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Open: An Autobiography

by Andre Agassi

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 41,638 ratings · 3,964 reviews

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Far more than a superb memoir about the highest levels of professional tennis, Open is the engrossing story of a remarkable life.

Andre Agassi had his life mapped out for him before he left the crib. Groomed to be a tennis champion by his moody and demanding father, by the age of twenty-two Agassi had won the first of his eight grand slams and achieved ...more

Paperback , 400 pages

Published August 10th 2010 by Vintage (first published August 1st 1997)

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Dec 26, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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. Yes there are the few ...more

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JP Parenti I highly recommend The Tender Bar. More than a great book, I felt like I had a personal revival after reading it. I had the feeling of being understoo ...more
Feb 03, 2010 04:16PM

Jason I really enjoyed Open. It's obviously a pun on the tennis opens and it opens up a whole world of understanding about this top player's childhood, life ...more
Apr 09, 2014 04:47PM

Feb 13, 2011 Daniel Audet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 figuratively. From Las Vegas 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 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!

...more

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Sep 27, 2015 Jonathan Ashleigh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Open was too long but it was entertaining. It was sold as a tell-all but didn't feel as though he said anything groundbreaking besides that he was insecure about basically everything in his life. He only does drugs once and he was pressured into doing so, which is very different than what the media made this book out to be when it was released. Don't read this book if you think you are going to be blown away, but do read it if you love Andre and want to know more about him.

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Jul 10, 2012 Priyanshu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography , favorites

While browsing my next buy, I had stumbled upon this one a number of times, before I finally decided to buy and read it last week. Time and money well spent.
So, what is the book about? First, it is not a story of a flawless man or an impeccable athlete. It is one of a confused, rebellious and an ever evolving man in search of himself, who by the way, plays great tennis. Second, it is also not a blow-by-blow account of tennis matches. But, a diary of his love-hate relationship with tennis; where ...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Ed rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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-/late-1990s, 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-/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. ...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Adi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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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Dec 07, 2013 Araxie Altounian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am not into tennis at all, but read this book back to back with Lang Lang's memoires, "Journey of a Thousand Miles". Why? Here are the stories of two men whose childhoods were taken away from them by their ambitious fathers who wanted their children to become "Number One". How each one reacted to their fate was what interested me. Once rich an famous, both men have done so much for younger generations, one through his charter school, the other through his foundation. Very touching, indeed. I m ...more

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Dec 17, 2010 Candy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

It is hard to know what to say about this book. It is a strange book! It has a strange tone. It is a page-turner.
Why?
I'm not sure.

Agassi hates tennis. Agassi plays tennis long after his peers have retired even at the point where his body is barely holding on.
Agassi has an insane dad. So insane and high-strung and focused on his kids' tennis that it seems like it can't be true.
The media doesn't get Agassi. The media thinks he's a brash young a-hole. But he acts like a brash young a-hole. But h It is hard to know what to say about this book. It is a strange book! It has a strange tone. It is a page-turner.
Why?
I'm not sure.

Agassi hates tennis. Agassi plays tennis long after his peers have retired even at the point where his body is barely holding on.
Agassi has an insane dad. So insane and high-strung and focused on his kids' tennis that it seems like it can't be true.
The media doesn't get Agassi. The media thinks he's a brash young a-hole. But he acts like a brash young a-hole. But he's misunderstood by the media.
He sees Brooke Shields on a magazine cover. He marries Brooke Shields.
Following his separation from Brooke Shields, his friend predicts that he will marry and start a family with Steffi Graf within a few years. He does just that. And, of course, Steffi Graf's father is just as insane as Agassi's father. And did I mention, Steffi Graf hates tennis.

Thoughts regarding tennis:
being a great returner would be awesome. take away their serve. hit winners off their serve.
hit the ball earlier. step in.
you don't have to be perfect and play every point perfectly. sometimes trash players play BETTER against good shots and fumble when you start hitting them shit.
tennis players, even the professionals, crumble and crash and burn on certain days against certain players and do wonderfully in seemingly similar situations. you are never out of a match, even if down by one or two sets.
His final coach was all lined up to be Marat Safin's coach, but Agassi convinces him to become his coach intsead since Safin's "a loose cannon." Love it.
I never knew that tons of guys think/thought that Steffi Graf is hot. I think she may be a butterface to some, but a hot goddess to others; but no one will question that she has nice legs and great game.
Upon playing Federer for the first time Agassi knows that he will not be able to beat Federer; that Federer has a whole different level and no weaknesses (unlike Pete Sampras, who typically beats Agassi but has weaknesses, or so Agassi claims).
Upon playing Nadal he knows that he will not be able to beat Nadal. He has never seen anyone move that way on the tennis court.
Crazy how 'fast' time flies by. The guys who Agassi was playing close to his retirement are now the guys who dominated for years but are (said to be) on their way out. ...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Lorenzo Berardi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american , 2012

«Did you know that Agassi is an Iranian surname? It should be pronounced Agassì, with the stress on the last "i"».

No, I didn't know that when I was 12. But I kept that in mind, as you can read.
Now, the same fact that, back in 1994, my friend Amir (owner of an Iranian and final "i" stressed surname himself) told me something on Andre Agassi and I knew who that guy was means something.

One year before our teens, Amir and I were all but into tennis. Not that we didn't care about sports - football, b ...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites , awesome-narrative-non-fiction , from-fresh-air , recommended-non-fiction , favorite-book-read-each-year

(5.0) I want you to read this book

Oh my goodness, this was one of my favorite reading experiences ever. I'm not sure I can objectively explain it, but I laughed, I nearly cried, my palms sweated, I was just riveted (ask my wife). This memoir is so well written (Agassi gave effusive praise to J.R. Moehringer, who helped him record his history and transform it into this masterpiece, and I'm sure much of the credit must go to him) that I just couldn't handle it. It is such an emotional ride--perhap (5.0) I want you to read this book

Oh my goodness, this was one of my favorite reading experiences ever. I'm not sure I can objectively explain it, but I laughed, I nearly cried, my palms sweated, I was just riveted (ask my wife). This memoir is so well written (Agassi gave effusive praise to J.R. Moehringer, who helped him record his history and transform it into this masterpiece, and I'm sure much of the credit must go to him) that I just couldn't handle it. It is such an emotional ride--perhaps only 0.01% of what it's like to actually be a professional athlete--that every free moment I had I wanted to return to Andre-world.

I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud while reading this. The coincidences, the juxtapositions, the ironies, the cute courtships....There was humor in so many forms. It was all so sincere though. I guess that's what struck me the most. How open, honest and sincere the book feels. And given what he reveals in it, I have little reason to believe that anything is exaggerated, stretched or glossed over.

But it's just so well written. I never had to guess who he was referring to at any point. He made so many connections between points in his life, but they were effortless to recall and connect. I've just never been able to follow a narrative so effortlessly, feeling I was completely on top of everything going on, past and present. It was just such a pleasure to read, even aside from the actual events taking place.

One interesting typographical note: (at least in the ePUB version I read) There was no use of quotation marks to set off dialog. Without having read the book, I would've thought this was insanity and ridiculed anyone playing any sort of editorial role in the production...but it totally works. I can't explain it, but it probably comes back to how perfectly written the book is. ...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 good person, and he ...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Mircalla64 (free Liu Xiaobo) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

Open space

il tennis può essere uno sport
o anche una religione
un modo per fare soldi
o anche un modo per dimostrare qualcosa
quello che però il tennis non può essere mai è un motivo
una ragione per perdere la vita, l'identità e tutto quel che ci sarebbe dovuto per diritto di nascita: un Io

Agassi si fa aiutare da uno che la penna la sa usare davvero per raccontare la sua vita abusata
il suo successo amaro perchè mai cercato, un successo che significa una rinuncia al suo vero io
ogni vittoria lo allonta Open space

il tennis può essere uno sport
o anche una religione
un modo per fare soldi
o anche un modo per dimostrare qualcosa
quello che però il tennis non può essere mai è un motivo
una ragione per perdere la vita, l'identità e tutto quel che ci sarebbe dovuto per diritto di nascita: un Io

Agassi si fa aiutare da uno che la penna la sa usare davvero per raccontare la sua vita abusata
il suo successo amaro perchè mai cercato, un successo che significa una rinuncia al suo vero io
ogni vittoria lo allontana dalla consapevolezza...

questa è la storia di una crescita personale.
Un ragazzino sbandato diventa una star del tennis da un giorno all'altro e questo amplifica tutte le sue insicurezze, il passato si incunea nel presente e mina la possibilità di un futuro...le vittorie non bastano a dare sicurezza, se questa è condizionata alla perfezione, solo il duro lavoro su se stesso e la costante ricerca di appoggio da parte degli amici e dello staff possono dare un qualche risultato, e se perdere non è il peggiore dei destini allora forse si può anche vincere in scioltezza, con la sicurezza che è tutto quel che ci si merita e niente di più, è un cammino lungo una vita, ma alla fine anche il suo terribile padre cede al dolore di una vita spesa a ricorrere una perfezione impossibile...

è un bel libro e una storia avvincente
Agassi è stato un ragazzino tormentato e adesso è un uomo in pace, ci ha messo una vita, ma deve esserne valsa la pena, se adesso lui può guardare con serenità alla sua carriera e alla sua vita e passare a chi legge tutta la fatica che c'è dietro una crescita personale... ...more

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Feb 05, 2010 Gus Sanchez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bios-and-memoirs , sports

Among Andre Agassi's impressive accomplishments - 8-time Grand Slam winner, Olympic Gold medalist, nearly 800 career wins - we can now add "author" to his list of accomplishments. It's his words, every single one of them in this book, and Agassi demonstrates a true gift for prose and pace. He even marvels at his ability to write a memoir; for someone who pretty much flunked out of school to pursue tennis, Agassi grew into a vocal and tireless advocate for education, a voracious reader, and now, Among Andre Agassi's impressive accomplishments - 8-time Grand Slam winner, Olympic Gold medalist, nearly 800 career wins - we can now add "author" to his list of accomplishments. It's his words, every single one of them in this book, and Agassi demonstrates a true gift for prose and pace. He even marvels at his ability to write a memoir; for someone who pretty much flunked out of school to pursue tennis, Agassi grew into a vocal and tireless advocate for education, a voracious reader, and now, the author of a best-selling memoir.

"Open" refers not just to the Grand Slam titles he's won, but to his desire to open up about his life and his experiences on and off the tennis court. In clear, intelligent prose, Agassi reveals how he grew to despise tennis, even as it brought him fame and fortune; essentially bullied and browbeaten by his demanding father to succeed at the game, tennis became a prison for Agassi, even as grew into becoming one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. In a breath-taking prologue, Agassi takes us inside his mind, deep into his thoughts, during his final run at the 2006 US Open, furiously coaxing his worn-out body into one more match. He takes into the solitary confinement every tennis player endures; in his words, Agassi reveals how tennis is truly a one-on-one sport, and players have no one on the court to turn to but themselves. It's the solitary confinement that wreaks havoc on a player, and throughout his career, Agassi struggled with tempering his inner demons, his doubts and his self-loathing. Yet when he's achieved more than anyone could ever expect, Agassi lets us in on the elation and triumph, however fleeting those triumphs were.

In the end, he realizes his life is more than just tennis, and that struggle he mentally endured was his search for a deeper spiritual meaning. We revel in his joy at the end of the memoir, as he relates the simple joys of marriage (to another tennis legend, Steffi Graf) and of fatherhood. He's come full-circle.

Open regales us with stories about his experiences with friends and rivals alike; he speaks more than fondly of the guidance and wisdom provided to him by his trainer Gil Reyes and his coach Brad Gilbert. Agassi's rivalry with Pete Sampras is discussed in detail, with amusing anecdotes peppered along the way - Sampras is astonishingly dull, and a colossal cheapskate, to boot. Other interesting anecdotes: Boris Becker is a major asshole, John McEnroe is less of an asshole than people think, and, most interestingly, Agassi's biggest concern during his early playing days was his thinning hair, which he compensated by donning a wig pinned down with one of his signature headbands. It's a compelling revelation, one that serves to break apart many of the misconceptions people have had regarding Andre Agassi. That "Image is Everything" ad campaign was something Agassi tentatively and reluctantly went along with. His "image," so to speak, was born out of anger and rebellion against tennis itself, and not because of some "bad boy" image Agassi needed to uphold.

Much has been made about his revelation that he briefly became hooked on crystal meth; Agassi doesn't gloss much about it, except that his brief addiction was the result of the combination of a lengthy string of failures on the court, and a failing marriage to actress/model Brooke Shields (Agassi acknowledges he and Brooke were probably doomed to fall apart as a married couple, but he speaks of her kindly). He knew the consequences, and nearly paid the price; when a random drug test reveals meth in his system, Agassi reveals how he concocted an alibi for his use, which the ATP accepted without punishment. For Agassi, this wake-up call, this second chance, was his new beginning, and what followed was a decade of excellence in the men's tour.

Most refreshingly, Agassi is blunt about himself and the game of tennis. He doesn't hold back his assessments of himself, the mistakes he made, the choices he should have made. His candor, combined with his gift for prose, makes Open one of the best memoirs around, in a market filled with memoirs and tell-alls. ...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Paola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biografie

Non é che propriamente l'ho letto, no, l'ho divorato, e manco ho fatto indigestione. Scrive bene il ghost writer che non é nemmeno tanto ghost, alla fine del libro c'é il nome e cognome e tanti ringraziamenti dell'Agassi, e non é uno da niente ma uno che ha vinto il Pulitzer... e quindi.

Per chi ama il tennis é una droga sto libro.

L'enfant terrible du tennis raccontato da lui stesso medesimo.

Si certo, certo, é una storia molto americana, il farsi da sé, l'ascesa, la caduta e la risalita, storia d Non é che propriamente l'ho letto, no, l'ho divorato, e manco ho fatto indigestione. Scrive bene il ghost writer che non é nemmeno tanto ghost, alla fine del libro c'é il nome e cognome e tanti ringraziamenti dell'Agassi, e non é uno da niente ma uno che ha vinto il Pulitzer... e quindi.

Per chi ama il tennis é una droga sto libro.

L'enfant terrible du tennis raccontato da lui stesso medesimo.

Si certo, certo, é una storia molto americana, il farsi da sé, l'ascesa, la caduta e la risalita, storia di peccato e di redenzione.
Per una come me che l'unico sport che ama é il tennis avendolo praticato anche per un po' (e i miei inizi sono stati una battaglia semiquotidiana con un muro verde con una linea bianca che imitava la rete, e batti e ribatti e batti e ribatti, finché il gerente del tennis club dal rumore della battuta, decise che ero pronta per entrare in un campo vero e provare a fare qualche tiro con dei clienti che non avevano lo sparring partner, magari con il vecchietto che non si muoveva di un centimento mentre io facevo i km con la lingua a penzoloni a rincorrere palle impossibili...) questo libro é una goduria, perché si "sbircia" il dietro le quinte di questi grandi campioni. Poco me ne frega del parrucchino o dell'uso di metanfetamine, o della Brooke e della Steffi, ma i dettagli di una partita, delle grandi partite viste con gli occhi di chi le ha giocate, i giudizi a volte impietosi del rivale, e poi quello che più mi ha colpito é la volontà (masochistica) che ti fa andare avanti a giocare malgrado la tua schiena ululi dal male,
(e mi sono anche riconosciuta nella sua camminata con le punte dei piedi girate all'interno (faccenda per la quale mio marito mi dice ancora adesso dopo una vita passata assieme: "raddrizza quei piedi!") perché anche la mia di schiena fa pietà essendo congenitamente difettata avendo la prima sacrale "anarchica" la quale é diventata una sesta lombare, a quanto pare da vecchietta non rimpicciolirò così tanto, e pure io dormo sul duro e a volte "rotolo" fuori dal letto e a tirarmi in posizione eretta c'é solo la mia forza di volontà, gemiti e santioni, come direbbe Camilleri, in diverse lingue, e dopo 30anni di maltrattamento la mia schiena a volte ulula quando la stresso, ma io la stresso lo stesso altrimenti non potrei lavorare o vivere, non ho mai fatto però iniezioni di cortisone con l'ago di 18 cm direttamente in situ, però ho da iniziare a far lavorare gli addominali se voglio avere meno dolore) malgrado ci siano 40 gradi all'ombra e molli la racchetta e corri per vomitare in una fioriera, malgrado sai che perderai da uno che nemmeno ti arriva ai calzini, malgrado tu odi giocare a tennis da quando avevi 4 anni ma... dio bono! é quello che sai fare meglio di tanti e non solo, per qualcosa come due anni sei stato il Migliore Giocatore al Mondo, faccenda per la quale é di fondamentale importanza capire che te ne devi assumere la responsabilità e prima lo capisci meglio é. Ma si sa che é molto più facile assumersi la responsabilità di ciò che si sbaglia che assumersi la responsabilità di quello che sai fare bene. (e il perché sia così non lo dico ahahahahahah!)
Ci ha messo un po' l'Agassi a capirlo, ci ha lottato contro con tutte le sue forze, qui e là sarei entrata nel libro e lo avrei preso a calci in culo da qui a Timbuctu, ma alla fine e ringraziando gli dei lo ha fatto. Con i risultati che conosciamo.
Grazie a te mio caro Agassi per le grandi partite e le emozioni che mi hai regalato giocando match impossibili e incredibili, per aver fatto scrivere la storia della tua vita, e non da ultimo trovo cosa buona e giusta la costruzione della tua Academy, uno dei modi migliori per spendere un po' dei tuoi milioni e di farli spendere ai tuoi più o meno amici ricconi .
...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Anurag Kesarwani rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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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Mar 10, 2015 Dianais rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

I cannot believe it that I liked this autobiography so much, given that I am not a tennis fan. This is really good stuff! :)

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Nov 15, 2014 Andreas Ernst rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: test-book-shelf

The book provides a lot of visibility into Agassi's life. His love-hate relationship with tennis, his upbringing, his ups and downs in life, his relationship with Steffi Graf and his confession on taking performance enhancing drugs! All in all a great, fascinating and entertaining read!

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Nov 02, 2014 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bildungsroman , memoir , non-fiction

I'm not one to read sports memoirs, but wow, did this one blow me away. My fellow Goodreaders really spoke highly of this book, and it's ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer, who wrote another book that I loved, so I thought it was about time I give this a whirl. Because I don't watch a lot of tennis, the actual parts of the matches, which is probably about 50% of the book, was mostly boring to me. Some of the matches were more tense than others and I did feel that edge-of-your-seat tension that only ...more

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May 12, 2015 Milkiways rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

I would be lying if I went for it because I was interested in Andre Agassi or his life. I think you know about whom I was curious. Yup! It's Steffi Graph... There wasn't much about her though (apparently she is very private and Agassi respected that so no complaints there) Even though, I wasn't interested in him or his life by the end of the book all I could say is there wasn't a single word where I hadn't felt anything for this great man. If I had to say one book that I have ever read not with ...more

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Sep 04, 2015 Kelanth, numquam risit ubi dracones vivunt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sport , autobiografie

Non avevo mai letto un libro che era un'autobiografia di uno sportivo. Non che ci fosse un motivo particolare, forse, inconsciamente pensavo che uno sportivo non aveva una storia interessante da raccontare, che l'uomo dietro l'atleta aveva poco da dire, probabilmente credevo che uno sciolinare continuo di risultati sportivi mi avrebbe tediato, annoiato a morte.

Open è l'autobiografia di Andre Agassi, pubblicata nel 2011 da Einaudi nella collana "Stile Libero". Alla stesura ha contribuito in modo Non avevo mai letto un libro che era un'autobiografia di uno sportivo. Non che ci fosse un motivo particolare, forse, inconsciamente pensavo che uno sportivo non aveva una storia interessante da raccontare, che l'uomo dietro l'atleta aveva poco da dire, probabilmente credevo che uno sciolinare continuo di risultati sportivi mi avrebbe tediato, annoiato a morte.

Open è l'autobiografia di Andre Agassi, pubblicata nel 2011 da Einaudi nella collana "Stile Libero". Alla stesura ha contribuito in modo sostanziale J. R. Moehringer, giornalista premio Pulitzer. Costretto ad allenarsi fin da quando aveva quattro anni da un padre dispotico ma determinato a farne un campione a qualunque costo, Andre Agassi cresce con un sentimento fortissimo: l'odio smisurato per il tennis. Contemporaneamente però prende piede in lui anche la consapevolezza di possedere un talento eccezionale. Ed è proprio in bilico tra una pulsione verso l'autodistruzione e la ricerca della perfezione che si svolgerà la sua carriera sportiva. Con i capelli ossigenati, l'orecchino e una tenuta più da musicista punk che da tennista, Agassi ha sconvolto l'austero mondo del tennis, raggiungendo una serie di successi mai vista prima.

Il libro è stato inserito da Alessandro Baricco tra le cinquanta migliori letture degli ultimi dieci anni, e Baricco non è il primo che passa per strada.

Quando ho cominciato a leggere la storia di Agassi, dietro consiglio del mio maestro di tennis, è stata una sensazione come quando alzi la pallina per aria e stai per battere un servizio, non sai veramente dove ti può portare quel colpo, se sarà "in" o "out", se il tuo avversario la respingerà restituendola con forza decuplicata, oppure se sarà un "ace"... decisamente questa lettura è stata un "ace" spettacolare.

Mentre le ore passano, i giorni pure, e le pagine scorrono fino all'ultima, ti rendi conto improvvisamente che sei arrivato a leggere i ringraziamenti, li leggi due volte e ti accorgi che stai cercando di non finirlo, non vuoi che finisca, non posso averlo finito, no. Ed è allora che t'invade la malinconia che si prova "la domenica sera dopo un fine settimana idilliaco.". Bello, bellissimo, una storia scritta bene e coinvolgente e piena, spessa. Assolutamente ironico e al tempo stesso profondo... ammetto che in certi passaggi mi ha commosso.

Una vita intensa, spettacolare, costellata di amori, successi, tremende cadute e... rinascite. Un testo che si può leggere anche interattivamente: su YouTube sono presenti, in tutto o in parte, tutti gli incontri più importanti descritti nel libro.

Un libro che cattura ed avvince al pari di un thriller ben scritto. Lo consiglio assolutamente anche ai non amanti del tennis e ringrazio profondamente il mio maestro che mi ha consigliato di leggerlo. ...more

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Jun 18, 2014 Pasatoiu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When you see a book titled "Open" with Andre Agassi's face on the cover, you could only imagine this will be just a story about his career and his memorable matches against Pete Sampras, Boris Becker or Michael Chang. But this book is more than that. As its title might suggest, Agassi opens his heart and mind in front of the reader, who will discover a troubled man that tries to find his path in life. Forced by his father to sacrifice his childhood so that he can practice tennis all the time, th When you see a book titled "Open" with Andre Agassi's face on the cover, you could only imagine this will be just a story about his career and his memorable matches against Pete Sampras, Boris Becker or Michael Chang. But this book is more than that. As its title might suggest, Agassi opens his heart and mind in front of the reader, who will discover a troubled man that tries to find his path in life. Forced by his father to sacrifice his childhood so that he can practice tennis all the time, the young Andre ends up living in a love-hate relationship with the sport that made him famous. His statement of "I hate tennis" is encountered throughout all the book, attended by the attempts of his friends or lovers to make him see that he does not truly believe it. Having his father taking all the decisions in his name and setting up his entire life, Andre tries to find a glimpse of freedom in breaking some unwritten rules of tennis. He starts to play in improper outfits (jeans or weirdly colored shirts), to wear an ear ring or have a long-hair rebel look. The fans like it but they don't really understand his motivation. They can't see that he doesn't do it for fame, he just feels that these decisions are the only type of freedom he is permitted to have. Because he shows in the court why he is one of the most talented men of his generation, his father and his coach Nick Bollettieri have to accept his behavior. As the story goes on, Andre talks not only about the sacrifices a professional tennis player has to make or about his rivalry with Sampras , but also about his relations with Barbra Streisand, Brooke Shields or Steffi Graff or about his friendship with his trainer Gil Reyes or coach Brad Gilbert. When the book is finished you end up with the feeling that he could have achieved so much more in his incredible career, but his greatest rival was not the one placed on the other half of the tennis court, but rather it lied inside of him. It was the perfect example of the idea that sometimes it might be very hard to get to be on top, but it is even harder to maintain yourself there once you've reached the peak. It might be painful to train, but what is really hard is to find the right motivation and willpower to get past the tough moments. And that it is almost impossible not to overestimate yourself or underestimate your opponent in certain situations.

I liked the tennis player Andre Agassi long before I read this book. But what's great about it is that the book is not dedicated only to tennis fans. It is written with honesty and clarity by a man that looks back on his life and on the decisions he had to made. Simple, clear, truthful, it's a confession about winning and losing, about finding yourself and about discovering when to change and how to continue despite of everything that lies against you. Without doubt, one of the best autobiographies of a sportsman i have ever read. ...more

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Nov 12, 2013 Malin Friess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Andre Agassi despite winning 8 grand slams, playing in over 1000 professional matches, being the oldest player to ever hold the #1 ranking, and being the only player to win the golden slam (US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open, Olympic Gold Medal) would tell you that he hates tennis, always has. Agassi hated how is overbearing father built a tennis court in his bag yard and fired up the dragon (tennis ball shooter) and shot tennis balls until his wrists were weak. Andre hated being s Andre Agassi despite winning 8 grand slams, playing in over 1000 professional matches, being the oldest player to ever hold the #1 ranking, and being the only player to win the golden slam (US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open, Olympic Gold Medal) would tell you that he hates tennis, always has. Agassi hated how is overbearing father built a tennis court in his bag yard and fired up the dragon (tennis ball shooter) and shot tennis balls until his wrists were weak. Andre hated being sent to the exclusive Boliteri Summer camp in Florida to learn to hit with Sampras and Courier. Andre hated every time he lost to an underseeded player.

This book was reminiscent for me as Agassi was very popular when I was in junior high and high-school playing tennis on the courts at USU. Do you remember Andre's denim shors with lava pink spandex and mullet hair. Did you know he wore a hair piece as his hair began to thin? Do you remember his "Image is Everthing" Nikon commercial?

Andre struggled with motivation, doubt, and depression and frequently wanted to quit the sport. He had few friends besides his trainer Gil and a terrible marriage with Brooke Shields that ended in divorce. He eventually resorted to snorting Crystal Meth and gaining weight and dropping from #1 to becoming unseeded and playing matches at a local highschool. Andre got a new coach, started sprinting up Gil Hill in the heat of Las Vegas and refound his form along with his new wife Stephanie Graf (the best women's player to ever play the game) and went on to become #1 again. Futhermore, Andre went on to create the Agassi Academy; a 600 student school for the underpriviledges in Las Vegas.

5 stars. Agassi has a compelling story and I was rooting for him at every stroke of the pen and tennis racquet. ...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Gotta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic

Okay, I'm not a big autobiography fan, let alone tennis fan. I simply don't have the patience to sit through a match, not even understand the scoring. Whole tennis is mystery to me, just like golf and cricket.
Than friends suggested me the "Open" (köszi Niki & Zsófi!), and said it's f@ing great. Oh, well, at least I knew who Andre Agassi is, knew some about him, caught some glimpses of his games back then. But still...
And yeah, this book gets you, catches is. And yes, definitely difficult to ...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Anca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-library

"The scoreboard says I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say it is what I have found. Over the last twenty-one years I have found loyalty: You have pulled me on the court, and also in life. I have found inspiration: You have willed me to succeed, sometimes even in my lowest moments. And I have found generosity: You have given me your shoulders to stand on, to reach for my dreams - dreams I could have never reached without you. Over the last twenty-one years I have found you, and will t ...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me begin by saying that I am a huge tennis fan so that made this book much more interesting for me. I recognized just about every player he talked about in the book and it always helps when you can put a face with a name. That being said, I must admit that my opinion of Agassi went from good to bad by the end of the book. It was shocking to read about his miserable childhood and his crazed father.... and that explains some things, but not everything. I was disappointed in his need to throw j Let me begin by saying that I am a huge tennis fan so that made this book much more interesting for me. I recognized just about every player he talked about in the book and it always helps when you can put a face with a name. That being said, I must admit that my opinion of Agassi went from good to bad by the end of the book. It was shocking to read about his miserable childhood and his crazed father.... and that explains some things, but not everything. I was disappointed in his need to throw jabs at people just to bring them down to his level. He clearly had to admit that Pete Sampras was a better tennis player...... Sampras won more slams than Agassi and beat Agassi more times when they played.... so it's hard to say anything but that. So instead Agassi consistently made jabs about Sampras' personality... he's boring, uninteresting and cheap. The worst example was when he admitted that after eating a meal and the same restaurant as Sampras, Agassi made a bet with his coach that Sampras had only tipped the valet some measly amount of money like $5 bucks. So, like the mature adults they apparently are not, they quickly shoved their food in their mouths and exited the restaurant so they could badger the valet into telling them how much Sampras had tipped him. They admit the valet was hesitant to tell them, but they finally got him to say Sampras only tipped $1 buck. Whether this amount is true or not it did not have the intended effect on me.... I was far more disgusted with Agassi and his coach for being so juvenile and shallow as to even be interested or care about what another person tips a valet....... like somehow the fact that Sampras is a bad tipper makes someone (like Agassi) who is an admitted liar and cheater (using drugs is against the rules in tennis) a better person because he tips higher. End of my rant! I would have liked the book better if I had liked the person better, but by the end I was disappointed.
Agassi ended his book by saying that he wrote it for his kids and that he hoped they would be proud. I don't know if they will be or not, but I'm sure they will find out the importance of an education..... since his 9th grade education left him short on vocabulary words and he relied on adding the "F" word to just about every other word you can think of! ...more

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Jan 22, 2010 Tricia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 Stephanie's father meets Andre's fath ...more

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Jan 17, 2014 Aries rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biografie

Facciamo qualche premessa d’obbligo.
Io, il tennis, non l’ho praticamente mai seguito se non per qualche incontro sporadico.
Conosco le regole di base, conosco qualche nome, ho provato a giocarci qualche volta da ragazzino, ma lì mi fermo.
Di Agassi sapevo veramente poco: conoscevo la sua fama di ribelle, sapevo che era stato un campione per parecchi anni, non sapevo (ad esempio) fosse sposato con Steffi Graf.
Questo per spiegare le basi da cui partivo accostandomi a Open.
Perché comprare un libro di Facciamo qualche premessa d’obbligo.
Io, il tennis, non l’ho praticamente mai seguito se non per qualche incontro sporadico.
Conosco le regole di base, conosco qualche nome, ho provato a giocarci qualche volta da ragazzino, ma lì mi fermo.
Di Agassi sapevo veramente poco: conoscevo la sua fama di ribelle, sapevo che era stato un campione per parecchi anni, non sapevo (ad esempio) fosse sposato con Steffi Graf.
Questo per spiegare le basi da cui partivo accostandomi a Open.
Perché comprare un libro di e su un tennista, mi si potrebbe chiedere.
Bella domanda e mi piacerebbe dire che è stata la mia curiosità a farmi dare una possibilità al buon Andre, ma la verità bella e buona è che mi sono trovato il libro in casa, che è finito nella mia coda di lettura e che, dopo averne sentito parlare veramente bene, ho deciso di provarlo, non aspettandomi in realtà granché.

Ecco, per una volta i tanti pareri entusiasti mi trovano concorde.
Quel che poteva essere una semplice biografia autocelebrativa è in realtà un sincero racconto di crescita, di fatica, di scoperta: la lotta di un uomo che ha quasi sempre seguito la strada indicata da altri perché non aveva idea di quale fossa quella giusta.
Un uomo che per buona parte della sua vita sportiva ha odiato visceralmente lo sport in cui eccelleva, impostogli fin da ragazzino da un padre cieco e arrogante, che ha toccato tante volte il fondo per poi rialzarsi sperando fosse la volta buona.

Agassi, per bocca del suo (bravo) Ghost Writer, ci racconta i suoi pensieri, i suoi dubbi, non cerca in alcun modo di giustificarsi o di addolcire la pillola: le cose sono andate così, sembra dire, potete tranquillamente biasimarmi, io l’ho fatto, ma ho cercato di migliorare.

Ecco.
Migliorare.
Crescere.
Evolvere.

Sono le parole chiavi di questo libro. “Mi sono formato, non trasformato” dice Agassi verso la fine e trovo che mai parole fossero più veritiere.
Non si può trasformare una persona che ancora non è formata e Agassi l’ha imparato sulla sua pelle.
Una pelle fortunata, certo, rispetto ai tanti che invece non ce l’hanno fatto, ma è comunque da ammirare il percorso che è riuscito a intraprendere.

Un bel libro, pregno di lotta, ricerca, insofferenza, errori, amicizia, amore. ...more

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Apr 27, 2010 Jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I actually expected to give this book 1 or 2 stars, so 3 is pretty charitable. And for a sports memoir, it's striking and definitely worthy. You've read the revelations so no need to repeat them, But it's impressive to see a top athlete let his guard down as Andre does here. Dramatic narrative. And Agassi seems like he's questing for truth with the same aggression he (apparently!) used to use to quest for victory on the tennis court.

Three reasons I wouldn't give this book more stars:

1) Its just ...more

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Jan 28, 2015 Francesca Carabini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inizialmente mi sono interessata a questo libro per l'attenzione che aveva sollevato. Ma non sono un'appassionata di tennis e non credo di aver mai letto biografie sportive. È rimasto sulla mia mensola per parecchio tempo senza che avessi davvero voglia di iniziarlo. Fino a qualche giorno fa, quando, non so perché, ho deciso di dargli una chance. Dopo le prime trenta pagine non sono più riuscita a smettere. Volevo sapere qualcosa di più. Ho letto il libro quasi d'un fiato in tre giorni. Mi sono ...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Penni Pappas rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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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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“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.” — 60 likes

“Remember this. Hold on to this. This is the only perfection there is, the perfection of helping others. This is the only thing we can do that has any lasting meaning. This is why we're here. To make each other feel safe.” — 42 likes

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