Open: An Autobiography
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-21 09:53:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Andre Agassi
- ISBN：0307388409
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Summary
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Far more than a superb memoir about the highest levels of professional tennis， Open is the engrossing story of a remarkable life。
Andre Agassi had his life mapped out for him before he left the crib。 Groomed to be a tennis champion by his moody and demanding father， by the age of twenty-two Agassi had won the first of his eight grand slams and achieved wealth， celebrity， and the game's highest honors。 But as he reveals in this searching autobiography， off the court he was often unhappy and confused， unfulfilled by his great achievements in a sport he had come to resent。 Agassi writes candidly about his early success and his uncomfortable relationship with fame， his marriage to Brooke Shields， his growing interest in philanthropy， and--described in haunting， point-by-point detail--the highs and lows of his celebrated career。
Far more than a superb memoir about the highest levels of professional tennis， Open is the engrossing story of a remarkable life。
Andre Agassi had his life mapped out for him before he left the crib。 Groomed to be a tennis champion by his moody and demanding father， by the age of twenty-two Agassi had won the first of his eight grand slams and achieved wealth， celebrity， and the game's highest honors。 But as he reveals in this searching autobiography， off the court he was often unhappy and confused， unfulfilled by his great achievements in a sport he had come to resent。 Agassi writes candidly about his early success and his uncomfortable relationship with fame， his marriage to Brooke Shields， his growing interest in philanthropy， and--described in haunting， point-by-point detail--the highs and lows of his celebrated career。
Reviews
Adam Cronkhite
，
It's fascinating to hear an inside perspective on how much of a factor the mental game is at high-level sports。 It's fascinating to hear an inside perspective on how much of a factor the mental game is at high-level sports。 。。。more
Sushobith
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I loved this book。 Beautifully written memoir。 I will continue to re-read this one。
Serge Larose
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I caught the tail end of Agassi's career， which is when I started watching tennis。 My impression is those who like tennis are most likely the ones to enjoy this book。 There are many instances where Andre runs the course of his matches， quite in depth actually。 I imagine these parts might be long and perhaps difficult to understand for non tennis folks （though I could be wrong）。Besides that， I really enjoyed catching a glimpse into Agassi's life and upbringing。 What shocked me the most is how lon I caught the tail end of Agassi's career， which is when I started watching tennis。 My impression is those who like tennis are most likely the ones to enjoy this book。 There are many instances where Andre runs the course of his matches， quite in depth actually。 I imagine these parts might be long and perhaps difficult to understand for non tennis folks （though I could be wrong）。Besides that， I really enjoyed catching a glimpse into Agassi's life and upbringing。 What shocked me the most is how long he stayed in the game doing something he absolutely hated。 It goes to show， that a great tennis career with lots of trophies and money doesn't guarantee happiness and fulfilment。 。。。more
Lisalvold
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As a tennis player， this is a fabulous memoir！
Drew Keim
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1 star = Did not finish / did not like2 stars = Had trouble keeping attention to finish3 stars = Good enjoyable book。 A great way to spend my time。4 stars = Couldn't set the book down。 Engaging。 Great Book。Will likely reread when more of the series is released。5 stars = （4 stars） plus such a good book I will re-read it periodically。 1 star = Did not finish / did not like2 stars = Had trouble keeping attention to finish3 stars = Good enjoyable book。 A great way to spend my time。4 stars = Couldn't set the book down。 Engaging。 Great Book。Will likely reread when more of the series is released。5 stars = （4 stars） plus such a good book I will re-read it periodically。 。。。more
Angela
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I had a crush on Andre when I played tennis in high school， just as his career was starting。 I'm playing tennis again as an adult so it was interesting and eye opening to read the inside story。 Lots of tennis talk， so wouldn't recommend unless you love the sport。 I had a crush on Andre when I played tennis in high school， just as his career was starting。 I'm playing tennis again as an adult so it was interesting and eye opening to read the inside story。 Lots of tennis talk， so wouldn't recommend unless you love the sport。 。。。more
Katherine
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This guy's life is completely wild。 This guy's life is completely wild。 。。。more
Göksel Tuzun
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guzel
Micki Glenn
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Must ReadI hated coming to the end of this book。 It is simply wonderful。 Andre clearly opens his soul and shows us his incredible strengths， his weaknesses， his joy， his angst， and his great heart。 Thank you Andre and JR for a five star story。
Steven Yenzer
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Meh。 I appreciate Agassi's honestly and openness， but the more I read the more I thought he seemed like a dick。 I was especially blown away by his tale of storming out of a taping of Friends because his then-girlfriend Brooke Shields—an actor—licked Matt LeBlanc's hand as part of a scene。 Agassi left， went home， had an angry phone call with shields and then smashed all of his tennis trophies。 And while he definitely expressed some regret， it was clear that he didn't really think his reaction was Meh。 I appreciate Agassi's honestly and openness， but the more I read the more I thought he seemed like a dick。 I was especially blown away by his tale of storming out of a taping of Friends because his then-girlfriend Brooke Shields—an actor—licked Matt LeBlanc's hand as part of a scene。 Agassi left， went home， had an angry phone call with shields and then smashed all of his tennis trophies。 And while he definitely expressed some regret， it was clear that he didn't really think his reaction was that overblown。 What a dick！ 。。。more
Estela
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Really enjoyed reading this book。 Agassi's reflections on the different relationships in his life was the part that intrigued me most。 His description of the love and respect he had for his older brother nearly brought me to tears。 Really enjoyed reading this book。 Agassi's reflections on the different relationships in his life was the part that intrigued me most。 His description of the love and respect he had for his older brother nearly brought me to tears。 。。。more
Boni
，
This is the most honest biography I have ever read， and the intent wasn’t to make Andre Agassi look good， but rather a chance to finally get stuff of his chest… a first opportunity to vent， to allow the public to sympathize， or maybe even empathize in some of the less glamorous sides of the ‘Zen Master’， Mr。 “Image is “Everything。” A brave book indeed， as we learn why he doesn’t have friends on the ATP Tour， due to a self-centered， revenge-filled sense of justice， created in large part from his This is the most honest biography I have ever read， and the intent wasn’t to make Andre Agassi look good， but rather a chance to finally get stuff of his chest… a first opportunity to vent， to allow the public to sympathize， or maybe even empathize in some of the less glamorous sides of the ‘Zen Master’， Mr。 “Image is “Everything。” A brave book indeed， as we learn why he doesn’t have friends on the ATP Tour， due to a self-centered， revenge-filled sense of justice， created in large part from his paternal handcuffs to the solitary career of Tennis Superstar。 To this day， his Dad is proud of every harsh insult he threw every step of the way （Not in the book， but in book tour interviews given by the previously private Agassi。） What a great insight into the life of a tennis player （both young an healthy and old and hanging on）， Andre Agassi’s personal emotional struggles and loves， his rise out of poverty， his family support （brother） or lack thereof （mother）， the hangers-on （the business side）， and the wonderful replaying of memorable Grand Slam matches… and even TV commercials。 My family has been passionate about tennis for 50 years， thanks to an initiation on steel ‘net’ courts in Winnipeg， mis-shapen by snow and ice-cracked concrete。 So I loved this book， and Agassi proves to be such a good writer that it far exceeded my expectations。 He is clearly in touch with his soul… and the English language… with creative writing that doesn’t stray （too） off annoyingly into philosophy， but for the most part， stays within the lines。 And though he can’t really hide being self-centered， it doesn’t make you say ‘what an ego！’ out loud… In fact， I greatly appreciate that difficult candidness， a courtside seat to this unique star’s mind。 A little ‘woe is me’ is understandable， but the tantrum after Brooke Shields’ filming Friends was a WTF moment 😳？ The book offers so many champagne-problem moments throughout his ‘troubled’ life， but it’s nice to see he finally realizes that after a friend tells him， hey 90 % of people hate their jobs， but trudge through life anyways。 Less than admirable character flaws he revealed stand out to me… Tanking （i。e。， losing on purpose） to Michael Chang so he wouldn’t have to lose to Boris Becker should not be a proud moment moment， but he sure wears it like a crown… rationalizing his lying about crystal meth seems self-serving… wining about his bad locker room reputation/lack of friends can be easily explained if you look at his bully-descriptions of his opponents， in-laws， basically everyone but his close friends… not sure he recognizes his self-aggrandizing with the humblebrag stories helping EVERYONE with his money… but pays his school’s teachers less per hour than other teachers… enforces a dress code while blowing snot at society norms throughout his own schooling days… dragging Pete Sampras through the mud with a story of supposedly-low-tipping a car attendant… a very different guy indeed… Andre Agassi， I mean！ Now Andre Agassi’s assertion that he has always and still HATES tennis…。 over and over and over again？ Hmmm， okay？ … methinks he doth protest too much🙃 but the ending was a great conclusion。 So， Andre Agassi is not necessarily a great person， but I admire this book， uniquely honest book filled with great portrayal of his life in tennis， thanks to his ghost-writer， Pulitzer Prize author， J。R。 Moehringer… who only gets a billing in the Acknowledgements （a very Agassi-like decision lol）。 Side Note for tennis fans: there are some wonderful documentaries nowadays to supplement this read and gain other perspectives， like the one on Nick Bollettieri that details the Jim Courier rivalry， and another on the mental anguish suffered by Mardy Fish and the riveting tough decision to sacrifice （sometimes one’s conscience） to excel in that world。 。。。more
Adrian George
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Engaging story of my tennis idol。 I grew up watching Agassi and his superb career。
Tasos Manouras
，
Don’t care if you like tennis， don’t care if you like Agassi， this book is the best sports autobiography that I have read so far。 Incredibly truthful， amazingly insightful for an individual who spent more than half of his professional career being labeled by the press。 A story of human triumph more inspirational than all of the inspirational books combined。
Goodwell Mateyo
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A very candid and illuminating account of one of tennis's underrated greats。 The personal struggles are dripping with pathos。 A very candid and illuminating account of one of tennis's underrated greats。 The personal struggles are dripping with pathos。 。。。more
Viviane Frangie
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Just great！
Adrienne
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Listened via audible。I mean， basically this book is:I hate tennisI play tennis（enter LOTS OF TENNIS DETAILS）I hate tennisI think this book could have been 1/2 as long。 There is so much complaining and so so many details about tennis games。 I know， he plays tennis， but was this book written for the masses or just tennis lovers？ （of which I am not）Would be interesting to read Pete Sampras book re: his side of the story but I am not touching another tennis memoir again。
Fred
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What a roller coaster of a life and book！ Really enjoyed this one - so many things that I just had no idea about Agassi and the inner world of professional tennis。 The hours upon hours of endless training since childhood， the traveling， the loneliness， what it feels like to lose badly， want to win badly， or just feel bad when you should feel good。 For someone who didn't finish high school， he can write decently well。 The epiphanies and life lessons he comes across are so simple but also really r What a roller coaster of a life and book！ Really enjoyed this one - so many things that I just had no idea about Agassi and the inner world of professional tennis。 The hours upon hours of endless training since childhood， the traveling， the loneliness， what it feels like to lose badly， want to win badly， or just feel bad when you should feel good。 For someone who didn't finish high school， he can write decently well。 The epiphanies and life lessons he comes across are so simple but also really refreshing and humbling。 My main drawback with the book is the match descriptions can get repetitive， but there's enough of Agassi's off-court life in the book that it balances out。Would recommend to anyone who has even the slightest interest in tennis。 The book is so much more than that！ 。。。more
Jane
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Thoroughly engaging， entertaining and honest。 I loved it！
Emilio Muñoz
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Fascinante， me ha encantado
Silvana
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Le doy 4 estrellas solo porque no lo volvería a leer pero impresionante historia。 Siento que viví tanto con este libro， aunque fue una autobiografía sentía que a la vez fue un poco de self help porque me ayudo a cuestionarme muchas cosas， que actividades o pensamientos están ahí por mis papás y que ha sido criterio mío。 Que difícil tener la tarea de vivir los sueños de otros a costa tuya， aunque todo fue para bien fueron muchos momentos de self doubt porque nunca fue una pasión propia。 También o Le doy 4 estrellas solo porque no lo volvería a leer pero impresionante historia。 Siento que viví tanto con este libro， aunque fue una autobiografía sentía que a la vez fue un poco de self help porque me ayudo a cuestionarme muchas cosas， que actividades o pensamientos están ahí por mis papás y que ha sido criterio mío。 Que difícil tener la tarea de vivir los sueños de otros a costa tuya， aunque todo fue para bien fueron muchos momentos de self doubt porque nunca fue una pasión propia。 También otra enseñanza me deja lo fácil que somos para criticar al prójimo sin saber nada de su historia， tenemos que ser más humildes y sensibles no sabemos como nuestras palabras o acciones afectan， al igual que si tenemos una voz hacerla escuchar no nos podemos dejar empujar por los demás。 Que bonito el deporte el tenis， pero si nunca había pensado lo solitario que es y la importancia de estar bien contigo mentalmente como físicamente （digo en todos pero esté en específico）。 Término también con ganas de agarrar una raqueta y ponerme a jugar al igual que verlo， teniendo todo este back story。 。。。more
Nipun
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Usually sport biographies are nothing short of hagiographies。 This one is quite different - really raw and pretty amazing to see a sportsperson at this level opening up （stays true to the title of the book）。 Definite read。
Howard
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An exceptional sportsman， and a complex， interesting personality。 Agassi writes about himself and his relationships with others in what seems to be an honest and balanced way， and some of them were pretty dysfunctional。 Others were made in heaven， and Agassi seemed to luck out when it came to his professional advisors and trainers。 And he certainly lucked out with Steffi Graf in a relationship that appears to have been as near perfect as it gets for both of them。As for the tennis， Agassi tells t An exceptional sportsman， and a complex， interesting personality。 Agassi writes about himself and his relationships with others in what seems to be an honest and balanced way， and some of them were pretty dysfunctional。 Others were made in heaven， and Agassi seemed to luck out when it came to his professional advisors and trainers。 And he certainly lucked out with Steffi Graf in a relationship that appears to have been as near perfect as it gets for both of them。As for the tennis， Agassi tells the story well。 And what a tale it was， with incredible ups and downs， and intense rivalries。 He was one of my favourite players to watch in the '90s and early '00s， so I much enjoyed reading his take on the key tournaments of his career。A great read 。。。more
Callum Schultz
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Great self-reflection by Andre Agassi！
Susie Ramroop
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Can't believe it's taken me so long to read this。 Love the man， love his writing， feel for his psyche。 I'd recommend。 A bit on the long side but well worth reading。 Can't believe it's taken me so long to read this。 Love the man， love his writing， feel for his psyche。 I'd recommend。 A bit on the long side but well worth reading。 。。。more
Ingrid
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Doing something he didn't love gave him a valuable lesson。 Doing something he didn't love gave him a valuable lesson。 。。。more
Ishan Choksi
，
Most thrilling life story I've read after Shoe dog Most thrilling life story I've read after Shoe dog 。。。more
Tolga Akar
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Most incredible book inreadThe story of one of the best sportsman told in the most transparent manner。 Evidence of a real life with its ups and downs。 Shows how hard work and resilience are core to all success。 Enjoyed it fully。
Fulk
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Great book really engrossing ！
Kay
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This book is 10 stars。 I’ve read a lot of really good memoirs but honestly this one is my absolute favorite。 I am not a tennis fan at all however this book is about his life and tennis is the backdrop。 Andre is a good hearted， kind， gentle soul and he had a tricky childhood because of his father。 Andre had some very extremely loyal and loving friends to guide him throughout his life。 The book was fascinating。 A lot of information packed into it。 I enjoyed every word。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Open: An Autobiography
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Open: An Autobiography&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft