Will I love Open?

Most athlete autobiographies are light on details and heavy on cliches. Not Open. I loved how self-critical Agassi was, how he described hating tennis, how much he resented his father. He poured cold water on iconic memories, from his legendary haircuts to his short-lived marriage to Brooke Shields.

His uncredited ghostwriter on the book, JR Moehringer, who wrote the bestselling memoir The Tender Bar (as well as Prince Harry’s book), pulled so much truth from Agassi, who went along with everything. This book is one of the few must-have autobiographies for any sports fan’s bookshelf.

I loved this book because of how raw and vulnerable Agassi was in sharing his insecurities and adversities during his time as a tennis pro. As a tennis pro myself, I completely related to Agassi sharing his experiences as a competitor and the internal challenges he faced mentally and emotionally.

There’s no doubt that sports have countless common threads that help us to succeed in life. When competing in tennis, you’re out there by yourself, alone with only your thoughts. Therefore, controlling your mindset and constantly striving for superior excellence is vital in giving yourself the chance for peak performance.

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More than anything, I loved this book because Agassi was honest, detailed, and, well, uncensored.

I’m not a huge fan of tennis, so I was skeptical when I first started reading—but Agassi’s life and career are so fascinating that I eventually couldn’t put it down. This autobiography is different from any other I’ve ever read; Agassi opens up about issues that most athletes shy away from discussing, including his search for identity and peace amid a remarkable career.

I regard this as the best sports biography I have ever read.

Andre Agassi was both a rebel and a superbly talented multiple grand slam winner on the international tennis circuit. Open reveals graphically his perpetual love-hate relationship with tennis.

His story is both compelling and genuine, as well as a joy to read.

Agassi's story is one of perseverance and self-discovery, as he struggled with personal demons throughout his career, including depression, addiction, and tumultuous family life.

Despite these challenges, Agassi went on to become one of the most successful tennis players of all time, winning numerous Grand Slam titles and Olympic medals. In his book, he offers candid reflections on his life and career and provides insights into the mental and emotional challenges of being a top athlete.

Reading Open has personally inspired me to pursue my own athletic and business goals with greater determination and resilience, and I believe it is… show more.

The only tennis biography to be a best-seller, this frank and often racy tale of Agassi’s troubled childhood and roller coaster career is far more honest and open (aka the title) than the usual sports hagiographies. He tells all about his over-ambitious father, who made him train in a rattle snake-infested desert; about his miserable years in a tennis boot camp; about his youthful fame and the sudden responsibility of having lots of money he didn’t know how to handle; of the time his false hairpiece fell off during a match; his doomed marriage to film star Brooke Shields; and… show more.

I think it’s fair to say that even those who are not familiar with the game of tennis recognize Andre Agassi, because he was such a media-gravitating force in his heyday. Not only did he excel in tennis itself, he married Brooke Shields. He wore that entrancing mullet of hair, which at some point became a secret hairpiece. Then there’s the time Andre played a match while high on crystal meth. And what about his legit crazy father, the guy who instilled the game of tennis so much in young Andre that as an older adult, he sometimes couldn’t tell… show more.