Open by Andre Agassi (Book 1 Post 2)
The book Open is an autobiography written by former tennis player Andre Agassi. He takes us through the ups and downs of his life and what he dealt with as a tennis player. He started playing tennis at the age of 7 and hated it from the day he started. His dad forced him to play and at 13 he was sent to the intense Nick Bollettieri Tennis School to practice hours every day. Agassi’s hatred for the game caused him to rebel and he would soon start drinking and smoking and even had a pink mohawk. He kept pushing through, however and dropped out of school to turn pro at the age of 15. Agassi was able to win 3 grand slams (the most coveted tennis tournaments) before he fell into depression in 1997. His troubled marriage with Brooke Shields led him to feel empty and he started doing crystal meth to escape it. In 1997, he infamously failed a drug test, however, he sent a letter to the Tennis Association claiming he took it unknowingly. The Association gave him a warning, but Agassi revealed in the book that he lied in that letter. After all of this Agassi would go from #1 in the world to #141. In 1998, Agassi knew he needed to turn his life around and started working his way back up the rankings. He was able to reach world #1 a few years later and went on to win 5 more grand slams for a total of 8–tied for the 6th most all time. After overcoming so much, Agassi was able to retire as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
One of my main takeaways from this book was that you shouldn't judge people because you never know what they're dealing with behind the scenes. This was evident in the book as Agassi was dealing with so much outside of tennis. And although he looked happy playing on the court and was one of the best in the world, it was obvious by the book that this wasn’t the case. Agassi received a lot of criticism from the media as criticism always comes with being one of the best, but especially because he was one of the best American players ever. It was hard for Agassi to deal with the pressure of his fans and the media along with hating the sport and being in a state of depression at times. It wasn’t fair of others to judge him in this way and it’s something that I’ll take with me in my life. Also, Agassi taught me to not be afraid to be myself. Everyone thinks a tennis player should be classy and dress appropriately, however, Agassi opened the door for tennis players to express themselves on the court. Agassi would wear jean shorts and had a spiky mullet with frosted tips. No one would even think to do that before Agassi. But he truly changed the game not just in how it was played, but the stigma around the sport.
The book was written surprisingly well and it felt more like a diary as Agassi almost had a photographic memory of the events that took place in his life. The details he provided and the way he explained things from so long ago were absolutely amazing. The book also flowed really well and although the book was almost 400 pages, I was able to fly through it. I originally read this book because I love tennis and thought this would be a great book about how one of the best tennis players became one of the greatest. However, the content of the book was very interesting, even if you don’t play tennis. The book taught me a lot about life and how to overcome what life throws at you, which would be useful to anyone. Memoirs and autobiographies are my favorite type of books so it was a treat that we were able to read one for our first book of the semester. I’ve read many memoirs/autobiographies in my life, and I can safely say that this is in my top 2 most favorite autobiographies. Overall, I really loved this book and would recommend it to anyone.
Hi Elan,
ReplyDeleteI resonated with you when you mentioned playing tennis a lot. I'm not a pro or anything myself, but tennis is a sport that I personally grew up with and love. It's so much fun and stress-relieving (if you want it to be). That being said, I feel like I would really like this book! It's crazy to me how Agassi was able to jump from #1, to #151, back to #1. Personally, if I fell that much in the rankings, I feel like I would've just given up. It's really inspiring to see him not only top the rankings again, but do so multiple times too. This is definitely going on my reading list.
Angelica
Hi Elan,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I don't follow tennis, but I do like how vulnerable such a celebrated athlete is about challenges he has faced in his life. It is fascinating to me that it seems like some of the most successful people have many personal challenges with relationships and with their health. How you described this book has definitely made me want to read it. Thank you.
-Zoë
Interesting post Elan. I think the book you chose sounds like a good read. I've always known who Andre Agassi was because my dad is a big tennis fan and has been for as long as I can remember, but I was unaware of exactly how troubled his life was. Knowing as little as a summary of the book has completely changed my view about him already. I like what you said about how the public should not judge Adre and other athletes so ruthlessly when they know very little about what is going on behind the scenes. I have felt that way for a long time when it comes to media coverage of particular big name athletes. I like reading the juicy new stories about what athlete got in a fight this past weekend or whatever it may be as much as the next person, but I do feel that there is certainly a line that shouldn't be crossed.
ReplyDeleteHi Elan,
ReplyDeleteI'm happy that you read this book and are sharing it with us because it seems really interesting. I wouldn't have picked it off the shelf, but after your review I am very tempted to learn more about Agassi's life. I enjoyed how your second paragraph looked at the bigger picture--life. It must've been interesting for you to read a "diary" from one of your idols and compare his reality to the one that the media portrayed.
- Ellie
Hi Elan!
ReplyDeleteI think your post was really interesting. It made me think of how many athletes are put in the spotlight to be criticized, when they really just signed up to compete at what they love. Or maybe not love, in this case. Your post also made me think of this podcast I listened to once that talked about how young athletes shouldn't just specialize in one sport because it can lead to a ton of negative side effects for both their athletic careers and lives, in general. Overall, it sounds like a really interesting read!
-Samantha
Elan,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your takeaways from this book. Honestly, it sounds right up my alley! I also have the utmost respect for your part about not judging people from the outside because you never know what you are going through on the inside. I think that this world would be a much happier place if we could all fully implement that mindset into our lives. I laughed out loud at the pink Mohawk because when I was in third grade I got the signature Chuck Lidell (Legendary UFC Fighter) Mohawk... luckily though... it was not pink :)
Thank you for sharing,
Mason<3
Hey Elan,
ReplyDeleteI loved your post about this book! I have no idea who this man is, but after reading your post, I want to know. Although I've heard of Brooke Shields, I had never heard of her husband. It is crazy that after becoming a meth addict, he got clean and won #1 again. It's a truly inspiring story. Thanks for your post.
Best,
Brooke
Hi Elan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about the book you read. Even though you only wrote a couple paragraphs about the book you read, I feel like I have a relatively good grasp on what the book is about and Andrew Agassi's life. It's pretty cool that he went through so many ups and downs and was still able to recover and come back to what it seems that he loved.
-Etienne
Hi Elan,
ReplyDeleteI never knew Agassi's story before you shared about it in class last week. I started playing tennis in high school and am still pretty bad but enjoy it. I found it very interesting and impressive that despite his hatred for the sport, he still went on to play and get the #1 spot back after falling to #141. It's sad seeing how much pressure and criticism comes with publicly being the best at something – especially for Agassi who never really wanted to play to begin with. I have several friends who are trying to go pro and it's so interesting to hear how intense these tennis camps and schools can be. I also enjoyed the mention of his personal styles and how he made it possible for other athletes to more openly express themselves on the court. I had to go look at pictures of his match outfits and mohawk after reading your review. I know personally I always love seeing Serena Williams's outfits when she plays. Thanks for sharing!
I'd love to know what your other favorite autobiography is.
- Francesca