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Andre Agassi

Open: An Autobiography

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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 grade school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself, an inner conflict that would define him. In his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by conflict.
Agassi makes us feel his panic as an undersized seven-year-old, practicing all day under the obsessive gaze of his violent father. We see him at thirteen, banished to a tennis camp. A lonely, scared, 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.
Yet, despite raw talent, he struggles. 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 title. Overnight he becomes a fan favourite and a media target.
Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match, and every public relationship. Alongside vivid portraits of tennis rivals, Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his relationships. 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.
Note that this ebook edition does not include illustrations that first appeared in the print version.
This book is currently unavailable
527 printed pages
Original publication
2009
Publication year
2009
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Impressions

  • Armando Mshared an impression8 years ago
    👍Worth reading
    🎯Worthwhile

    The story is not about transformation, it's about formation

  • b6483950887shared an impression4 years ago
    👍Worth reading

  • johannmartishared an impression4 years ago
    👍Worth reading
    💡Learnt A Lot

Quotes

  • Petra Emese Hajduhas quoted4 years ago
    I click on the TV. Tonight, Round Two of the U.S. Open!
  • Petra Emese Hajduhas quoted4 years ago
    I lie on the bed
  • Petra Emese Hajduhas quoted4 years ago
    The finish line at the end of a career is no different from the finish line at the end of a match. The objective is to get within reach of that finish line, because then it gives off a magnetic force. When you’re close, you can feel that force pulling you, and you can use that force to get across. But just before you come within range, or just after, you feel another force, equally strong, pushing you away. It’s inexplicable, mystical, these twin forces, these contradictory energies, but they both exist.

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