Open

By Andre Agassi,

Book cover of Open: An Autobiography

Book description

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…

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Why read it?

5 authors picked Open as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

More than anything, I loved this book because Agassi was honest, detailed, and, well, uncensored.

I’m not a huge fan of tennis, so I was skeptical when I first started reading—but Agassi’s life and career are so fascinating that I eventually couldn’t put it down. This autobiography is different from any other I’ve ever read; Agassi opens up about issues that most athletes shy away from discussing, including his search for identity and peace amid a remarkable career.

I regard this as the best sports biography I have ever read.

Andre Agassi was both a rebel and a superbly talented multiple grand slam winner on the international tennis circuit. Open reveals graphically his perpetual love-hate relationship with tennis.

His story is both compelling and genuine, as well as a joy to read.

Agassi's story is one of perseverance and self-discovery, as he struggled with personal demons throughout his career, including depression, addiction, and tumultuous family life.

Despite these challenges, Agassi went on to become one of the most successful tennis players of all time, winning numerous Grand Slam titles and Olympic medals. In his book, he offers candid reflections on his life and career and provides insights into the mental and emotional challenges of being a top athlete.

Reading Open has personally inspired me to pursue my own athletic and business goals with greater determination and resilience, and I believe it is…

The only tennis biography to be a best-seller, this frank and often racy tale of Agassi’s troubled childhood and roller coaster career is far more honest and open (aka the title) than the usual sports hagiographies. He tells all about his over-ambitious father, who made him train in a rattle snake-infested desert; about his miserable years in a tennis boot camp; about his youthful fame and the sudden responsibility of having lots of money he didn’t know how to handle; of the time his false hairpiece fell off during a match;  his doomed marriage to film star Brooke Shields; and…

I think it’s fair to say that even those who are not familiar with the game of tennis recognize Andre Agassi, because he was such a media-gravitating force in his heyday. Not only did he excel in tennis itself, he married Brooke Shields. He wore that entrancing mullet of hair, which at some point became a secret hairpiece. Then there’s the time Andre played a match while high on crystal meth. And what about his legit crazy father, the guy who instilled the game of tennis so much in young Andre that as an older adult, he sometimes couldn’t tell…

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