From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in
history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a
tennis court, a beautiful, haunting
autobiography.
Agassi’s incredibly rigorous training
begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he
is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a
prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he
rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He dyes
his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By
the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to
change tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return.
And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early
on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world’s best,
his greater confusion as he starts to win. After stumbling
in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and
himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he
becomes a fan favorite and a media target.
Agassi
brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and
every relationship. Never before has the inner game of
tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned.
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 a shattering loss of confidence. And he
recounts his spectacular resurrection, a comeback climaxing
with his epic run at the 1999 French Open and his march to
become the oldest man ever ranked number one.
In
clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise
coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him
regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
Inspired by her quiet strength, he fights through crippling
pain from a deteriorating spine to remain a dangerous
opponent in the twenty-first and final year of his career.
Entering his last tournament in 2006, he’s hailed for
completing a stunning metamorphosis, from nonconformist to
elder statesman, from dropout to education advocate. And
still he’s not done. At a U.S. Open for the ages, 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 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.
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