Thursday, February 03, 2022

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

My book for January was Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi. I finished it on the plane on the way to Lihue. Sharon read the book years ago and enjoyed it. It is also on Bill Simmon's list of the best sports books.

Open: An Autobiography is a memoir written by former professional tennis player Andre Agassi with assistance from J. R. Moehringer. The book reached No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. It was published on November 9, 2009 when Agassi was thirty-nine years old.

Throughout the book, Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, details his challenging childhood under the supervision of a demanding father and prolonged struggles with the physical and psychological tolls of professional tennis. Agassi repeatedly talks about how much he hated tennis.

This is a very good book. I was fascinated by Agassi's childhood and his time at a tennis academy in Florida as a teenager. Some of the middle of the book is a little repetitious as Agassi describes tournaments and matches. The later parts of the book looking at his relationship and marriage with Brook Shields followed by his courtship of and marriage to Steffi Graff are worth reading.

I was particularly struck by how unhappy Agassi seemed for large parts of his life. I made me think about my life. I have always been very comfortable in my own skin. I have had my share of personal and professional struggles, but never hated what I was doing. I like who I am and where I have been...

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