Recalling its unique challenges and passionate fans, four-times champion Andre Agassi says he’s chuffed to be back at the Australian Open for the first time in eight years.

In Melbourne to promote his Jacob’s Creek series, Open officials are tipped to ask the American great to present the trophies after the men’s final on Sunday night.

Judging by his delight at being back at his most successful grand slam stomping ground, Agassi would no doubt consider that an honour.

“I’m really, really happy to be here. It feels great,” he said after arriving on Friday.

“I’m trying to take it all in. I’ve wanted to come down for so long.

“It’s the only place I haven’t revisited since my retirement and that’s mostly due to the balance of life and kids being in school and trying to figure out how I’m going to take a week away from my family when I don’t have to.

“But it was nice to have a reason to come down and pay my respects.”

Agassi said the gruelling conditions at the height of the Australian summer and the special fans that distinguished the so-called “Happy Slam” from the year’s other majors in Paris, London and New York.

“Australians are some of the great sports fans of anywhere in the world,” he said.

“The knowledge of the sport, the passion behind it – the melting pot – I mean, just the global nature of it.

“The section of the Swedish and the section of the Greeks … you’d look at the draw and immediately know you were going to see an entire section of painted faces.

“The intensity of the sporting fan is remarkable here.”

Agassi is famous for running up hills in Las Vegas on Christmas day in preparation for the Open.

“It can be oppressive, it can be ungodly hot and it’s the first one of the year and (yet) you’re just finishing a year,” he said.

“So it’s all about negotiating the hamster wheel of the tour. It rewards those that choose to be ready for it.”