Andre Agassi's 'OPEN'

                                

        

I've grown up following men's tennis closely. I'm a die hard fan of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. 

I'd been wanting to read Agassi's autobiography from the day it was launched. Titled 'Open', it was already causing controversies. It was touted to be too blatant, too 'Open' and he got into trouble for his declaration of drug usage and its cover ups while he was playing with the ATP. Its taken me over a year to finally get my hands on the book and all I can say is that it was worth every minute of a wait.

I'd already read some reviews and this one in particular caught my attention. David Davis of LA times had reviewed the book in 2009. David has captured the essence of the book beautifully in those last few lines of his review. 

An excerpt from the review is below and the entire review can be found at http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/21/entertainment/la-et-book21-2009nov21/2 

Agassi's life tells of 'the horrifying toll of parental neglect; the roller-coaster quest for self-identity; the all-too-human need to connect with others; the messy ways we cope with life's inevitable setbacks; the possibility of metamorphosis and redemption. The latter resonates throughout "Open." As Agassi better understands his love-hate relationship with tennis and grudgingly embraces his stature, he undergoes a profound shift. The self-centeredness of "What do I have to do to be No. 1?" gives way to "What can I do to help others?" '

For me, the book was a shocker, right from the word GO. To think that all his life, Agassi hated tennis was too much for me to comprehend. In the publics image, he was world #1. He was a fighter, he fought all odds, took on lifes challenges and emerged a success. Behind all that was a throbbing hatred for the game. There is a rawness, a vulnerability that comes through so clearly in his book. He's opened his soul, bared his heart. I applaud the courage it takes on his part to be so blatant about his life. He needed to do this, he needed the world to see who he really was and he's delivered a power pack performance in this book.

There are parts of the book that have moved me to tears. And a few parts that have made me smile and laugh. I was swept in the story. I could not put this masterpiece down. It was like being there and watching the entire thing. In the end, its a story about a young boy who didn't have a choice, an adolocent who rebelled, an adult who fought and crumbled and fought again. Who still didnt have a choice because he saw no other way out. Of the trappings of love lost and the wonders of love found. And most of all the strength of one's will-power to do the right thing, to acknowledge the support of family and friends, to give back to the society. 

As I finally read the last page of this epic at 5.30 AM today, I wished I could  give this man the standing ovation that he deserves for writing such an open and incredible story of his life.

With wife Steffi Graf

                  

                      After winning the French Open  (finally!)