Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

Started: 5/11/10
Finished: 5/16/10
Year: 2009
Pages: 388
Genre: Non fiction/autobiography
Grade: A
Reason for reading: birthday present from Evan
Blurb (from book jacket): "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, a life balanced precariously between self-destruction and perfectionism.
"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 that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade drop-out, 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 public relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. Alongside vivid protraits of rivals from several generations-Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer-Agassi gives unstinging accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals the depression that shatters his confidence, and the mistake that nearly costs him everything. Finally, 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 US Open for the ages, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of the mother stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena."
Opinion: I have watched this man since he became pro. My mother would say I've obsessed over him. This book confirmed a lot of thoughts I've had about him over the years. Nothing in it shocked me. I cried while reading about some of his Grand Slam wins-just like I did when I watched him win them. I cried at the end just like I did when he gave his farewell speech.