You know my dad pushed me to believe that I was going to be the best. I just never thought of life without tennis, even looking forward.

Agassi reflects on the formative pressure and certainty instilled by his father, who treated tennis not as an option but as a destiny. The quote captures how early parental ambition can shape a child’s identity so completely that imagining an alternative life becomes difficult—even when looking ahead into adulthood. It also hints at the psychological bind of elite sport: belief in greatness can be empowering, yet it can narrow one’s sense of self and future. In Agassi’s case, the line resonates with the broader theme of wrestling with a career that brought fame and achievement while also feeling predetermined and inescapable.