Tennis legends Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi won 30 Grand Slam singles titles together, but never made tennis a requirement for their children. Their different paths, from Jaden’s baseball career to Jaz’s varied interests, offer a lesson in giving children the freedom to discover their own identities.
Tennis champions Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi built extraordinary careers, winning 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them. Disclaimer: This article draws on publicly reported information about the Agassi-Graf family and their sporting careers. But when it came to raising their children, Jaden Gil Agassi and Jaz Elle Agassi, they made a different choice. They did not expect their children to follow their footsteps into tennis. Instead, they wanted them to enjoy something their own childhoods had often lacked: the freedom to discover who they were. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.
5 Oct 2026 | 12:06 In his autobiography Open, Agassi described his complicated relationship with tennis. Born in 2001, Jaden explored different sports, including soccer, before developing a passion for baseball. Born in 2003, Jaz Elle Agassi has largely kept her life private.
Agassi’s relationship with tennis began long before he could make an informed choice about his future. His father, Mike Agassi, pushed him into the sport from an early age, expecting him to become a champion. Despite his success, he wrote about the loneliness and emotional strain of competing, calling it the loneliest sport possible. His experience offers an important parenting lesson. A child can become exceptionally good at something without necessarily enjoying the journey. Achievement may bring trophies and recognition, but it cannot replace the freedom to choose. For children born to sporting legends, expectations can arrive before they understand what those expectations mean. Every interest can become a potential career, and every achievement can invite comparisons with their famous parents. Graf and Agassi wanted to protect their children from that pressure. Rather than making tennis the centre of family life, they allowed Jaden and Jaz to explore interests of their own. Agassi summed up his approach with a memorable thought: “I gave up my childhood to be able to have my children’s childhood. The sentiment reflects a powerful distinction between giving children opportunities and deciding their future for them. His journey eventually took him to the University of Southern California, where he played baseball as a pitcher. He also represented Germany in international baseball, including World Baseball Classic qualifying competition. His choice is particularly striking given his parents’ achievements. Jaden did not need to become another tennis champion to pursue competitive sport seriously. He could build his own identity in a different arena. Her interests have included dancing, horseback riding and snowboarding. Unlike her parents, she has not built a public tennis career. That difference should not be mistaken for a lack of ambition. Children do not have to pursue a high-profile profession to lead meaningful lives. Sometimes, the real privilege is being allowed to explore interests without having every hobby treated as a future career. The story of Graf and Agassi challenges a familiar belief: that children should continue what their parents started. A parent’s experience can offer guidance, but it should not become a script that a child must follow. Even well-intentioned pressure can make an activity feel like an obligation rather than a source of joy. Graf and Agassi’s approach does not mean keeping children away from parental interests. It means introducing possibilities without making acceptance conditional on choosing them. Their legacy, then, extends beyond tennis. It is also a reminder that successful parenting is not about raising a smaller version of oneself. It is about helping a child become a person of their own.