With its breakneck tempo and raw candor, 'Open' is a treat forboth ardent fans and those who know nothing about tennis.įar more than a superb memoir about the highest levels of professional tennis, Open is the engrossing story of a remarkable life. For everyone who is searching for what they are meant to do and not afraid of the cubic hours of work it takes to get there, Open is for you.About the Book From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of themost gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, comes a beautiful, hauntingautobiography. You have to care about fighting your demons (along with society’s expectations) and finding your purpose. You don’t have to care about tennis to enjoy Open. “This is the only perfection there is, the perfection of helping others.“

Nearly every win or loss happens in his head and reliving those matches through his succinct storytelling is way more satisfying than if I’d watched them live. When Agassi realizes that perfectionism is a tool he can discard or use on his own terms, his ah-ha moment makes me want to examine what’s in my own mental toolbox.

“A win doesn’t feel as good as a loss feels bad, and the good feeling doesn’t last long as the bad. I’ve never actually heard him speak, but when he writes about an opponent’s serve that only misses by a “bee’s dick,” or a lion’s eyes being “the color of lemon-lime Gatorade,” it’s easy to get a sense of his voice. I appreciate Agassi’s attention to omens and superstitions and how he lets us in on his inner dialogue. Agassi’s father sends him to tennis camp because of a 60 Minutes segment and years later, a 60 Minutes segment on charter schools inspires Agassi to dedicate his foundation to education. A childhood friend tells Agassi that he will one day be with Brooke Shields. “Hate brings me to my knees, love gets me on my feet.” This is a story about surviving and learning how to get out of your own way in order to succeed.

Reading about his lifelong struggle to reconcile his innate physical ability with his hatred of the path his father predetermined for him is fascinating. “It’s no accident, I think, that tennis uses the language of life. His autobiography, Open, sucked me in right away because I believe in the power of acknowledging, and then sharing, your core truths.

Andre agassi book review