ANDRE THE GIANT: SUPERSTAR LEAVES HIS MARK FROM REBEL TO AMBASSADOR, AGASSI LIFTED AMERICAN TENNIS.

Byline: MATTHEW KREDELL Staff Writer

Andre Agassi came to professional tennis as a brash teenager, known more for his long hair, denim shorts, neon T-shirts and rebel attitude than how he could swing a racket.

He leaves as the most beloved figure in the history of American tennis, a classy champion and thoughtful elder statesman for the sport.

Agassi begins the final tournament of his career today against Andrei Pavel of Romania in the first round of the U.S. Open. The match will start about 5:30 p.m., televised by the USA Network.

``I'd like to leave this game better off for having me, because I know how much I've been better off for having the game,'' Agassi said. ``I'd like to believe, somewhere along the line, the sport is in a better place from what I've done.''

There's no doubt that, in his 22 years on the ATP Tour, Agassi left his mark on tennis.

He is one of five players to win all four Grand Slam titles, and only five players have won more Grand Slam titles than his eight.

With his rock-star persona, he attracted younger fans who might otherwise have been turned off by the sport's prim-and-proper past.

More important, he showed how a person can reinvent himself. He'll walk off the court for the final time without the hair and the attitude of his early years.

``It reminds me of George Foreman a little bit because there were a lot of people that felt he was surly and not friendly, and there were times where Andre did have a chip on his shoulder,'' said John McEnroe, the former tennis great who will serve as a television analyst on CBS and the USA Network's coverage of the U.S. Open. ``... He was able to (do a) metamorphosis. George did the same thing. I remember all of a sudden him becoming this lovable teddy bear.''

Whether Agassi leaves the game better than he found it is another story. Through no fault of his own, his departure will put a spotlight on the current deficiency in American tennis.

Agassi, 36, came up playing junior tennis, often on the Southern California circuit, with Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.

That fearsome foursome entered the professional game at the tail end of the careers of McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, carrying American tennis to new heights with 27 Grand Slam titles, including at least one every year from 1989 to 2003.

Heading into the U.S. Open, no American has advanced past the round of 16 in this year's previous three Grand Slams.

When Sampras retired in 2003, leaving Agassi the last of his era, the questions began on what Americans would take over when he was gone.

He pointed to then up-and-coming players Andy Roddick, Taylor Dent and Mardy Fish.

However, though Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003, the players all have regressed in recent years. Only Roddick, who seems to be rebounding under the new tutelage of Connors, looks like a contender for future Grand Slam titles. Though, with the way Roger Federer of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal of Spain are dominating tennis, there might not be room for any Americans.

There's hope for 18-year-old Sam Querrey of Thousand Oaks, in his first year as a professional, to emerge as a top player. But nothing is guaranteed. There are no sure things waiting in the wings. The next great American player could be Jaden Gil, son of Agassi and former women's tennis star Steffi Graf.

Jaden is 4 years old.

``I don't think it's a crisis,'' Agassi said. ``I still think we have 290 million people in our country. I think if we can get the racket in the right hands, that can change quickly. But there needs to be a focus on it. There needs to be a plan. There needs to be good direction, coaching, facilities, all of the above, that access that allows for great athletes to have a chance to play this sport.''

Though he is retiring, Agassi could be an important part of the future of American tennis by helping to develop talent.

Through his charitable foundation, Agassi already has created tennis academies in Carson and Las Vegas. However, their purpose is more to provide a productive avenue for at-risk youth than to train the next top player.

He said he wouldn't rule out being a coach at some point, though he would turn it down if asked next month.

``I would love to be a part of this game if it could really help the game,'' Agassi said. ``I would just have to be clear on how I was doing that and how it was helping the game. But I would never say no to making a big impact. I don't know what sort of form it would take.''

No player could be as inspirational to people coming up in the sport than Agassi.

``He'll be missed, I think, more than any tennis player who has stopped to this point,'' said Lindsay Davenport, the top-ranked female player in the United States. ``The fans felt more connected to him than anyone that's ever played.''

Before he moves on to that part of his life, Agassi would like to create one more memory.

The chronic back condition that has put a damper on the final years of his career caused him to pull out of three tourneys since his quarterfinal run in the Countrywide Classic at UCLA last month.

It doesn't appear he is healthy enough to make another thrilling run like he did last year at the U.S. Open, when he reached the final before losing to Federer. But Agassi has made unexpected comebacks before. If he could put together one more run, he might face Roddick in a torch-passing fourth round.

``There's a sadness in knowing that a big chapter of your life that you've poured yourself into is coming to a close,'' Agassi said.

``And there's an excitement for the future, for the next stage, the next adventure. You're saying goodbye to a job, you're saying goodbye to people you've done it with, but you also are in the position to take the next plunge in life. And, you know, I've just never done this before.''

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CAPTION(S):

9 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Wearing loud colors and sporting his trademark long hair, Andre Agassi returns a serve during the U.S. Open in 1990.

Bongarts/Getty Images

(2 -- color) no caption (Andre Agassi)

Harry How/Getty Images

(3 -- color) no caption (Andre Agassi)

(4 -- color) no caption (Bille Jean King)

(5 -- color) no caption (Andy Roddick)

(6 -- color) no caption (John McEnroe)

(7 -- color) no caption (Jimmy Connors)

(8 -- color) no caption (Tracy Austin)

(9 -- color) no caption (Lindsay Davenport)

Box:

(1) U.S. OPEN

(2) A FITTING FINALE FOR ANDRE

SOURCE: USTA

AP

(3) THEY SAID IT...