I grew up a Michael Chang fan because of the Chinese connection. But as I grew older and my hair continued to thin, I became a bigger Agassi fan, especially when he started playing in the satellite tournaments, the D-leagues of tennis. I still remember watching Agassi demote himself to play with the scrubs and then rise like a phoenix to win the French Open in 99. Tears.
In Open, Agassi presents his life from when he was a little boy playing tennis in his backyard with his dad, to his very last match @ the US Open. If you’ve read the reviews or heard the man himself talk promote his book, then you’ll know that Open reveals the dirty little secret that Agassi has held secret for his entire career: Agassi hates tennis. You’ll also learn that his dad is a complete wacko, how he was destined to be with Stefi Graf, and how he likes to “bump” Barbara Streisand in his car.
The book is one of the best autobiographies I’ve read in a long time. It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s touching. Most of all, I think it’s very human. Agassi talks about how his loss to Sampras at the US Open in 95 (?) really gutted him. In fact, every loss, up until the point he met Stefi Graf, was followed by a period of gloom and doom. It reminded me of the times when I came home after losing to one of my friends in tennis or basketball and my mom would say that my face was as dark as rain clouds. Hair loss and aftermath of losing is something Agassi and I share in common, although Agassi does it on a grander scale.
Open is a fun read. With all the rain and the Australian Open on, it’s a perfect time to pick it up.