Andre Agassi's upcoming autobiography contains an admission that he used crystal meth in 1997 and lied to tennis authorities when he failed a drug test – a result that was thrown out after he said he “unwittingly” took the substance. According to an excerpt of the autobiography published Wednesday in The Times of London, the eight-time Grand Slam champion writes that he sent a letter to the ATP tour to explain the positive test, saying he accidentally drank from a soda spiked with meth by his assistant “Slim.” “Then I come to the central lie of the letter,” Agassi writes. “I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely. “I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it.” Agassi said the ATP reviewed the case, accepted his explanation and threw it out. “It has always been ATP policy not to comment on anti-doping test results unless and until an anti-doping violation has occurred,” the ATP said Wednesday in a statement. “Under the tennis anti-doping program it is, and has always been, an independent panel that makes a decision on whether a doping violation has been found. The ATP has always followed this rule and no executive at the ATP has therefore had the authority or ability to decide the outcome of an anti-doping matter.” Agassi retired in 2006. Excerpts from his autobiography, which comes out Nov. 9, are being published this week in the London newspaper, as well as Sports Illustrated and People magazines. In a story posted on People magazine's Web site Tuesday, Agassi says: “I can't speak to addiction, but a lot of people would say that if you're using anything as an escape, you have a problem.” According to the Times of London Web site, Agassi writes in his book that “Slim” was the person who introduced him to crystal meth, dumping a small pile of powder on the coffee table. “I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've just crossed,” Agassi writes. “There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful – and I've never felt such energy.” “I'm seized by a desperate desire to clean. I go tearing around my house, cleaning it from top to bottom. I dust the furniture. I scour the tub. I make the beds.” Among the most successful – and, without a doubt, one of the most popular – tennis players in history, Agassi drew attention not just for his play, but also for his outfits, his hairstyles and his relationships with women, including a failed marriage to actress Brooke Shields. After an exhibition match Sunday at Macau against longtime rival Pete Sampras, Agassi was asked if his autobiography contained any major revelations. “I wore my heart on my sleeve and my emotions were always written on my face. I was actually excited about telling the world the whole story,” Agassi says.
