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 hate d the game. Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hun dreds of balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant p ressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that wou ld define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the s tory of a life framed by such conflicts. Agassi makes us feel his panic as an u ndersized seven-year-old in Las Vegas, practicing all day under the obsessive ga ze of his violent father. We see him at thirteen, banished to a Florida tennis c amp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon mak e him a 1980s icon. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises t o change tennis forever, as does his lightning fast return. And yet, despite hi s raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the wo rld'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 W imbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match, and every public relationshi p. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals, Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He r eveals 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, Ag assi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the peopl e who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf. Wit h 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 p ower.