Nothing Is More Exciting

NOTHING IS MORE EXCITING in sports than watching an amazing comeback. In the 1999 French Open, Andre Agassi not only stunned the crowd but himself as well with his performance in the finals.

Prior to the tournament Agassi considered withdrawing because of an inflamed tendon in his right arm. But the 29-year-old player fought through the injury to reach the finals against Andrei Medvedev.

In the first two sets, Medvedev dominated with powerful serves and baseline play to win 6–1 and 6–2. In spite of his struggles, Agassi kept his composure, struck the ball aggressively, and continued to improve his speed. His Ukrainian adversary reached break point in set three, but the No. 13 seed saved with a forehand drop volley. Agassi held serve and then broke Medvedev, taking a 6–4 win.

Rejuvenated, Agassi captured sets four and five 6–3 and 6–4 respectively. After Medvedev sailed a forehand long for the match’s final point, Agassi threw his racket into the stands and wheeled to face his coach, trainer, and friends. Stunned by his unexpected victory, he sobbed uncontrollably. With the Grand Slam win, he joined Don Budge, Rod Laver, Fred Perry, and Roy Emerson as the only players to capture all four Grand Slams.

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POINT Even though Andre Agassi had a great professional career before the 1999 French Open—and after it—his injuries nagged, his steps slowed, and his serve lost power that June. Before the tournament, no one—not even Agassi—believed he could capture the title. But the star amazed television viewers, the crowd in the grandstands, and himself by earning the crown.

Sometimes life offers amazing results. Who would have thought that the son of poor farmers would be elected president of the United States? But Lyndon Johnson was. Who could have imagined that the child of immigrants from Jamaica growing up in the south Bronx would become a decorated general and secretary of state? But Colin Powell did. Who would have dreamed that the 12th child of an east Texas sharecropper family would be named president of Brown University? But Ruth Simmons got the job.

God can do anything with anyone with amazing results if we’ll just let him.

GOAL! Find other people who surprised everybody with how they ended up in life. Ask God to do amazing things with your life.