He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court – but from early childhood Andre Agassi hated the game. Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of balls a day while still in primary school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts, a life balanced precariously between self-destruction and perfectionism. Agassi makes us feel his panic as an undersized seven-year-old in Las Vegas, practising all day under the obsessive gaze of his violent father. We see him at thirteen, banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a drop-out, he rebels in ways that soon make him a 1980s icon. And by the time he turns pro at sixteen, his lightning-fast return promises to change tennis forever. 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. Then, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by winning the 1992 Wimbledon Championship. Overnight he becomes a fan favourite and a media target. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every public relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely described. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals from several generations – Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer – 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. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, and his gentle trainer; all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf. Entering his last tournament in 2006, he’s hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis. And still he’s not finished. At an unforgettable US Open, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of the most stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena. With its breakneck tempo and raw candour, 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.
