Andre Agassi: "I Needed Help" Responds To Criticism Over His Drug Use In "60 Minutes" Interview

[Dirty]

• Andre Agassi, speaking with correspondent Katie Couric. (CBS)

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(CBS) Andre Agassi responds to critics of his drug use with a plea for compassion, telling Katie Couric that he "needed help" when he used methamphetamine while feeling depressed in 1997.

The former tennis great discusses his drug use, that depression and other aspects of his personal life and tennis career and talks for the first time about his upcoming book in an interview to be broadcast on "60 Minutes" this Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Agassi got emotional when responding to the criticism from Martina Navratilova that Couric read to him, including that the former women’s tennis star compared him with Roger Clemens.

"Yeah…it's what you don't want to hear…I would hope…along with that would come some compassion that maybe this person doesn't need condemnation," Agassi tells Couric. "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," says Agassi.

The former number-one tennis player in the world has no regrets about disclosing his methamphetamine use in his new book, "Open," which comes out Monday. He's not sure what impact it will have on his consideration for the Tennis Hall of Fame.

"I don't know what the ramifications are….I had way more to lose by telling this story in its full transparency than I had to gain," he tells Couric. The price that that comes with is the cost that I've assumed and I'm okay because the part that I worry and think more about is who this may help."

Among the many revelations in "Open" is his confession that for much of his career, he hated the sport he was so good at. He eventually overcame his hatred and now loves tennis, mostly because of what it gave him. "I was tortured by it. Hated it. Took ownership of it. Started to have a relationship with it. Started to embrace it. Started to extract from it and grew to love everything it had to give me, which was the relationships in my life, the people, the fans. It was a gift," says Agassi. "I go out with my wife now and I hit balls. And I can enjoy it," he says.

Andre Agassi: "I Needed Help" - 60 Minutes - CBS News

[juuso]

Agassi is OK, used to like watching him play, but I couldn't care less about anyone's drug use, as long as they can keep their shit together. It's a personal thing and I'm for decriminalizing most drugs for responsible adults.

He will sell more of his book with sleazy detail and shocker like this.