Open: An Autobiography

by Andre Agassi

Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts. Agassi makes us feel his panic as an undersized seven-year-old in Las Vegas, practicing all day under the obsessive gaze of his violent father. We see him at thirteen, banished to a Florida tennis camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning fast return. 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. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals, Agassi gives unstinting 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 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. 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.

About the author

American tennis player Andre Agassi of the few male singles won the Wimbledon, United States open, French open, and Australian open tournaments and also won a gold medal at the Olympics of 1996.

Critics generally consider this now retired professional and former world number-1 of the greatest of all time and call him the best service returner in the history of the game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_A...

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 sweet rushes of relief when he finally defeats Becker and wins various grand slams, but the predominant motif seems to be about loss. And of course, getting back up again.

After reading this book, I respect him most for his tenacity and for his ability to thrash his way forward even though he has no idea who he is as a person for much of the book. I was also impressed by his ability to tinker with his own winning formula. Agassi never seemed to loiter, he was always adjusting his team and his technique as he pursued his goals. He's (obviously) a formidable competitor, but it's interesting to see what traits, regardless of whether he liked tennis or not, helped him move forward.

I love his originality, his ability to remain true to his essence, and his kind heart. If I had to choose between Sampras and Agassi to invite to a dinner party, it would be Agassi any day.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Library overdrive Audiobook....read by Erik Davies - 18 hours and 4 minutes....
...with added reading from the physical book (I’ve owned it since 2010)... 487 pages. MY LOSS FOR NOT READING THIS OUTSTANDING BOOK TEN YEARS AGO.

I can’t think of another - sports-autobiography - I’ve ever enjoyed more.... not a one!!! One of my favorite all-time favorite audiobooks....
loved, loved, loved it....in the same way I loved listening to “Becoming”, by Michelle Obama. Favorites forever!!!

“Open” received many notable achievement awards. It was ranked #1 National Bestseller ...no surprise to me ....after reading/listening - to this extremely penetrating- razor-sharp all-consuming - ‘Tennis Fan/ or Not’.....book that is sure to exceed all expectations from ANY READER!

Diving right in..... further into this book.... let the tension begin:
Andre Agassi vs. Boris Becker....[they didn’t like each other much when they played tennis].....
But when Agassi wrote this next scene ....I felt like I did a decade ago watching them play at Wimbolton.....
Kill or be killed.....sneering and snoring .....aggression & revenge. A high bounce - a faster serve than anticipated requires adjustments....
Agassi was on his toes feeling like Superman, Spiderman....and Spartacus ....”he swings” .....
He makes a sound that feels like pure animal —a sound he knows he’ll never make again... and he’ll never hit a tennis ball any harder or any more perfect. As the ball lands on Boris Becker’s side of the court — a sound is still coming from Agassi. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
The ball blazes past Becker. Match: Agassi!
Results:
Torn cartilage between ribs. Agassi could barely breathe but he only had nine hours before he had to face Pete Sampras..... for the final of the U.S. Open.
Agassi and Sampras were the two most marketable stars of the 1990s pitting contrasting styles and personalities that led to high-quality matchups. They had plenty of mutual respect for one another.
Agassi - injured - played and lost in the final against Pete.
As Agassi was leaving ...driving home, holding his ribs — he was thinking, “no matter how much you win - if you’re not the last one to win, you’re a loser”.
Agassi said...... “And in the end I always lose.....because there is always Pete, as always, Pete”.
Sad....isn’t it? To be one of the best players in the world - yet feel so critical of thyself. (Competitor athletes understand this feeling though)... it’s a sad reality of elite competition.

Agassi always had troubles shaking off hard loses. It wasn’t even his goal to beat Pete or even to be number one in the world but he didn’t like losing to Pete either. Losing to Pete was his ultimate loss—the Alpha Omega loss that felt like a spear through Agassi’s heart.

From start to finish .....this is as fantastic- better than - all the raving reviews combined—I could never write words to do it justice....
It’s brutal, sad, thought provoking, fearlessly honest, coming of age, self- discovery, entertaining in cinematic panoramic scope, inspiring, wise, funny-as-all-get-em in a few scenes....
Manicures....wedding cake, roses, rejections, and many other funnies off the court....
To the real life nitty gritty visceral details of “Becoming Andre Agassi”....the former world #1 champion. ....eight-time Gran Slam champion— 1996 Olympic gold medalist, as well as a runner-up in seven other Grand Slam tournaments. .... other grand titles, successes and failures, injuries, depression, family history, teenage rebellion, being sent away from his home- at age 13 ( didn’t want to go), from his Las Vegas home - to a tennis academy in Florida to train with Nick Bollettieri.....as Andre’s controlling father, demanded! His mother - calm as can be next to his father’s frightening rage.
A few funny standouts: ( candles in a honeymoon suite gone wrong?/!), etc. etc.

After an effective, hilarious prank & kick ass negotiation with a stuffed panda bear ....Agassi drops out of school in the ninth grade to pursue a full-time tennis career
“NO MORE PENCILS, NO MORE BOOKS, NO MORE TEACHERS DIRTY LOOKS”....

From lentils and potatoes....to fancy restaurants and hotels, money, travel, expensive tennis rackets (he gave a few away one day to the homeless in the woods when he seriously wanted to quit), to world class fame....new friends, loneliness, allies & no allies, an up and down reputation, stories about his hair, earring, denims, attitude, love life, tournament highlights ( his first ‘pro win’ was in Brazil)....
As the Wimbledon 1992 champion — fans began to reassess their thoughts about Agassi. He was suddenly part of the cool English society group ...

The nutty - father associated- story of buying his first car (a Corvette of course), to hiring Gil Reys, (loyal friend and confidant who trained Agassi for 17 years), his childhood friend and former business manager: Perry Rogers, his relationship with Barbra Streisand, the media and politics of his career, his marriage to Brooke Sheilds for a couple of years, (their differences were almost comical/ but the pain of a failed relationship isn’t ‘really’ funny).....
a one time positive testing of methamphetamine during a dark time in his life (but ‘wasn’t’ an ongoing drug user)... the constant pressure .....
a funny story about a speeding ticket & a judge who was a tennis fan ....
The trusting team in Agassi’s life included a Priest, (turned musician), a gym trainer who knew nothing about tennis when Andre first hired him, and his brother. Old girlfriend/ friend Wendy was a supportive allie, before during and after Brooke Sheilds...
Andre retired in 2006 after losing in the third round of the U.S. Open to Benjamin Becker.
Andre started a charitable foundation for at risk children ( deeply moving purpose and gift to many troubled kids - not much different to how Andre was as a young kid).
Andre married tennis player, Steffi Graf. Two children ...( no pushing them to play tennis)...

A few very heartbreaking tragedies that had nothing to do with tennis — true gripping stories about a pre- teen little girl and a newborn baby...
were sad, eye-opening and a reevaluating what’s important in life transformational shifting of self.

Growing up Andre Agassi was trapped in a life he didn’t choose .....
He was quoted several times.....in many papers...for his words:
“I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion and always have”.

But what kept Andre playing all those years when he really hated tennis?
“Open” takes us on an amazing humanitarian journey into the soul of what it is to be a regular normal human being - with troubles and struggles- while also extraordinary gifted in a ‘GAME’....and all that came with being in the spot life ....

I admit being sooooo into this book. I started watching old YouTubes of past tournaments. I remember watching Andre play - live - [aging myself here]...I wasted a good hour or more of my time yesterday re-visiting those tournament games. Loved it almost as much as years ago.

I played tennis a few nights a week with my friend Barbara when I was at UC Berkeley. We played doubles with old retired pro geezers who made us look like better players than we were.

I honestly can’t EVER REMEMBER ENJOYING A SPORTS AUTOBIOGRAPHY MORE THAN ***OPEN***!

Going down as a FAVORITE AUDIOBOOK!!!

Loved loved loved it!!!! Highly recommend it to EVERYONE!

“Unless I can accept where I am, I can never expect to be where I want to be”.

[Daniel Audet · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Jonathan Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth be told, I am in the midst of a summer scrabble challenge and needed a book starting with the letter O for my rack. I love celebrity memoirs, if they are athletes all the better, so my search query lead me to Open. I could watch sports 24/6/365 but I for the most follow team sports. Besides baseball where my allegiance is set in stone, I have a favorite team or two or three in all the other team sports. Auto racing? Never interested. Golf? Instant nap time. Tennis? Now that’s an interesting question. Other than the four major tournaments, I have no interest either unless any of the American players are doing well. During my teenage years, the United States celebrated a new golden age of men’s tennis with four legit stars. I guess I did not pay attention all that closely at the time because I would rather watch team sports and my basketball team was in the midst of winning every year. That brings me back to Open. Yes, I know who the tennis stars of America’s golden age are, but, having not watched closely, I could not tell who won at what time and what tournament. With Open, I decided to fill in the gaps of my individual sports knowledge and jump into Andre Agassi’s world.

Andre Agassi hates tennis. He actually hates tennis. His father Mike, an immigrant from Iran via Armenia, arrived in the United States in the late 1950s. With no money to his name, Mike somehow met his wife Betty and hustled her to the up and coming gambling oasis called Las Vegas. Always one for a hustle, he earned his keep from tips working in casinos. All the best tennis players on the tour would come through Vegas at one point or another and Mike was the racket stringer of the stars. He realized that for his kids to make it, tennis was the fastest way to wealth because a player could go pro as early as age fifteen. Mike groomed all four of his children to be tennis stars with help from a machine of his invention called the dragon. The older three kids tapped out in talent, but the youngest kid named Andre, seven years younger than his closest sibling, had promise and untapped potential. Mike saw in Andre a means of getting rich. That means was Andre’s tennis playing ability, and Mike believed his son could be the number one player in the world. Only one problem: because of the dragon and the hours of training that bordered on child abuse, Andre grew to hate the game of tennis.

This autobiography is less about the game of tennis, although it comprises a large part of the narrative, than it is about Andre Agassi’s life away from tennis. Without a loving father figure, Andre sought out friends who became his surrogate family: best friend turned lawyer Perry, trainer turned surrogate father Gil, pastor turned friend J.P., and his coaches Brad and Darren. Andre’s brother Phil also came along for the ride to most tournaments when he just turned pro, and these were some of the craziest adventures: living on baked potatoes and lentils, driving a broken down used car, living in a cottage house or cheap motel room. This is not the life of a glamour and luxury; that would come later. One thinks that prodigies have it made from day one and live a lifestyle of the rich and famous. Andre Agassi had to make it big first and then he did enjoy the perks of the wealthy, but he would not forget the $2000 payouts and living on McDonalds and baked potatoes when he was a teenager trying to find his way on the tour.

Being a star means having avenues open that most of us only dream about. Andre’s first marriage was to Brooke Shields, but the two lived on different planets. Both were enjoying meteoric rises to stardom but did not understand the other’s world or made any attempt to meet in the middle. That either was on the road more than present did not help, so the marriage, like more than 50% of all celebrity marriages, ended in divorce. Andre still hated tennis but he was good at it, and, at the time of his divorce, it was the one constant in his life. Coming up in the men’s golden age, he enjoyed rivalries with Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, and Jim Courier. Sampras might have won the most titles of the four but was the least likable. These rivalries kept Agassi playing at a time in his life when he could have packed it in, and he ended up having the longest career of the foursome, winning the second most grand slams. This is despite hating tennis and having an image of a rebel which is close and far from the truth. The hair, which was actually a toupee, and untraditional tennis attire, that’s who he was, and it appealed to a younger generation of celebrity fans. I remember the “image is everything” ad for cannon camera, and Andre was scorned in the media for it. I look at it the other way: that his outer image as an untraditional tennis player allowed him to appeal to those of us who are not tennis aficionados and need someone to root for who is not on the beaten path. Perhaps that is what allowed him to keep playing for over twenty years.

Andre Agassi does not shy from the fact that he has an eighth grade education. He became a reader as an adult and gets inspiration from the words of Nelson Mandela. To ensure that the disadvantaged children of Las Vegas do not grow up hating school like he did, Andre used his celebrity to start the Andre Agassi Charter Academy in Las Vegas. This school, which has now graduated fourteen classes, will be has lasting legacy well beyond his eight grand slam titles. He wrote this book for his children Jaden and Jaz, who despite having two tennis legends for parents, were not encouraged to play tennis. After all, both parents had drill sergeants for fathers and hated tennis and only learned to enjoy the game after they retired. Jaden and Jaz are now young adults and I wonder where life has taken them. Andre wrote this book with the assistance of Pulitzer winner J.R. Moehringer, who brought his own expertise to the project. If image is everything, Andre Agassi’s image as a role model for kids is a positive one whether the tennis establishment thought this or not.

4 stars

[Otis Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best sports biographies I've read. I was a huge Agassi fan growing up, not because of his flair or haircut, but because of his amazing topspin and his tenacity. So to get the inside story on where he got both of those, was fascinating.

The first thing to realize about Agassi, is that like many tennis players, he got good, then bad, then really bad, then good, then bad, then good, etc. In other words, he loses. A lot. But the fascinating part of his story is what motivates him to keep going. Because, as he says, he hates tennis. Full disclosure, I don't fully believe him when he says that, I think at a level he likes the game and winning. But his motivation switches over the years - from wanting to please his dad, to wanting to get to the top, to needing to find new motivation in his team, and ultimately, with his charitable work. I love how in the end his comeback is motivated by wanting to win for his center, to be able to give more to the kids - that's fascinating, cool, and admirable.

Another interesting aspect of Andre is how loyal he is to his team - to Gil, to his coach, his wife, etc. He needs them for confidence, and for strength - more for emotional strength than physical - in a way that was striking. He makes a lot of statements like:

This is why we’re here. To fight through the pain and, when possible, to relieve the pain of others. So simple. So hard to see.

The romance of his decade long chase of Steffi Graff was fascinating to read about, and in the end, incredibly romantic as well. The notion that he had such a crush on her from the beginning, and chased her for that long, was - well, sweet. And then there was this gem of prose, describing their first rally together:

"A ball feels different off every player’s racket—there are minute but concrete subtleties of force and spin. Now, hitting with her, I feel her subtleties. It’s like touching her, though we’re forty feet apart. Every forehand is foreplay."

But then it ends, as we all know, with a happy end to his career, and an even happier beginning of his relationship with Steffi.

To my mind, being with the right woman is true happiness. After all the time I’ve spent putting together my so-called team, the only thing I want now is to feel like a valued member of Stefanie’s team."

[Antonella · Rating 2 out of 5]

whoever recommend me this book, you are lucky I don’t remember your name

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for Open (audiobook) by Andre Agassi read by Erik Davies.

This was a really deep dive into the world of professional tennis. I think the author’s life is fascinating. It was interesting to hear about all the mental and physical struggles he went through. I had no idea how much he hated tennis. My only complaint about this audiobook is that someone else narrated it. The voice and the emotion just seemed off to me.

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the book that made me realise I only enjoy sports biographies if I am invested in the sport the athlete plays/ed*. While I respect what Andre Agassi achieved in tennis and beyond, I never connected to anything in this book, I didn't enjoy his company and didn't care much about his life story. It was well written objectively speaking, but I never liked reading it.

What made it worth the effort was the realisation I mentioned above. I can't make myself care about something or someone simply because they are popular or successful or their book is on a must-read list. While I'm sure this book has a lot to offer many readers, I am not one of them. It may seem obvious to say that an interest in tennis would have helped, but I'd hoped the life itself would capture my imagination despite that, and it never did. I also found myself feeling quite sorry for Brooke Shields. I'm glad he found happiness in his current marriage, but I thought Shields deserved much more respect than what he offered here. His dismissive attitude towards her guest appearance on "Friends" and her acting career in general was startling, and one of the few things that has really stuck with me in the years since I read this.

Early on in the book, I think the opening pages, he describes waking up and the toll tennis has taken on his body. This was the highlight for the me, the one point when I was starting to care, but for me the rest of the book never really lived up to that. What remained, which was the majority of the book, was something of a chore to read.

I've only bothered writing this review because I saw I had rated the book four stars, presumably without much thought, in my early Goodreads days. I was just going to lower the star rating, but since I kept thinking about why I didn't like the book, I figured I may as well add a review to go along with it. It does make me wonder what other books I have shelved with ratings I don't actually feel to be true reflections of the book I read!

Although I don't have many good things to say about it, I do want to be clear that this book isn't bad, and clearly many have enjoyed it--I tend to rate based heavily on my enjoyment (or lack of it). 🎾

*I'm sure there will be some exceptions to that rule, but overall it has proven true whenever I've dabbled in a sporting memoir that centres around a sport I don't understand. And time spent reading an autobiography or biography of a figure I'm not already a fan of often becomes a challenging read for me, and not in a positive way.

[Ilenia Zodiaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Non possiamo accendere un fuoco sotto la pioggia". O forse sì.

[Adela · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Trăiesc din tenis, deși urăsc tenisul, îl urăscu cu o patimă întunecată și secretă, și totdeauna l-am urât.”

”Ura mă îngenunchează, iubirea mă ridică.”

”[...] durerea de a pierde, durerea de a juca. Mi-a luat aproape treizeci de ani să o înțeleg eu însumi, să rezolv problema propriului mei psihic.”

”Un lucru am învățat în douăzeci și nouă de ani de jucat tenis:viața îți va arunca în cale totul în afară de chiuveta de la bucătărie, iar apoi îți va arunca și chiuveta de la bucătărie. E treaba ta să eviți obstacolele. Dacă le lași să te oprească sau să te distrugă, nu-ți faci treaba, iar eșecul îți va cauza regrete care te paralizează mai mult decât o durere de spate.”

”Cred că nu e întâmplător că tenisul folosește limbajul vieții. Avantaj, serviciu, greșeală, pauză, iubire, principalele elemente ale tenisului sunt cele ale viețiide fiecare zi, pentru că fiecare meci e o viață în miniatură. Chiar și structura tenisului, felul în care părțile intră una într-alta ca păpușile rusești, redă structura zilelor noastre. Punctele devin ghemuri, ghemurile devin seturi, seturile devin turnee și sunt atât de legate între ele, încât orice punct poate deveni cel de cotitură. Mă trimite cu gândul la felul în care secundele se stransformă în minute, minutele se transformă în ore și fiecare oră poate fi cea mai frumoasă din viața noastră. Sau cea mai întunecată. E alegerea noastră.”

”Tenisul e sportul în care vorbești cu tine însuți. Niciun alt sportiv nu vorbește cu el însuși ca jucătorul de tenis. Aruncătorii din jocul de baseball, jucătorii de golf, portarii, toți mormăie cu ei înșiși, bineînțeles, dar jucătorii de tenis vorbesc cu ei înșiși-și-și răspund. În febra meciului, tenismenul arată ca un nebun într-o piață publică, strigând, înjurând și purtând discuții filozofice cu alter egoul său. De ce? Pentru că tenisul e al naibii de singur. Doar boxerii pot înțelege singurătatea jucătorilor de tenis-și încă, boxerii îi au pe oamenii din colțul lor și pe manageri. Chiar și oponentul unui boxer îi asigură un fel de companie, cineva de care se poate agăța și la care poate urla. În tenis stai față în față cu dușmanul, faci schimb de lovituri cu el, dar nu-l atingi și nu vorbești niciodată cu el sau cu altcineva. Regulile îi interzic unui jucător de tenis să discute chiar cu antrenorul său cât timp e pe teren. Uneori, lumea îl menționează pe alergător ca pe o figură aproape la fel de singuratică, dar îmi vine să râd. Cel puțin alergătorul poate să-și simtă și să-și miroasă oponenții. Sunt la câțiva centimetri distanță. În tenis ești pe o insulă. Dintre toate jocurile jucate de bărbați și femei, tenisul este cel mai apropiat de detenția solitară, care duce inevitabil la vorbirea cu tine însuți...”

”O victorie nu este atât de plăcută pe cât de neplăcută e o înfrângere și sentimentul de bine nu durează la fel de mult ca supărarea. Nici pe departe.”

”[...] tenisul este box. Fiecare jucător de tenis, mai devreme sau mai târziu, se compară cu un boxer, pentru că tenisul este pugilism fără contact. E violent, mano a mano, iar alegerea este brutal de simplă, la fel ca în orice ring. Ucide sau mori. Bate sau ia bătaie. Doar că bătăile în tenis se simt mai adânc sub piele.”

”E singura perfecțiune care există, perfecțiunea de a-i ajuta pe alții. Este singurul lucru pe care-l putem face care are valoare și înțeles durabile. Pentru asta suntem aici. Ca să ne facem unii pe alții să ne simțim în siguranță.”

”Oriunde ai fi în viață, mai ai de călătorit.” Nelson Mandela

[Mosharraf Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

টেনিসের বছর শুরু হয় সূর্যের সাথে সাথে পথচলায়। বছরের শুরুতে অস্ট্রেলিয়ান ওপেন, পথ চলতে চলতে এশিয়া পার হয়ে এসে ফ্রেঞ্চ ওপেন, সেখান থেকে ইংল্যান্ডে গিয়ে উইম্বলডন এবং শেষ হয় ইউ,এস ওপেন দিয়ে। সূর্যের সাথে তাল মিলিয়ে চলতে চলতে টেনিস খেলাটাও হয়ে উঠেছে সূর্যের মতোই নিঃসঙ্গ। টেনিস চূড়ান্ত একাকীত্বের খেলা; সাড়ে চার, পাঁচ ঘণ্টা বা তার চেয়েও বেশি সময় পাশে কেও থাকেনা, এমনকি কোচের সাথে কথা বলার-ও অনুমতি নেই। দৌড়বিদরা তার প্রতিযোগীকে পাশে পায়, বক্সাররা পায় রিং এর কোনায় তার এসিস্টেন্টকে বা স্পর্শ করতে পারে প্রতিপক্ষকে, কিন্তু টেনিসে লড়াই করতে হয় একা, নিঃসঙ্গ দ্বীপের মতো দাগ টানা কোর্টের এক পাশে দাঁড়িয়ে লড়াই চলে আরেক দ্বীপে দাঁড়ানো প্রতিপক্ষের সাথে। আর এই নিঃসঙ্গ খেলাটাতে যে অল্পকজন শ্রেষ্ঠত্বের চূড়ায় পৌঁছেছেন, সব ধরণের কোর্টে রাজমুকুট মাথায় পড়েছেন তাদের মধ্যে অন্যতম আন্দ্রে আগাসী। শ্রেষ্ঠত্বের মাপকাঠির হিসেবে আগাসীর শ্রেষ্ঠত্ব আরও পরিপূর্ণতা পায় যখন জানা যায় আগাসীর অর্জনে আছে ক্যারিয়ার গোল্ডেন স্লাম (অস্ট্রেলিয়ান ওপেন, ফ্রেঞ্চ ওপেন, উইম্বলডন, ইউ এস ওপেন, অলিম্পিক গোল্ড) যেটা এমনকি রজার ফেদেরার, পিট সাম্প্রাসদের ও নেই।

টেনিসের এই নিষ্ঠুর একাকীত্বের কারণেই টেনিস প্লেয়াররা নিজেদের সাথে সবচেয়ে বেশি কথা বলে। দীর্ঘ সময় ধরে একা একা লড়াই করে যাবার সময় নিজেদের চাঙ্গা রাখতে, সে কি চায় সেটা নিজেকে বার বার মনে করিয়ে দিতেই নিজের সাথে কথা বলতে হয়, আর আগাসীর এই কথা বলাটা শুরু হতো ম্যাচের চার পাঁচ ঘণ্টা আগে থেকে। দীর্ঘ সময় ধরে শাওয়ার নেবার সময় বিড়বিড় করে, কখনো চিৎকার করে নিজের সাথেই নিজে কথা বলতো, বলতো সেটাই যেটা সে নিজের মাথার মধ্যে গেঁথে ফেলতে চায়।

ইরানে জন্ম গ্রহন কারী ইম���নুয়েল টেনিস খেলতে পারেনি কারণ ইরানে তখন কেউ টেনিস খেলত না; আর কেউ টেনিস খেলত না বলেই ইমানুয়েল হয়ে উঠেছিল বক্সার। দুইবার অলিম্পিকেও অংশ নিয়েছিলো, কিন্তু ইরানের বিপক্ষে সার্বজনীন পক্ষপাতিত্ব দেখে সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় ইরান ছাড়ার, পালিয়ে চলে আসে নিউ ইয়র্ক সিটিতে, নাম পালটে হয়ে যায় মাইক আগাসী। টেনিসের প্রতি আসক্তি আর অলিম্পিকর ব্যর্থতা দুই-ই দূর করার তীব্র সংকল্প বাস্তবায়ন করতে শুরু করে ছোট ছেলে আন্দ্রের উপর। ছেলের জন্মের পর পরই তাই ফিডারের বদলে ছেলের হাতে ধরিয়ে দিয়েছিল টেনিস বল। ছেলেকে টেনিস খেলোয়াড় হিসেবে বড় করতে তুলতে হলে বাড়িতে একটা টেনিস কোর্ট লাগবে, কিন্তু বিধ্বস্ত ইরানের দারিদ্র্যের নিম্নসীমা থেকে উঠে আসা পরিশ্রমী মধ্যবিত্ত বাবার শহরের মাঝে তেমন বাড়ি করার সামর্থ্য ছিল না বলেই বাড়ি করে মরুভূমির মাঝে এসে, যেই মরুভূমি ব্যবহৃত হতো জিনিসপত্র এবং ময়লা ফেলার কাজে; নষ্ট টায়ার, ব্যবহৃত কার্পেট, অপ্রিয় মানুষ এবং যে সকল জিনিস অপ্রয়োজনীয়।

সাত বছর বয়স থেকেই আন্দ্রে ঘৃণা করতে শুরু করে টেনিসকে, সবচেয়ে বেশি ঘৃণা করতো টেনিস এবং সবচেয়ে বেশি সময় কাটিয়েছে টেনিসের সাথেই। প্রতিদিন বাবার কড়া শাসনে বোলিং মেশিন থেকে ছুটে আসা ২৫০০ বল তাকে নেটের অপর পাশে ফেরত পাঠাতে হতো, সেই নেটের উচ্চতাও ছিল স্বাভাবিক উচ্চতার চেয়ে ছয় ইঞ্চি বেশি। সংখ্যাতত্ত্বে বিশ্বাসী বাবার বিশ্বাস ছিল প্রতিদিন ২৫০০ বল মানে সপ্তাহে ১৭ হাজার ৫০০ বল, বছরে এক মিলিয়ন বলের কাছাকাছি; বাচ্চা কোন ছেলে যদি বছরে প্রায় ১ মিলিয়ন বল খেলে পরিণত বয়সে তাকে হারানোর ক্ষমতা কারো থাকবে না। বাবার বিশ্বাস কিন্তু খুব একটা ভ্রান্ত ছিল না।

বক্সার বাবার দর্শন ছিল প্রতিপক্ষের সেরা জায়গায় আঘাত করা, ছেলেকেও গড়ে তুলেছিল সেই একই দর্শনে, কেউ যদি ভালো ফোরহ্যান্ডে খেলে তবে তাকে বেশি বেশি ফোরহ্যান্ড-ই খেলতে দাও আর সেগুলোকে এমন ভাবে ফেরত পাঠাও যেন সে তার নিজের ফোরহ্যান্ডকেই ঘৃণা করতে শুরু করে। আগাসী হয়ে উঠেছিল টেনিসের রেকেট হাতে একজন বক্সার। সব টেনিস প্লেয়াররা যেখানে গুরুত্ব দেয় দুর্দান্ত সার্ভ করার দিকে, আগাসী সেখানে বিশেষজ্ঞ হয়ে উঠেছিল সকল ধরনের সার্ভকে দুর্দান্ত ভাবে ফিরিয়ে দেয়ায়।

টেনিসের প্রতি বিতৃষ্ণা থেকে একাডেমী ছাড়ার জন্য চুলে বিচ্ছিরি রঙ করা, দৃষ্টিকটু রকম বড় নখ রাখা, নেইলপলিশ ব্যবহার করা, শরীরে পিয়ারসিং করা, নিয়ম ভাঙ্গা, মারামারি, ক্লাসে ফাঁকি দেয়া, মদ খেয়ে মাতলামি করা, নিষিদ্ধ গাঁজা সেবন, এমনকি মেয়েদের ডর্মিটরিতে লুকিয়ে থাকার মত কাজও আগাসী করেছে। ক্যারিয়ারের শুরুর দিকের ব্যর্থতায় কয়েকবারই সরে দাঁড়িয়েছে টেনিস থেকে। আবার ফিরেও এসেছে। দুর্দান্ত ভাবে। নিষ্ঠুর হয়ে।

টেনিসের ধ্রুপদী লড়াইগুলোর একটা ছিল পিট সাম্প্রাস আর আন্দ্রে আগাসীর লড়াই, কোন টুর্নামেন্টের ফাইনালে একজন উঠলে অপেক্ষা করতো আরেকজনের ফাইনালে উঠার জন্য। তবে আগাসীর ‘ওপেন’ শুধুমাত্র টেনিস নিয়ে নয়, আগাসীর জীবনযাপন আর জীবনদর্শন নিয়ে। নিজের সাথে নিজের যুদ্ধ, বাইরের পৃথিবীকে দেখার তার নিজস্ব দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি, বারবার পরাজিত হওয়া, অপবাদ-নিন্দা, ড্রাগস নেয়ার অনুশোচনা, অপরাধ আর ধ্বংসস্তূপ থেকে জেগে উঠার তীব্র ইচ্ছা পাতার পর পাতায় আগাসী রেখে গেছেন। শেষ করার পরে এই বই যতটা না টেনিস সম্পর্কিত, তার চেয়ে অনেক বেশি অনুভূতি সম্পর্কিত।

বইয়ের ভালো না লাগার কোন দিক নিয়ে বলতে গেলে বলতে হবে দীর্ঘ বইতে অনেক বেশি ডিটেইলসের বর্ণনা মাঝেমাঝেই ভাবায়, এতোটা নিখুঁত কি আসলেই ছিল? সাত বছর বয়সে খেলায় কার সাথে কত স্কোর লাইন ছিল কিংবা কোন একটা নির্দিষ্ট ম্যাচের আগে কত মিনিট ধরে গোসলে ছিল বা কত মিনিট স্ট্রেচারে শুয়ে ছিল সে বর্ণনা পড়ে চিন্তা আসে, আগাসী ছাড়া আর কে ঘড়ি ধরে গোসল করে?

এই ছোট খাট জিনিসগুলো মন থেকে বাদ দিতে পারলেই নিশ্চিত থাকেন, আগাসীর সাথে বইয়ের পাতায় চমৎকার কিছু সময় কাটাতে যাচ্ছেন। বই পড়া শুরু করলেই আমি নিশ্চিত বলতে পারি যে বইয়ের প্রথম চ্যাপ্টার শেষ করেই ইউটিউবে সার্চ করে আগাসী আর বাগদাতীসের ইউ,এস ওপেনের ম্যাচের হাইলাইটস দেখতে শুরু করবেন, এবং প্রতি দুই/তিন চ্যাপ্টার পড়ার পর পর ইউটিউবে এসে কিছু হাইলাইটস দেখাটা অভ্যাসে দাঁড়িয়ে যাবে।

টেনিস বুঝতে হবে না, আগাসীকে পছন্দ না করলেও হবে, বায়োগ্রাফী যদি ভালো না লাগে তবুও সমস্যা নাই, ফিকশন হিসেবে চিন্তা করে পড়লেও ‘ওপেন’ একটি মন্ত্রমুগ্ধ করে রাখার মতো ফিকশন। লেখনীর কথা বললে দীর্ঘদিন এই বই ছিল নিউইয়র্ক টাইমসের বেস্ট সেলার, ২০১০ সালে জয় করে নেয় ব্রিটিশ স্পোর্টস বুকস এওয়ার্ড।

স্পোর্টস বায়োগ্রাফী হিসেবে নিঃসন্দেহে এখন পর্যন্ত আমার পড়া সেরা বই ‘ওপেন’। চাইলে বই থেকে শ’খানেক কোটেশন তুলে দেয়া যেতো, মাত্র একটা দিলাম -
“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 your choice.”

[Lidia · Rating 4 out of 5]

No soy seguidora de tenis ni fan de las "biografías/memorias" y demás géneros que se centran únicamente en la vida de una persona. Dicho esto, las memorias de Agassi me han encantado, fascinado y enganchado a partes iguales. Hay tenis, sí, pero también emoción, sensibilidad, lucha, amor... todos aquellos estados en los que uno pasa en la vida, pero teniendo en cuenta la presión de ser un personaje público y con una carrera limitada por la edad. Todo lo importante ocurre cuando aún está intentando forjarse como persona, como hombre.
Una lectura muy muy recomendable.

[Pietrino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sia chiaro, non ho mai visto una partita di tennis in vita mia, non ci ho mai giocato e non me ne è mai fregato niente. Per questo motivo racconterò quello che per me è questo libro, in due parole: trial and error.

Martedì scorso, ero come ogni settimana a lezione di chitarra, e mi stavo lamentando con il mio maestro che non riesco a lavorare sugli accordi come vorrei. Lui, che è un sessantenne misto tra uno a cui piacciono troppo le donne ed un vecchio filosofo, se ne esce con un racconto dei suoi:
"Pietro, il problema è che abbiamo un'idea delle cose che è spesso sbagliata" - lo guardo corrugando la fronte - "immaginati un film, con un ragazzo che insieme alla mamma passa davanti ad un negozio di strumenti musicali, decide di entrare, e si inizia a leggere il titolo del film, regia di, eccetera eccetera". Nella scena successiva il ragazzo è cresciuto di qualche mese e gia schitarra come un matto suonando assoli con i denti" - inizio a capire dove forse vuole arrivare - "Se fosse per me, farei un film in cui il ragazzo sta per un'ora e cinquantacinque a spaccarsi le dita in cameretta e per soli cinque minuti farei vedere che forse ci sa fare un pochino di più rispetto a quando è entrato nel negozio, però sai che due palle di film!"

Ho raccontato questo episodio perché quando vediamo qualcuno che ha successo, in qualsiasi ambito, non ci rendiamo conto di tutta la merda che ha dovuto mangiare per arrivare dove è. O meglio, affermiamo di saperlo, ma non ne abbiamo idea, neanche lontanamente. Ho amato questo libro perché sembra sia stato scritto da un perdente, che fino alla fine della sua carriera ha avuto dubbi, e ad ogni match sembrava chiedersi come avesse fatto ad arrivare fino a quel punto con quel pessimo tennis, e io adoro i personaggi che si autocommiserano e hanno dubbi un giorno sì e l'altro pure. E gli ho dato cinque stelle anche se è un pochino troppo lungo, visto che il pubblico a cui si rivolge comprende una buona parte di profani, ma comunque si fa davvero apprezzare.

Andre, ti giuro che prima di questo libro non avevo la minima idea di chi diavolo fossi, ma a me puoi dirlo, hai usato un ghostwriter dalla prima all'ultima parola, vero? A me puoi dirlo, non ci sarebbe niente di male, anche perché in caso contrario mi sa che avresti sbagliato mestiere facendo per tutta la vita qualcosa che nemmeno ti piac-Cazzo, mi sa che ho sbagliato paragone, scusate.

Leggetelo!

[Anna [Floanne] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarà che a pane e tennis ci sono cresciuta, sarà che moltissimi degli incontri raccontati nel libro li ho visti in TV (e sì, lo ammetto, Pete Sampras era il mio idolo) ma questo libro mi è entrato dentro come pochi altri. Ricordo i pomeriggi sul divano con mio padre a guardare le finali di Roland Garros, degli US Open, di qualsiasi torneo trasmettessero all'epoca (non c'era SKY e dovevi sempre sperare che la RAI ti facesse un favore!) e ammetto che non ho mai tifato per Agassi: sempre troppo polemico, troppo esagerato, troppo sopra le righe del bon ton tennistico ma anche con un tipo di gioco violento, che nulla aveva in comune con l'eleganza di Sampras.. Ora, leggendo tutto ciò che Agassi ha passato per lasciare il proprio nome sugli annali della storia del tennis, mi devo ricredere. Ci vuole coraggio a rialzarsi di continuo quando tutti ti danno per finito, ma ce ne vuole ancora di più a mettere a nudo i propri sbagli, le proprie debolezze, le proprie sofferenze come ha fatto lui in questa sua autobiografia e per me, da queste pagine, ne esce come indiscusso vincitore: un grande sportivo, ma soprattutto un grande uomo! Voto: 5 stelle

[Emmapeel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sei un campione di tennis, ma il tennis l'hai sempre odiato. Perché ti è stato imposto da un padre padrone, perché ti ha rubato l'infanzia, perché ti distrugge nel fisico e nella mente prima, durante e dopo ogni partita. Perché è ciò che dà senso alla tua vita e contemporaneamente ti impedisce di viverne una. Perché è lo sport più solitario del mondo, dici. E qui ti sbagli, Andre. Quando vuoi o devi essere il primo tocca lasciare gli altri molto, molto indietro; e il principale avversario da battere sei tu, i tuoi fantasmi, le tue paure, le tue ossessioni. Una lotta che richiede esercizio, disciplina, concentrazione. Solitudine, appunto. Lo sport, la danza, la cucina, la scrittura, la musica possono essere così. Devono, se vuoi praticarle a quei livelli. Il punto è se non si è affatto sicuri di volerlo, ed è questo che rende il libro - e l'uomo - così interessanti. Di persone distrutte dal proprio talento ce ne sono state a migliaia; il ragazzo sbanda, sciupa, spreca, sanguina ma non soccombe: resta in trincea. Diventa un campione solo quando impara a perdere, ad accettare di non poter sempre giocare il colpo perfetto. Quando poi riuscirà a far entrare nella sua vita qualcosa di più importante del tennis: delle persone, diventerà finalmente un uomo. Mai amato particolarmente il tennis e Agassi non è mai stato il 'mio' tennista, ma qui lo sport è uno sfondo, echi alla Infinite Jest per quella che è in realtà un'appassionante storia di guerra, ossessione e dipendenza raccontata da chi l'ha faticosamente combattuta e vinta (e scritta benissimo da un premio Pulitzer). Traduzione sciatta e refusi sparsi, sarebbero state cinque stelle.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a tennis fan at all. My knowledge extends to being able to name about 10 players and having watched both a documentary on Borg vs McEnroe as well as the fictional account of their feud. So Agassi to me, really, was Steffi Graf's husband. That's all I knew. When I was looking for an easy non-depressing read and my partner put this into my hands, I didn't expect much and I was positively suprised. Sure, this isn't always top-notch writing, but it's really engaging! You find yourself caring from the first page on. It starts with Agassi hating tennis and being in chronic pain, which is a great mood setter. There's a lot of tennis in this book (naturally), but even when you have no idea about the game, it's still interesting, because his love-hate relationship with the sport could be about anything a person can excel at. I'd recommend this to anyone who's into (auto)biographies.

[Dean Ryan Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big tennis fan and I might not be Agassi's biggest fan, I read and finished his autobiography like I was one of his. Looking forward to re-read it soon!

[Sebastián Morales Arbeláez · Rating 5 out of 5]

No suelo leer autobiografías de personajes famosos porque están llenas de frivolidades y son mal escritas. Pero esta la escribió JR Moehringer a pedido de Agassi (que por ese momento leía El bar de las grandes esperanzas), lo cual es indicio de que la calidad está garantizada. Y fue lo que me motivó a leerla.
Comienza por el final, ya cerca de su partido de despedida, en el duelo ante Marcos Baghdatis en el abierto de Estados Unidos, donde quedaron sin poder moverse en el vestuario después del intenso partido.
Cuenta, siempre en primera persona, cómo su padre lo hizo jugador de tenis por las malas desde los siete años, aunque a los tres ya tenía una raqueta en las manos. Además dice que siempre odió ese deporte.
Su rivalidad con Pete Sampras, del cual no fue muy amigo, su matrimonio fracasado con Brooke Shields, cómo conquistó a Steffi Graf, que tenía novio en esa época. La peluca que usó en gran parte de su carrera debido a la alopecia, las drogas. Todo eso está plasmado en este grandioso libro, y escrito de forma magistral.

[Numo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy entretenido, a menudo interesante y bastante honesto. Se nota y mucho la mano de J. R. Moehringer. Y a mí eso me parece genial. No creo que haya que ser aficionado al tenis para disfrutarlo, aunque es innegable que aquellos que hayan seguido la carrera de Agassi o muestren interés por este deporte recibirán una recompensa extra.