legend and former world No. 1 Andre Agassi will be honored with the Serving Up Dreams Award at the USTA Foundation's annual Opening Night Gala on Sunday, Aug. 24, at the US Open.
The Serving Up Dreams Award is presented to an individual who embodies the values of dedicated service to advance the USTA Foundation’s work to prepare young people for the life challenges they will face, both on and off the court, through the powerful combination of tennis, education and life skills development.
Agassi is among the few professional tennis players to establish a foundation during their playing careers, and he approaches his philanthropy with the same unflagging drive and focus as he demonstrated on the court.
In 2001, Agassi founded the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education to improve public schools and invest in communities. His efforts have raised over $180 million to date. He founded and operated the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy (Agassi Prep), a free public charter school in his hometown of Las Vegas, which graduated nine senior classes under Agassi’s leadership, and still remains open today.
He also co-founded the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund, which helps build schools in low-income areas across the nation. Agassi has dedicated much of his post-tennis life to education reform, particularly for young people from under-resourced communities.
Carlos Alcaraz and Andre Agassi during the Stars of the Open presented by CHASE as part of the 2024 US Open Fan Week on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024 in Flushing, NY. (Dustin Satloff/USTA).
One of only five men to achieve a career Grand Slam in the Open Era, Agassi transformed the sport of tennis in the 1990s, becoming a global legend with his charismatic personality and bold playing style. Alongside his eight major singles titles, he won an Olympic singles gold medal in Atlanta and 60 tour-level titles during his 21-year professional career, before retiring at the 2006 US Open.
“Investing in education is one of the most powerful ways you can transform lives and communities. While my career may have been in tennis, I believe my true calling is to help create quality academic opportunities for young people that I frankly didn’t have,” said Agassi. “It’s a privilege to be able to make a difference and help give kids the chance to choose their own path. This honor serves as a reminder that when you put in the hard work and hold yourself accountable for achieving real outcomes, you can change lives. That’s the only result that truly matters."
During his professional career, Agassi spent 101 weeks ranked No. 1, ultimately earning his place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011. Agassi is also the current Team World Captain for the Laver Cup, which is being held this September in San Francisco.
"Andre’s commitment to helping young people from under-resourced communities find their excellence and achieve their dreams through access to quality education is changing lives and opening doors that may have once seemed out of reach,” said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “His important work reminds us all that every young person, regardless of their circumstances, deserves opportunity and that real impact begins with passion, vision, and action.”
