He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the
most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court – but from early
childhood Andre Agassi hated the game.
Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of
balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant
pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict
that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography,
Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts.
Agassi makes us feel his panic as an undersized seven-year-old in Las
Vegas, practicing all day under the obsessive gaze of his violent father.
We see him at thirteen, banished to a Florida tennis camp. Lonely,
scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him
a 1980s icon. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises
to change tennis forever, as does his lightning fast return.
I
n clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the
people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
With its breakneck tempo and raw candor, Open will be read and cherished for years. A treat for
ardent fans, it will also captivate readers who know nothing about tennis. Like Agassi's game, it
sets a new standard for grace, style, speed and power.