Author(s): Andre Agassi

Nov/Dec 2009 Highlights

Andre Agassi, former tennis World No. 1 tells his story ÃÂ in his own words. Not only will this book cover his tennis career but also some extraordinary insights into his personal life. Did you know . . . He won eight Grand Slam singles tournaments throughout his career and is one of only five male players to have won all four separate Grand Slam singles titles. He won an Olympic gold medal in singles AND he is the only male player to have won a career Golden Slam. (The only female player to have won a career Golden Slam was Steffi Graf.) Which brings us to AgassiÃÂs personal life . . . -He dated Barbara Streisand in the early 90s before eventually marrying Brooke Shields. But unfortunately that didnÃÂt last and they divorced after just two years of marriage. That same year, Steffi Graf and Andre were both winners at the French Open and started dating. They were married in 2001 and now live in Las Vegas with their two children, where they have set up a tennis academy to help and inspire underprivileged youths. He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court - but from early childhood Andre Agassi hated the game. Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts. Agassi makes us feel his panic as an undersized seven-year-old in Las Vegas, practicing all day under the obsessive gaze of his violent father. We see him at thirteen, banished to a Florida tennis camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. 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 public relationship. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals, Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals the depression that shatters his confidence, and the mistake that nearly costs him everything. Finally, he recounts his spectacular resurrection 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. 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. Review: 'the most revealing, literate and toes-stompingly honest sports autobiography in history. It is the story of a flawed man who sees everybody's imperfections, but none more than his own.' Rick Reilly, veteran American sports writer, on ESPN.com 'An ace autobiography' ***** London Lite First published October 2009.