At a US Open for the ages, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of the most stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena. Entering his last tournament in 2006, he’s hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis, from nonconformist to elder statesman, from dropout to education advocate. Inspired by her quiet strength, he fights through crippling pain from a deteriorating spine to remain a dangerous opponent in the 21st and final year of his career. 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. And he recounts his spectacular resurrection, a comeback climaxing with his epic run at the 1999 French Open and his march to become the oldest man ever ranked number one. He reveals a shattering loss of confidence.

Alongside vivid portraits of rivals from several generations - Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer - Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.Īgassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world’s best, his greater confusion as he starts to win. And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. By the time he turns pro at 16, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return. He dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. By the age of 13, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography.Īgassi’s incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child.

Agassi book