ber one for the first time in 1995, partly as a result of
hiring Brad Gilbert as his coach and devoting him-
self to a rigorous training schedule. Unfortunately,
after winning the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics
in Atlanta, he went into another slump, dropping to
number 141 in 1997. He rebounded yet again, re-
turning to number four at the end of 1998, when he
won five tournaments and was named the ATP Most
Improved Player. In 1999, he won the U.S. and
French Opens. He closed the decade as the top
money-winner, earning over $4 million. He had won
five grand-slam events, been runner-up in five more,
and won ten ATP Masters Series titles.
Impact As impressive as Agassi’s statistics were dur-
ing the 1990’s, tennis fans and the general public
were even more fascinated with his rivalry with
Sampras, which had begun in their youth at Nick
Bollettieri’s tennis camp in Florida. Sampras was no
match for Agassi, however, with tennis fans. At five
feet, eleven inches, Agassi was short for a tennis
player, and he was the underdog, relying on return
of service and speed to overcome taller players with
faster serves. Agassi was also a rebel with his long
hair, his earring, and his penchant for wild colors
rather than tennis whites. His attire and demeanor
made him a hit with advertisers (Canon’s “Image is
everything” campaign) as well as with fans. When he
shaved his head in 1995, it made headlines, and he
also altered his behavior, bowing and throwing kisses
to crowds, becoming a gracious elder statesman of
tennis.
Further Reading
Agassi, Mike, with Dominic Cobello and Kate Shoup
Walsh.The Agassi Stor y.Toronto: ECW Press, 2004.
Chambure, Alexandre de.Andre Agassi: Through the
Eyes of a Fan. Ottawa: ICCS, 2007.
Philip, Robert.Agassi: The Fall and Rise of the Enfant
Terrible of Tennis. London: Bloomsbury, 1993.
Thomas L. ErskineSee also Sampras, Pete; Seles, Monica; Sports;
Tennis. Agriculture in Canada
Definition The raising and preparation of crops
and livestock for Canadian and foreign markets
Despite Canada’s relatively modest population, about one-
tenth that of the United States, Canadian agriculture
played a central role in its economy, producing net income
for the countr y throughout the 1990’s.Most agricultural activity involves extensive use of
the land, which Canada has in abundance, even if
substantial portions of the country are not suitable
for agriculture. There are essentially three major ar-
eas of Canadian agriculture: Ontario, Quebec, and
the Atlantic Provinces, where the majority of the
populace lives; the wide-open spaces on the great
plains stretching across Manitoba, Alberta, and Sas-
katchewan provinces; and the Pacific coastal area
comprised in the province of British Columbia. The
large portion of Canada located north of the sixtieth
latitude is unsuited for agriculture.
Most of Canada’s agricultural land is used exten-
sively—that is, most crops are grown with minimal la-The Nineties in America Agriculture in Canada 13
Andre Agassi serves to John McEnroe during their semifinal game
at Wimbledon on July 4, 1992.(AP/Wide World Photos )