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Open

by Andre Agassi

4.09 · rating details · 8,456 ratings · 2,000 reviews

From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography.

Agassi’s incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebe...moreFrom Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography.

Agassi’s incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return.

And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world’s best, his greater confusion as he starts to win. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.

Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals from several generations—Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer—Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals a shattering loss of confidence. And he recounts his spectacular resurrection, a comeback climaxing with his epic run at the 1999 French Open and his march to become the oldest man ever ranked number one.

In 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. Inspired by her quiet strength, he fights through crippling pain from a deteriorating spine to remain a dangerous opponent in the twenty-first and final year of his career. Entering his last tournament in 2006, he’s hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis, from nonconformist to elder statesman, from dropout to education advocate. And still he’s not done. At a U.S. Open for the ages, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of the most stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena.

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.(less)

Hardcover, 388 pages

Published November 9th 2009 by Knopf (first published January 1st 2009)

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Feb 13, 2011

Daniel Audet rated it

Finished "Open" last night. I realize I'm way late to the party, this book having come out in Nov. '09, but I'm not really a non-fiction book reader. I'm still very glad to have read this, Andre's story.
Why should I, or we, care? Why should anyone at all, tennis fan or not, care about Andre Agassi's life, let alone buy his book? Because this isn't just the "story" of a tennis player or just a story at all. Andres life covers a lot of real estate, both literally and fig...moreFinished "Open" last night. I realize I'm way late to the party, this book having come out in Nov. '09, but I'm not really a non-fiction book reader. I'm still very glad to have read this, Andre's story.
Why should I, or we, care? Why should anyone at all, tennis fan or not, care about Andre Agassi's life, let alone buy his book? Because this isn't just the "story" of a tennis player or just a story at all. Andres life covers a lot of real estate, both literally and figuratively. From Las Vegas to the great cities of the world. From obscure beginnings to dining and dancing and romancing with the world's rich and famous. A struggle played out in the most public of ways, laid on the big stage of life for all to see. Behind the classic court-side battles were more personal ones, deeper struggles, ones we all face. And at the end of the day, like Andre', we all hope to chalk up more wins than losses and to have left it all on the court, to not have been able to fight harder than we did. Such is this story. Certainly a reluctant and uncomfortable hero, but a hero none -the-less. Not bad, all from hitting a fuzzy neon colored ball.
Ok, now that we're past the obvious stuff let's get down to it.
I recall many times, watching Andre play on the tennis court, sometimes winning, sometimes losing. Most of the time it was clear he was giving his all, others, not so clear. Always cheering for him, no matter what, I look back on those memories wishing I knew then what I know now. If I had I would have been his biggest fan, bar none. In many ways, on a lot of levels, Andre became the poster boy of overcoming adversity, both physical and emotional, for many people around the world, including me. He himself may not have, we may not have, shared in the complete knowledge of this during his great career but instinctively I believe millions knew. I know I did. How else can you explain the love so many, some of whom weren't even really tennis fans, had for this kid, and still do?
No, this is so much more than a story of a tennis player. It's a true life tale of what it's all about and the bonus, the frosting on a very large cake, is that it has a happy ending. An ending that will go on for generations and never really end.
The good, the bad and the ugly. It's all here. Truthfully told by a reluctant superstar with the heart of a lion and the soul of a champion. I can't recommend this book enough. You will reflect on your own life, all the way back to the beginning. The wins, the losses, the highs and the lows in life are best faced full on, with focus, and being ready - to return serve. Hit harder!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
I started "Open" last night, not sure what to expect. Immediately I was struck by Andre's wit, intelligence and determination to put down his story in the clearest and most truthful terms. This book is much more than just another auto-bio from a celebrity athlete, though that certainly is a major element within it, but it's a razor sharp articulate full throttle story of one of the greatest athletes of our time, and, his fearless narration of life in his shoes. So far I am gripped, at 50 or so pages in, by Andre's brutal honesty and unflinching candor. It's almost as if he's looking at himself along with us as he speaks about his views and thoughts on his storied career and life, personally and professionally. His ability to recall detail of events from his entire 36 years, his career and his deepest thoughts is absolutely amazing!
If you, like me, have seen this book listed online or stood gazing at the startling cover photo on the book rack at the store and wondered if it would be worth buying, well, DON'T WONDER! I'm telling you it IS! Listen to me - I'm a hardcore action thriller fan, writer and reader. Rarely do I read non-fic, let alone auto-bio anything and I'm a hard sell when it comes to celeb's talking about themselves in any capacity since I myself grew up in pro sports and showbiz, in and around this type of individual. The first thing that'll hit you is his intelligence level and transparent, honest sense of himself, a very rare combo for an athlete or celebrity of his caliber. Yet, there is also an innocent unawareness of himself Andre doesn't see when he looks in the mirror that will make your heart break for him and scream your head off cheering for him, just like we did when he was playing. You'll see parts of yourself in him, and parts of him in you, and it'll kick your ass.
Stay tuned Agassi fans, more soon about this riveting book!

(less)

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Dec 26, 2009

Elizabeth rated it

Recommends it for: Andy

My old editor always said that I should try to write like anyone, it should be J.R. Moehringer. So when this book came out--even though I'm a sub-par tennis player--I was excited. The second piece of information that made me want to read this book was Jara's review: "After finishing this I appreciate Agassi more as a human than a tennis player." That got me really curious.

A couple things that stood out to me after reading this: Agassi loses--a lot. Over and over and over. ...more

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Nov 20, 2011

Adi rated it

This book kept me awake at night. I felt compelled to finish it in 2 days ("straight sets" maybe? - not my fault for the metaphor).
I might as well add that I was surprised to find out that Agassi fundamentally hates tennis and that he was an underachiever - he could have done (much) better. The way his father forced him to train as a little boy and the life he led as a tennis pro were also very interesting to know.

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Feb 02, 2012

Anurag Kesarwani rated it

When i picked up this book the name OPEN suggested Andre will discuss about his prolong tennis career, his rivalry with Pete Sampras and many nail biting matches at the 4 grand slams or the OPENS, but from the first page till the end it was more about Agassi's fight with his inner self, his projection to the outer world and how wins through life after numerous failures. The title OPEN actually signifies how with course of time Andre puts his inner feeling out in the open with his near and dear o...more

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Jul 22, 2011

Heather rated it

First of all, let me say I am not a tennis fan. At all. I don't know the terminology, and I have no idea what the rules are. However, I quite liked this book and genuinely didn't mind all the tennis stuff.

For the first half of the book I sort of thought that Andre sounded like such a "guy." But not in a good way if you know what I'm saying. But man, he won me over by the end! Now he seems like a little softie to me and I'm slightly obsessed with googling him. He seems like a...more

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Sep 22, 2010

Jegan rated it

This is one is surely for all those skeptics who had that doubt on whether he deserved this esteem and the Honey Steffi graff :)

The Autobiography which I longed to read and Im Happy that my wallet was Open for Open.

The moment I started this , I went straight to the days were I used to bunk classes, skip food, Hold my bowels, prorogue almost anything Just to witness the charm this guy was evincing on the court.

The expectation rose within me as I tried to stop e...more

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Sep 21, 2010

Ed rated it

Shelves: 3-stars, 2010, memoir, non-fiction, read-in-hardcover, new-author-to-me, tennis

I have a checkered past with Andre Agassi. Having been a fan of pro-tennis since I was a kid, I was intrigued with Agassi when he debuted on the tour (I'll even admit to owning a pair of those denim shorts), but somewhere along the way something went astray and it took to the last couple of years of his career for me to re-warm up to him. Contributing to that personal opinion decline was observing him "behind the scenes" when I dabbled as a tennis writer/photographer for in the mid-/...moreI have a checkered past with Andre Agassi. Having been a fan of pro-tennis since I was a kid, I was intrigued with Agassi when he debuted on the tour (I'll even admit to owning a pair of those denim shorts), but somewhere along the way something went astray and it took to the last couple of years of his career for me to re-warm up to him. Contributing to that personal opinion decline was observing him "behind the scenes" when I dabbled as a tennis writer/photographer for in the mid-/late-1990s, which now we know was among his most troubled personal and professional times.

So while I went into this book with a somewhat rehab'd personal opinion of Agassi, by the end of it I found most of my warm and fuzzy feelings about him had come undone (and sadly even wife Steffi Graf also suffers some collateral damage). While I now better understand some of the reasons why Agassi was such a troubled soul, after getting out under the thumb of his father and banking tens of millions the "I hate tennis" mantra gets a bit insincere. During his press tour for this book, I sensed Agassi had somewhat of an epiphany about his life, but I really did not find it in these pages.

He said he wrote this book for his children and also speaks of "The Code of Respect" that each student of his charter school in Vegas commits to memory. But again, after reading page after page of Agassi calling linespeople some very nasty things, consistently petty and often mean-spirited stories about his fellow players, and gleefully courting (ha!) Steffi Graf one month after separating (not yet divorced) from first wife Brooke Shields... and not expressing much, if any, remorse or regret about his actions, other than blanket statements like "I made mistakes" or calling himself a contradiction, is all terribly convenient and left me a bit cold.

Agassi is indeed "open" in this book (though I would argue he does so in a selective manner), and while I can respect his on-court accomplishments and certainly his charitable contributions, in the end I did not find him to be a terribly like-able person. As far as separating the book from the man (is that possible?), while I raced through the book I still have yet to find a tennis memoir that successfully can recount a tennis match (something I struggled with during my years of tennis journalism). I also had high hopes for a more literary quality to it as it was ghostwritten by Pulitzer Prize winner J.R. Moehringer, whose own memoir, The Tender Bar, I so enjoyed but while a step up from some, it is still a fairly straight-up/standard tennis "autobiography."

I know folks are finding this memoir quite inspirational, revelatory, honest, but going into this knowing Agassi's story too well and from many different angles/perspectives, I had to take much of this book with the proverbial grain of salt.(less)

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Jan 22, 2010

Tricia rated it

From the very beginning this book feels like it is honest and open. Sometimes I thought "uh-oh, not sure he should say that". But he did, and I never felt like he was holding back on his true feelings.

Andre seems to have been searching for who he was most of his life. I was happy to see that he was able to find himself and be happy with his life and all the pain, sorrows, heartaches, and the joys, triumphs and love that came with it.

My favorite story is when Ste...more

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May 17, 2010

Polly rated it

I always liked Agassi and this book did not disappoint me. It's interesting to read the back story of some of his greatest wins and losses. I never knew that he wore a rug! I remember watching his last U S Open final against Federer and cheering for him, thinking he might actually do it. I was at Wimbledon and saw his last victory there. And I was at the open when he lost his last match, but over on Louis Armstrong as we all followed the score of his match on Arthur Ashe. It was a fun read.

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Nov 14, 2010

ML rated it

· review of another edition

Choosing JR Moehringer to write his autobiography was Agassi's genius stroke. This is not a 'comfortable' book to read. Agassi's pain and sense of isolation, whether on the court or in his personal life, is constant. Others have recorded their childhood of involuntary servitude to a parents' obsession, but this is the best-written.

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Jul 15, 2010

Edmund Davis-Quinn rated it

Currently reading this. Seems very well written so far. Been an Agassi fan for a long time.

Finished half the book until 3:30am last night -- outstanding biography -- learned a lot about a boy who was forced to become a tennis prodigy, who hated tennis even when he became the best player in the world.

Really well written and enjoyable book.

Ed

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Jul 15, 2010

Danica rated it

It was hard to put this one down. It was well written and a very easy read. Andre Agassi has led a very interesting life.

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Mar 13, 2010

Leigh rated it

reading (or actually listening to) Open was hard work and sometimes I had to take a deep breath before I dug in again. Agassi's story is complicated and frequently painful. It drained my energy to learn about his excruciating relationship with his father, the tremendous physical effort required to be a top tennis star, and the ups and downs of his career and life. But in the end Open was a rewarding and memorable book. and please be sure also to read The Tender Bar: A Memoir, by Agassi's co-...more

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Aug 06, 2011

Jack added it

Shelves: biographies

This is a very engaging account of Agassi's life. Agassi writes of his love-hate relationship with tennis, starting with his high pressured childhood with his father pushing him towards tennis success, through his rebellious life on the tennis tour, and ultimately emotional maturity. The book is filled with rich characters, such as Gil, Agassi's physical trainer, closest friend, and surrogate father, and Brad Gilbert, Agassi's no-nonsense coach. Agassi does seem to be very emotionally open and s...more

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Jan 23, 2012

Julia rated it

Sports autobiographies tend to follow a set pattern. The author rehashes the highlights of their career, maybe talks briefly about a crisis of confidence or a clash with the coach, gets a few teammates to chip in and reassure us that the writer was a terrific person. Open is completely different. It's a superb autobiography in its own right, let alone within the sports genre. Agassi exposes himself with raw candour and doesn't always come across well. He is frank about his flaws, his tantru...more

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Jan 12, 2012

Malik rated it

http://mrlarsensbalancewiki.wikispaces.c...

He was born in Las Vagas in 1970. His parents were Elizabeth and Emmanuel Agassi his father was an olympic boxer from Iran. His father's real last name was Aghassian, but he changed it when he moved to the U.S. His father really wanted him to play tennis when he was young. Nearly his entire childhood revolved around tennis. When he was in pre-school he would hit tennis balls in his backyard for hours each day. His father would feed him caffina...more

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Dec 11, 2011

Pwilczewski rated it

Great book! I already knew he had a pretty colorful career but I never realized how low he sank at certain points. I didn't like the first 50 pages (his childhood) but as Andre matures so does his writing. In the second half I couldn't put the book down!

A large part of the book focuses on Andre's self-discovery. Often this is mistaken by others as rebellion. He goes through phases with mullets, pony tails, a shaved head, pink shorts, denim short shorts, earings and drugs. Sometimes I...moreGreat book! I already knew he had a pretty colorful career but I never realized how low he sank at certain points. I didn't like the first 50 pages (his childhood) but as Andre matures so does his writing. In the second half I couldn't put the book down!

A large part of the book focuses on Andre's self-discovery. Often this is mistaken by others as rebellion. He goes through phases with mullets, pony tails, a shaved head, pink shorts, denim short shorts, earings and drugs. Sometimes I wondered whether I was reading about Andre or Britney Spears. In his early career he was a perfectionist, playing every point as if his self worth depended on it. This resulted in him losing lots of tournaments in early rounds against inferior opponents. But his coach taught him that he doesn't need to be perfect just one step better than his opponent. True in sports, true in business, true in life. Once he learned this his career took off. As Obama loves to say, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Andre certainly made a lot of mistakes in his life, but he learned from them. His relationship with Brooke Shields was a big one. They fell in love early in their respective careers. But once their careers started advancing they quickly became incompatible. Yet as a result of the relationship Andre learned a lot about himself. If he stayed he would have hated tennis forever, he would have never completed a career slam and he might have never founded his school. Breaking up with Brooke freed his mental energy to concentrate on what was important - at least after he quit doing crystal meth. It also freed him to start seeing Steffi Graf, although it took some convincing for her to end her 6 year relationship.

Great stories throughout, all united by tennis. Definitely one of the loneliest of sports - you can't even talk to your coach during the whole match! The game is so interwoven with Andre's life that at times its difficult to tell whether he's talking about tennis or life.(less)

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Dec 02, 2011

Riley Flower rated it

Shelves: humanities-8-q2

Andre Kirk Agassi was a professional tennis player born in Las Vegas. His father was Mike Agassi. Mike was a tennis fanatic and forced the sport upon Andre as a child, causing him to develop a hate for it. Andre’s mother was Elizabeth Agassi. She was a very laid back person that usually spent time working on puzzles in the house. His father then sent him to Bolliteri Academy, a private tennis school in Florida. This allowed for Andre to go pro and end up winning the Australian Open in 1995, 2...more

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Nov 19, 2011

Courtney rated it

Autobiographies are tricky because the good ones a) tell the truth, b) that truth is interesting to an audience and c) it is conveyed so to keep the audience interested. That may seem like an obvious statement, but certain things—like ego, insincerity and make-believe—just don’t belong in the genre. Andre Agassi’s book “Open” is a good autobiography. It’s also an intriguing and shocking read. Relationships, racquets and crystal meth—Agassi lays it all on the table to tell the story of how te...moreAutobiographies are tricky because the good ones a) tell the truth, b) that truth is interesting to an audience and c) it is conveyed so to keep the audience interested. That may seem like an obvious statement, but certain things—like ego, insincerity and make-believe—just don’t belong in the genre. Andre Agassi’s book “Open” is a good autobiography. It’s also an intriguing and shocking read. Relationships, racquets and crystal meth—Agassi lays it all on the table to tell the story of how tennis both shaped who he became and prevented him from discovering himself.

The man’s name will go down in tennis history. Andre Agassi. He’s won all four major tournaments and an Olympic gold metal, and he played far past the retirement age of most tennis players, coming back from numerous slumps. He was the wild child player of the 80s. But very few knew that his career boiled down to two basic things: loneliness and hatred.

Agassi was born in Las Vegas and from the day he was able to hold a tennis racquet, he’s been holding a tennis racquet. But number one in the world was his father’s dream for him. In chapter one, we’re introduced to the Andre pictured on the back cover—seven years old and spending hours on the back yard tennis court hitting balls fired by the ball machine he calls “The Dragon.” He learned tennis was more important to the people around him than school, a realization that would later propel him to found and fund a school that encouraged learning of all kinds.

Throughout his book, Agassi refers back to tennis as the loneliest sport. He says tennis is the only sport where you don’t have physical or even vocal contact with your opponent or with your “team.” You have only yourself in a box on a court and no one else comes in that box. He confesses how much he hates playing and the constant struggle between wanting it to be completely over and not being able to let go. His portraits of the Andres across the years are sincere and unsettling as he allows the reader to discover the boy caught in a world of fame and mind games. He relives his relationship with Brooke Shields and his nearly life-long crush on Stephanie Graf, who he would eventually marry. Agassi has said it wouldn’t be worth writing “Open” if he wasn’t going to be unabashedly open about his life. And he is, especially concerning his most important friendships and the lowest points of his life.

“Open” is a collaboration between Agassi and J.R. Moehringer, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, though Agassi’s name is alone on the cover. Together, they create a simple, striking style. There are no quotation marks and when there’s no need to describe the logistics of getting from one place to another, there’s no description. The writing, like Agassi’s tennis and his personality, is graceful and strong.

A solid ace.(less)

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Sep 22, 2011

Tyson Strauser rated it

Shelves: behavioral, leisure, process

Andre Agassi's book is exactly as titled: Open.

The first person narrative takes us deep into the mind of one of tennis's greatest athletes. Andre's love for life and hate for tennis set the tone for this story of elated highs and depressing lows, in life, in love and in sport.

What I like best about the book is Andre's process for handling pressure. He describes something we have all felt in both personal, professional and athletic situations, the pressure of anxiety on ...more

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Sep 20, 2011

Antoaneta Mitrusheva rated it

· review of another edition

Не очаквах тази книга да ми хареса - нито имам отношение към тениса, нито особени очаквания към писателските възможности на спортистите. Колко само съм се заблудила. Книгата е чудесна, просто чудесна. Една наистина добре написана и вълнуваща история. Искрена, силна и завладяваща. Впечатлена съм от личността на Агаси. Но не е само това - тази книга ме накара да се замисля как често предполагаме, че истинският талант е достатъчен, за да изведе притежателя му в светлината на прожекторите. Не се зам...more

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Sep 12, 2011

Erin rated it

i love a memoir but there are so many that are mediocre - however, this one was definitely worth the read. the title is perfect - referencing both the grand slams that tennis players strive to win and the tone of the book. for someone who self-admittedly spent most of his life and career being closed, hiding behind the lie that he loved tennis and trying to find himself, this book comes across as the raw truth. and not surprisingly, the tidbits that the press clung to during the press tour wh...more

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Aug 10, 2011

Melanie rated it

It's not often I finish reading a book and feel compelled to give it a standing ovation, but if any book deserves it, this one does. I am not a huge tennis fan, and although I knew of Andre Agassi, I didn't follow his career. Reading his story, however, I was glued to each page, feeling the importance of every victory and defeat with him, understanding what drives him and what deflates him, and getting to know him as an athlete, boy/man, husband, son and father. This book is well-written, raw, f...more

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Jul 26, 2011

King rated it

Reads like a novel. And better than some novels I've read I might add(*cough cough Nicholas Sparks cough cough*).

I was turned to this book after seeing it on my friend's twitter feed. I don't know why I hadn't read it before considering tennis has become a recent passion of mine. I was also hoping to garner some inspiration from it. I have been (and still am) struggling with my serve, and I had hoped that it would shed some light on the emotional and mental aspects of the game. As a co...more

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Jul 17, 2011

Brian LaCarrubba rated it

Having been an Agassi fan from the beginning of his career and following his every move closely, I really enjoyed reading his autobiography, which filled in so many pieces about how things unfolded the way that they did for him. Everything from understanding the story behind the "Image is Everything" adds to how he rose from underachiever, to nearly out of the game to one of the all-time greats was explained with brutal honesty. If anyone reading this book doesn't yet get that the spor...more

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Jul 07, 2011

Jennifer rated it

Just finished this book in three days while on vacation in Iowa. I don't think I've ever read a sports memoir before, but I was listening to an economics podcast that said this was the best sports memoir out there. That intrigued me, so I picked it up. While carrying it through the airport, I had a man stop me and tell me what an outstanding book it was. I have to say I agree.

I was quite the tennis fan growing up and into my 20s, so I remember Agassi's career fairly well. I found...more

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Jul 06, 2011

Audrey rated it

I savored this book! I don't want to give anything away, so instead I will recommend this to anyone with an interest in tennis (Andre provides a lot of play-by-play descriptions which can leave your chair with grip marks) and autobiographies that are down-to-earth and, well, yes very open.

The book begins with Andre's tough,regimented upbringing involving his father who was determined to make a pro out of the kid. It therafter follows Andre through his crazy teen years at the Boleter...more

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Jun 28, 2011

Linda rated it

The best autobiography I've ever read.

Andre starts with a match of his life, where he battles both his opponent and the inner voice that one minute goes: "I wanna finish this" and the other minute: "I'm not ready yet". If he looses the match it will be the last match of his career.

A monstrous match that shifts into Agassi looking back, starting to tell the story of his life.

If you're a tennis lover, you'll probably love the book for it's ...more

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May 26, 2011

Katie rated it

Shelves: memoir

What an interesting life of Andre Agassi. He opens himself up and really lets loose in his memoir. I had no idea that he dropped out of school in 9th grade so that he was solely focused on tennis, had no idea that his father was crazy and that he had to hit 1000 balls a day when he was younger. No wonder he made it to the top! Too bad he HATES tennis... but does he really hate it? At the end I felt like he had changed a bit about it. He was choosing whether he played or not and that made all the...more

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May 04, 2011

Michael rated it

Shelves: memoir-bio

I can enjoy watching a good tennis match, but honestly the sport isn't even on my radar. Agassi has been a compelling figure for my entire adult life, and the buzz about this book (and an NPR interview) piqued my interest.

It delivers... so well, in fact, that in short order if you know nothing else about Agassi, you know that he did not write this book. That's fine; it still struck me as personal and sincere.

The accounts of his childhood and his formative years are the most interesting. Amazing,...more

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About Andre Agassi

Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former World No. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game.

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Quotes from Open

“It's no accident, I think, that tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature. Even the structure of tennis, the way the pieces fit inside one another like Russian nesting dolls, mimics the structure of our days. Points become games become sets become tournaments, and it's all so tightly connected that any point can become the turning point. It reminds me of the way seconds become minutes become hours, and any hour can be our finest. Or darkest. It's our choice.” — 10 people liked it

“Only boxers can understand the loneliness of tennis players - and yet boxers have their corner men and managers. Even a boxer's opponent provides a kind of companionship, someone he can grapple with and grunt at. In tennis you stand face-to-face with the enemy, trade blows with him, but never touch him or talk to him, or anyone else. The rules forbid a tennis player from even talking to his coach while on the court. People sometimes mention the track-and-field runner as a comparably lonely figure, but I have to laugh. At least the runner can feel and smell his opponents. They're inches away. In tennis you're on an island. Of all the games men and women play, tennis is the closest to solitary confinement....” — 8 people liked it

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