Stung by criticism from Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova over his admission that he did crystal meth in 1997 and lied about it, an emotional Andre Agassi told 60 Minutes he needed compassion not condemnation.
"It’s what you don’t want to hear," Agassi told Katie Couric in an interview that is scheduled to air on CBS' 60 Minutes on Sunday at 7 p.m. "I would hope along with that would come some compassion that maybe this person doesn’t need condemnation. Maybe this person could stand a little help. Because that was at a time in my life when I needed help. I had a problem, and there might be many other athletes out there that test positive for recreational drugs that have a problem. So I would ask for some compassion."
The ATP has come under criticism for Andre Agassi's allegation that it covered-up his 1997 positive test for crystal meth. Navratilova took aim at Agassi in admonishing the former World No. 1 for lying and getting away with it.
"Andre lied and got away with it," Navratilova told the Associated Press in an interview last Thursday "You can't correct that now. Do you take away a title he wouldn't have won if he had been suspended? He beat some people when he should have been suspended."
The Hall of Famer suggested Agassi's admission of drug use is an empty one and compared him to pitcher Roger Clemens, who has denied allegations from his former trainer, Brian McNamee, that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his days with the New York Yankees.
"Shocking," Navratilova told the AP. "Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn't own up to it. He's up there with Roger Clemens, as far as I'm concerned. He owned up to it [in the book], but it doesn't help now."
Navratilova, a long-time rival of Agassi's wife, Steffi Graf, said she is uncertain what the fall-out will be over Agassi's admission in his new memoir, Open, which will be released on November 9.
"How is it going to play out for him? I don't know," Navratilova told the AP. "I don't know why he would come out now."
