num_pages: 388
description: 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.Agassis 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 worlds 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 generationsJimmy Connors Pete Sampras Roger FedererAgassi 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 hes hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis from nonconformist to elder statesman from dropout to education advocate. And still hes 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 Agassis game it sets a new standard for grace style speed and power.
language: English
title: Open
publisher: Knopf