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    Open: An Autobiography
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    Open: An Autobiography
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    Open: An Autobiography
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    Open: An Autobiography

    Written by Andre Agassi

    Narrated by Erik Davies

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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.

    Agassi's 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 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. 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 generations-Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer-Agassi 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, he's hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis, from nonconformist to elder statesman, from dropout to education advocate. And still he's 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 Agassi's game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed, and power.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateNov 9, 2009
    ISBN9780739358573
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Open

    4/5

    660 ratings62 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Agassi seems to be a thoughtful, sensitive, and sincere guy who was thrust onto the world stage almost against his will. I was a big tennis fan during the years he played and I was fascinated by his descriptions of the mental side of the game. I was not a big fan of his until the end of his career, when he ditched the big hair and on court antics and signed to play for the pure joy of the game (maybe).
    • 3/5
      I have a fascination with tennis (which unfortunately doesn't translate to being talented at tennis) and I remember Andre Agassi playing. I remember being upset that he shaved his head and got rid of his signature locks (back then we didn't know about his hair problems). I'm not sure what I expected from this book, but I didn't get whatever it was. It started out decently--talking about his childhood and his father teaching him (or forcing him to practice) tennis. I was amazed that he did so well in a game he basically hated. But in between the personal life stuff, it seemed like a lot of factual recitations of his games and career. I appreciated his honesty about his feelings about tennis and winning/losing. I appreciated that he admitted he decided to take drugs and that he wrote a false explanation to the tennis board (I wonder if his admission of this many years later would cause problems for him in the tennis world?) He seemed to understand what went wrong in his relationship with Brooke Shields (though she's not painted in the most beatific light--he does admit what he did wrong in the relationship too.) I was most surprised that she didn't think any of the people around him were good for him except Gil. I thought most of them seemed to be good friends to him in that they interceded with him if he was destroying himself, were honest with him loyal to him. I'm glad he found love again with Stefanie Graf.
    • 4/5
      I don't usually read sports biographies, but Agassi focuses on the human side with a great sense of the tragic. The first third is probably the best, during his childhood and teen years before he became famous. The arc of Agassi's story is not unlike Charles Dickens Bildungsroman David Copperfield: the young hero with an abusive father who is sent off to boarding school with a wicked headmaster whom he eventually triumphs over to become his own man; the failed first marriage to the girl above his class, the second marriage to the girl more like himself whom he should have married in the first; the cast of colorful characters - some so good they nearly magical, others so evil they are like devils. Like Dickens, Agassi sees the world as fated, the good guys always win in the end, and the bad guys ultimately loose (Agassi sees himself as born with a golden horseshoe). Aggasi almost breaks the old literary mold with a true modern memoir by revealing he hates tennis, but he ends the book playing tennis for pleasure, and it's never convincing how much he really hates all the things tennis has done for him. Just as modernism taught us to be skeptical of the narrator in literature, this memoir may contain style over substance in the interest of telling a compelling story - ironically the very charge he has darted his whole professional career ("Image is Everything"). Indeed, the more compelling the story, and the more neatly it fits the old literary molds, the more skeptical we should be. It's not what he says, but what is missing.Beyond any pedantic "literary criticism", Agassi is a good guy and has proven it with his philanthropy work, he is a role model for all of us on how to improve our own lives by improving the lives of others. That is the true message of the book and Agassi has only just begun to tell that story.
    • 5/5
      I bought this book because I am interested in the enigma that is Agassi, have seen him play in Australia and like tennis. I expected it to be another ordinary biography on a subject of interest to me but I was hooked from the very first paragraph. I was astounded by the quality of the writing in this book and the way it told the Andre story, warts and all. The characters, many of whom I have seen play, were well-drawn and came alive in the pages of "Open". I couldn't believe that Andre could write so eloquently so I wasn't surprised to find that the book was ghost-written. Andre's positive perceptions of Australia and Australians such as Pat Rafter and Darren Cahill struck a chord with this proud Aussie. It was gratifying to hear that Andre loved visiting our shores.I recommend this book to all readers irrespective of whether they have an interest in tennis or not. 4 1/2 stars is the highest rating I have ever given to a book - as a harsh judge I just can't give 5. This is one of the most engaging tales I have read in a long time.
    • 3/5
      Oh, Andre.
    • 5/5
      An excellent and compelling memoir. Agassi chose one of the best in the business to co-write. The prose is beautiful, and that makes a huge difference over other famous people memoirs, but Agassi deserves even more praise. The book feels very authentic. Agassi is often a big spoiled child with an enduring need for a posse of paternalistic handlers to deal with every single thing other than playing tennis. But he is also a very real man who yearns for love, acceptance, homage to stay alive. This is outside my typical reading fare, and I was absolutely rewarded for changing it up.
    • 5/5
      I've been wanting to read this autobiography for years, and it didn't disappoint. I'm not a big sports fan, and not at all a tennis follower, save for one fleeting summer. It was 1992, I was finishing off my first year at university, and my flatmates and I were all glued to a little portable TV set watching Agassi breaking all the rules at Wimbledon with his crazy hair and earrings. Of course the fact that half the crazy hair was a wig was unbeknown to us at the time - that summer he was just uber cool (and seriously cute).Before any gents reading this review turn off completely, cuteness aside this is an amazing book. More biography than autobiography as Agassi's main input was recounting his life to a ghost writer's tape recorder, but that's neither here nor there. Whether you like tennis or have minimal interest in it, this is an immense read, less about the sport and more about one man's struggle to find himself and to lose his demons. From Andre's birth his father, an Iranian immigrant, had one goal in life - to make his son the number one tennis player in the world. He had no tennis background of his own (he was an amateur boxer in Iran), but was resolutely fixated on this path for his child. He moved out into the desert of Las Vegas so he could afford a plot with a yard big enough to build a tennis court, and from the outset removed the right of choice from the his son. Whether he enjoyed it or not (and he didn't), he was going to be out hitting 2,500 balls every day from the age of six.By the time he was turned pro in his teens, after several miserable years when he was shipped off by his father to live in a tennis academy in Florida, he was an unhappy, rebellious tennis prodigy who hated rules and hated the sport more. Despite his successes and grand slam wins, throughout his 20 years of professional playing he continued to struggle with his hatred for his sport, or moreover his hatred of a life that he was not in control of.This book is very cleverly written in that although there is the backdrop of his great tennis successes and failures, the tennis matches are covered just enough to frame the scene without become too tedious. Moreover they form the backdrop of a fascinating life story filled with larger than life characters and a myriad of personal battles. There is the sadness of his relationship with his father who fails to ever emotionally connect with the child who is living out his dreams for him, the heartache of a marriage with a wife whose life is just too different from his (Brooke Shields), the unbreakable bond with his trainer Gil throughout his career, a giant of a man who loves him like a son, his unwavering friendships with his old pals from Vegas (including an old school friend who leads him to crystal meth), his loyal coach Brad who works tirelessly to rebuild him, and ultimately his path to loving life and tennis through his new love Steffi Graff and a transformation to choice.I'm sure behind the stories of many great athletes are similar tales of tiger parents who push their children from the moment they emerge from the womb. Agassi is full of contradictions, which is what makes his book so engaging - despite his personal psychological conflicts with the game, he went on to have one of the longest tennis careers and was one of the oldest grand slam winners. An ultimate story of triumph, I had tears in my eyes by the end.4.5 stars - game, set and match.
    • 5/5
      It's a great book. It has a nice human touch, I loved it.
    • 2/5
      I hate abridged books. Damn it Scribd. Put the full version so I don’t have to waste my credit on this.
    • 5/5
      Outstanding! Riveting. Emotional. Wonderful. Highly recommended. Bravo Andre.
    • 5/5
      Great book about struggle and life. Real truth what's behind every success.
    • 4/5
      I have seen this book cited for years as many people's favorite celebrity memoir. It is very readable - even for someone like me who has a very loose understanding of tennis and has only casually watched tennis over the years. It is a quick moving read that kept me engaged. It definitely made me more aware and gave me a different understanding of Agassi himself and of how grueling life leading up to and as a competitive tennis player is like.
    • 4/5
      Grew up with a tennis-obsessed father and a lot of pressure. Became a prodigy, but did not have it easy. Reacted by rebelling against some of the structures, understandably. From the book seems to have calmed down as time passed, but hard to judge only from his own words. Agassi is open about his life, as the title promises, and I enjoyed the book despite not following tennis. A little long for my taste. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      I don't usually read sports bios especially sports I know very little about and wouldn't watch on TV to save a limb; however, after reading just a few pages I was hooked. Open is a narcissistic tour deforce of Andre Agassi's tennis career from the early years of a hard driving father to the final retirement game sprinkled with lots of syrupy stuff about Steffi Graff. What makes it work is it is extremely engaging and relational (now whether this is due to the ghost writer or actually Andre I didn't care because it made the ride enjoyable). Some things I learned along the way. Line judges in tennis are thin skinned and a bit prudish. Surround yourself with good people and invest in them. You can succeed even if you hate what you are doing. It's never too late to tinker with your game. Once you've got the fundamentals and conditioning down then don't think just act. I'm intrigued by his love of Shadowlands. I think he should have let his father and Stef's dad duke it out. Even though his faith is mentioned I wish he would have explored it more. It was just the right amount of tennis talk for the uninitiated even though there were a few terms he should have defined for those that know nothing about the sport.
    • 5/5
      I had a mad crush on Agassi when I was a teenager. Sat in Wales, UK in a little flat watching Wimbledon instead of going to see Shakespeares birth place with my family etc... But I had no real idea what I was watching, I just liked the intensity of it. This book was a page turner to me and despite critics who dislike his "rebellious" style or say he sold himself to marketers, I found him to be decidedly un-shallow. In fact, for someone so "unschooled" he has some brilliant observations-notably how people kept saying he was changing his style when he points out that he was just trying to find it. They vilify him when really he is just coping with being under such constant pressure and exposure to the world. He points out a truth that people miss:for people who want to find their best and be most fulfilled, it is a long road and just as you can't look at a 6 year old and give a final verdict on what he'll become, you can't make that final jugdgement about a 20 year old. Life is so much longer, hopefully, than it ever seems. I am a sap and love that he married Stephanie. I watched the youtube video of her acceptance speech, I believe for some hall of fame thing, and it was touching. There is more to Agassi than people say. Maybe he's slightly egotistical, but wouldn't most people be in his position. At least he's not robotic like some tennis players or a pretty boy like Federer who doesn't even sweat. Note:If you *don't* enjoy tennis, you will find this boring. There is a lot of talk about each match.
    • 5/5
      I went in with a preconceived idea that this book was horrible and he was a horrible representative of the sport of tennis but was pleasantly surprised. He's just... honest. Not everything is sunshine and roses. He's not out to hurt anybody - he's very gracious towards his opponents, including Pete Sampras and his love story with Steffi Graf was beautiful to read.

      And he likes C.S. Lewis. How can you go wrong with that?
    • 5/5
      This was a phenomenal autobiography. I couldn't put the book down and learned a lot from one of the most charismatic of sports stars. Andre doesn't hold back and admits to some of his biggest personal failings in the book. I would recommend this even for people who aren't big tennis fans as there is so much about life and challenging yourself no matter what you're doing. I'm extremely glad to have read this book.
    • 5/5
      You know how sometimes when you read an autobiography, you really feel like you'd want to sit down and have a beer with the author? Open is not one of those autobiographies. Don't get me wrong - Agassi seems like a decent guy. But he's not an outgoing guy, and he's not a warm guy, and he seems like a pretty neurotic guy. It's not really surprising considering the upbringing he had, but I still don't really see him being much fun to hang out with.I grew up watching tennis, so I remember Agassi coming on the scene. I remember the infamous Canon commercial he did with the tagline "Image is everything." I remember the hot pink bike shorts, the hair (or hair piece, as it turns out), the earring, the denim shorts, Brooke Shields. For me, a lot of the stories in the book were like a walk down memory lane, but with the ability to see them from a different angle. It was great to get Agassi's insight into these moments, because usually there was a lot going on underneath that the general public had no idea about. He starts off by explaining that he hates tennis - not in any of the myriad ways you might take that coming from a professional tennis player, but really *hates* it. His father was obsessed with the game, and obsessed with having a champion; when Andre's three older siblings failed in various ways, the job fell to him. Eventually, his life reached a point where he had to consider a couple of things: he was good at tennis and he didn't have the skills for anything else, so he might as well try to make a go of it. Although there is no moment where he completely changes his view of the game, he does come to a truce with it, and even finds that there is pleasure in there somewhere, although not the type that most athletes might describe. Agassi is downright surprised when he feels elation at winning a Grand Slam. He's both open and distant; willing to delve into his emotions and failings, but unable to see far beyond his own immediate sphere. Somewhat surprisingly considering all the press their rivalry got, he talks only occasionally about Pete Sampras. On the other hand, they were both pretty reserved, so it doesn't seem like they spent a lot of time in conversation together. Agassi doesn't seem to like Sampras all that much, either, but when asked he says that yes, he would consider Pete a friend. This is the weakness of the book for anyone looking for insight into dynamics between the players or insight into life on the tour as a larger picture: Agassi lives inside his own head most of the time, and aside from that, with a small group of trusted friends, and he rarely ventures outside of that bubble. But if you're more interested in Agassi himself, or how someone who reached such heights could do it without even liking what he was doing, this is the book for you.
    • 5/5
      A great read - especially if you followed tennis during the last 25 years. I didn't realise how many years he played for or how many slams he won. I knew he made a comeback and seemed to a changed person. The book is well written and he is honest about his lies - if that makes sense. Its starts near the end and then re-starts again from the beginning. Some great insights about sport and life - well worth the read.
    • 4/5
      The book group I'm in chose this as the book group for our next meeting at a meeting I wasn't at: not being a huge tennis fan, I wasn't sure this would be for me, but in fact it's a very interesting study of the effects ruthless parental ambition can have on a young athlete. Andre Agassi's father pushed and pushed him to become a top tennis player - and he did; but the psychological fallout wrecked the younger Agassi's life for many years. The story of how he gradually and painfully overcame this makes for an often moving autobiography - though the descriptions of the tennis matches themselves tend to blur into one. Perhaps that's appropriate.
    • 5/5
      Great, sometimes brutally honest inside view of Andre's life. A unique individual thrown into unique circumstances that ultimately prevails in finding himself.
    • 5/5
      Loved it, not a huge tennis fan but if your of the age you remember Agassi being the talk of the sports world it's a great fast listen ( read)
    • 5/5
      Outstanding and honest story of obsession and addiction.
    • 5/5
      One of the most fascinating biographies I have ever read. Agassi's raw honesty and humour make it a truly compelling read. I found myself fascinated and wanting to learn more about Tennis, which I won't lie had no interest in. Many of the tennis scenes had me on the edge of my seat. I was impressed with his trust and love for those involved in his career and his constant mentions of how he couldn't do anything without them. His generosity and strength of character are inspiring. Sad that his fathers childhood coloured him and he tried to make his son fulfill his dreams. And I admire Andre's forgiveness and acceptance of his dad's faults. Enjoyed the humour and the constant mentions of "Of course it was Pete." This was one of the recommendation from Captain Awesome, who is my non-fiction guru. I trust him implicitly when it comes to non fiction. He has not disappointed me yet.

      Favorite Quote's Passages

      "All this is lost on Pete, however. From the opening, he’s yawning, fidgeting, checking his watch. He doesn’t like the theater, and he doesn’t get actors since hes never pretended anything in his life. In the quasi-darkness of the footlights, I smile at his discomfort. Somehow, forcing him to sit through Grease feels more satisfying than beating him in Key Biscayne”

      “I find it surreal, then perfectly normal. I'm struck by how fast the surreal becomes the norm. I marvel at how unexciting it is to be famous, how mundane famous people are. They're confused, uncertain, insecure, and often hate what they do. It's something we always hear - like that old adage that money can't buy happiness-but we never believe it until we see it ourselves.
    • 4/5
      I never would have picked this book up if it weren't for several different people's recommendations. I don't follow tennis, or much sport at all, for that matter. But what a great read! Honest, raw and compelling, this is a memoir about Life which happens to have a bit of tennis in it.
    • 4/5
      I had difficulty putting this book down - amazing story, amazing person, one of the greats of my lifetime
    • 4/5
      Most people believe that professional athletes live world class lifestyles, and without a doubt love everything about their job, which happens to be the sport they are playing. Not always. “Open,” an autobiography by the tennis star Andre Agassi, definitely gives a unique perspective of an athlete that didn’t necessarily live a role model type lifestyle. It is true that parents sometimes force their children into a sport, but this story takes it to a whole new level. This stunning, yet truthful story is filled with many story lines, including the never-ending determination of an athlete, a hopeful love story with women’s tennis star Steffi Graf, and the tale of a tennis legend. The books’ strengths are how truthful and unique the story is, and how it grabs your attention from the first lines of, “I open my eyes and don’t know where I am or who I am. Not all that unusual - I’ve spent half my life not knowing. Still, this feels different. This confusion is more frightening. More total,” to the very last page. Just when you think things are going well for Andre, another obstacle, such as drug use, is presented in front of him. The only weakness of the book is not explaining the outcomes of some stories, such as his separation from Wendy. The writing style is perfect and the pace keeps you very into Andre’s story. He uses many great descriptive words so it is easy to understand what he was going through. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to any athlete, because it shows you how much dedication and hard work it takes to excel as an athlete, and how your life will be filled with ups and downs. I personally enjoy hearing professional athletes’ stories, and especially how they deal with obstacles every day.Matt B.
    • 5/5
      Loved it! He really was Open about his career, his mindset, his personal life. Wonderful story for the tennis fan and for other who just like a good autobiography.
    • 5/5
      When Open came out it made a bit of a splash. Agassi hated tennis, no really, he truly did. Who knew? It's a refrain that Agassi repeats throughout the book, a kind of repeating joke. But he's serious. What sets Open apart from your average autobiography is Agassi's honesty, his willingness to reveal his warts and not paint a pretty picture for posterity. It's a compelling read, a real page turner. The reader experiences the ups and downs, whether it is Agassi winning a slam, losing (inevitably) to Sampras, getting divorced, or finally finding happiness in his marriage to Steffi Graff. At times Agassi comes off as insensitive or a bit crude. But this is balanced by his grit, earnestness, honesty, and generosity. While talented journalist and author of The Tender Bar, J.R. Moehringer. helped Agassi shape this memoir, the voice is uniquely Agassi's. It's a voice worth listening to. This is a sports memoir with universal appeal. Agassi's life is exceptional, of course, but his trajectory is Homeric and all too human.
    • 5/5
      Most of these reviews have been quite positive and I feel as though I really can't add much here. This is about as honest and "open" an autobiography that I've ever read, and I was glad to know the reasoning behind Andre's "bad boy" behavior in his early years. When you're pushed into a profession and you feel like you don't have a say, I can understand lashing out and acting the fool. I remember the meth thing being a big deal in the media around the time this book was released, but I feel like the onus was more on the ATP to put its foot down, which it chose not to do. Plus, the extended tennis descriptions of various matches are the best I've read in any tennis book and have yet to be topped. Recommended.