Agassi still has the hunger

What do you get the man who has everything?

Well, in the case of a certain Andre Kirk Agassi, how about another Wimbledon title?

For that is all that will satisfy the seven-time Grand Slam winner when he walks through the gates of the All England Club on June 24.

Off-court, things may be perfect for Agassi with wife Steffi Graf and young son Jaden Gil by his side and more money than he can shake a very big stick at, but on-court the feeling persists there is some unfinished business which needs taking care of.

Even with those seven Grand Slams and 45 other tournament wins under his belt, and at the venerable age, in tennis terms at least, of 32, Agassi still wants more.

‘‘It’s something I enjoy, first of all,’’ said Agassi when asked what keeps him going when the likes of French sensation Richard Gasquet, 15, are young enough to be his children.

‘‘I think the same things motivate me, just for different reasons. It’s still very challenging, it’s now challenging for different reasons. Every year it gets harder.

‘‘I’m motivated to push myself and I still have more to play. There’s still more tennis left in me and I feel like I can get better. Those elements are crucial in my determination to continue playing.

‘‘I have to feel like I can be better and I have to feel like there’s a challenge in it for me.’’

Perhaps that explains the decision to link up with Darren Cahill, who coached Lleyton Hewitt to his US Open triumph and current position as world number one.

‘‘I think Darren’s going to bring a new, fresh look to things,’’ Agassi agreed. ‘‘I think I will be able to take in what there is to be offered, and I’m going to make a heck of an effort to make myself better as an athlete.

‘‘We come in with goals in mind, both of us, and we’re counting on each other to help us accomplish those goals.’’

That Agassi still sets himself new goals at this stage in his career is remarkable in itself.

His 1999 French Open victory made him only the fifth man in history to have won all four Grand Slam tournaments, and although his total of seven is well behind compatriot Pete Sampras’ 13, he has the satisfaction of knowing he is regarded as a better all-surface player than his main rival, Sampras destined to end his career without a French Open title.

And yet just a few years ago it looked as though Agassi’s career, which began in 1986 when he emerged as a 16-year-old prodigy from the famous Nick Bollettieri Academy, was coming to an ignominous end.

The lowest point so far came in 1997 when a combination of injury, off-court problems and apparent indifference to the game saw his world ranking slump to 141.

There were some who thought that would be the end of Agassi as a competitive force, that he would slowly disappear from the top echelons of the game and retire to his home in Las Vegas.

But his determination to be the best was too strong and Agassi swallowed his pride and accepted a wild card into his hometown Challenger event, a tournament usually the preserve of up-and-coming hopefuls, has-beens and never-will-be’s that the former world number one left behind years ago.

He reached the final that week and took another wild card the following week, won the title in Burbank and his career was back on track.

In 1998 he made the biggest one-year jump into the top 10 in rankings history, climbing from 122nd to sixth, winning five times in 10 finals.

And less than two years after hitting the bottom he reached the top again, the French Open triumph helping him end the year as world number one for the first time in his career.

Even then he was not finished, winning back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2000 and 2001, and with three tournament wins already this year, who would back against him winning a second Wimbledon title 10 years after the first?

Certainly the new generation of players appear to hold few fears for Agassi, although he does appear unsure whether he is young at heart or should go for the sympathy vote.

Asked about the prospects of young American player James Blake, currently sporting a wild and wooly hairstyle, Agassi joked: ‘‘He makes me feel old when I see all the hair coming out of his head to be honest!

‘‘But inside the lines is where I try to assess everything. Inside the lines I still feel like I have an answer for what guys bring me. I’m not really concerned with the age factor yet.

‘‘I’m at a different stage in my career now. I worry about waking up in the morning and putting my shoes on!’’