Open Andre Agassi

May 1, 2014

Before I even opened this book, I had a preconceived opinion of Andre Agassi. For me, he was the guy who had the lion mane of hair, oddball tennis outfits and was married to Brooke Shields. In the camera commercials, he was the guy who blurted out the slogan, "image is everything."  I knew he won a few major tournaments and played well into his thirties. The book "Open" was recommended based on how well it was written with its depiction of the tennis world and the life of a professional athlete.

As I read page after page, I was transfixed into Agassi’s life path and how he ended up where he did. Agassi is adamant about stating his reluctance and distaste for the sport in which he was a champion. The story details his early life with his father’s pressure for him to succeed at tennis. The main reason I couldn’t put this book down is the way the writing is so vivid in its events and situations in hand.

He describes in great detail the events in his early life that shaped his upbringing. One of those events that I remember most is the challenge match with the Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown. Agassi was a young lad at the age of ten. His dad bet Brown ten thousand dollars that Andre could beat him in a match. The most prevalent and underlying thread throughout the book is his dad's influence over his demeanor. His dad's persona shaped Andre's life, both good and bad. Agassi lays out chronologically in a riveting storytelling style the key points that influenced his decisions.

My most enjoyment from this book is how Agassi describes his thoughts about his opponents, especially his arch-rival, Pete Sampras. Agassi breaks down his championship matches, from his strategy to his training regimen and mental state. It's such a fascinating read to hear about the struggles to gain opponents' psychological and physical edge.

Lastly, we get to read about his walk with fame and how he dealt with it. You get to go behind the scenes in which celebrities live. Agassi holds nothing back, and when you finish reading it, you learn, you're entertained, and you can recommend it to sports fans and anybody.