His bad boy image proved popular with both corporate sponsors and the ladies. Millions of dollars worth of endorsement deals rolled in and he was seen on the arm of a bevy of women, including Barbra Streisand. In 1992, he jetted off to Wimbledon at the last minute after nearly deciding to skip the All England lawn event entirely. Smart move. He shocked even himself, defeating Goran Ivanisevic in the finals and claiming his first major title. When his relationship with Nick soured, Andre turned to fellow American and pro Brad Gilbert to coach him and over the next couple of years he claimed two Grand Slam trophies and an Olympic gold medal. In 1993 he started dating Suddenly Susan star Brooke Shields and the two eventually married in California on April 19, 1997.

''I was playing a lot of golf, going out a lot, enjoying Brooke's world,'' says Andre. ''It was awesome...It was nice not to have the responsibility I've known since I was a child.'' However, the charms of Hollywood soon wore thin and the couple divorced amicably just ten days shy of their two-year wedding anniversary. ''Love is not enough for a marriage to work,'' he says.

Realising he missed playing competitive tennis, Andre started on a much-chronicled weight training programme and diet and began training with a purpose. With his 1999 win at the French Open he became the first man since Rod Laver in the Sixties to win all four grand slam events in his career and the only player besides German tennis star Steffi Graf to win all four plus an Olympic gold medal for singles.