{"product_id":"open-an-autobiography-by-andre-agassi","title":"Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe 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 hated the game. Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAgassi makes us feel his panic as an undersized seven-year-old in Las Vegas, practicing all day under the obsessive gaze of his violent father. We see him at thirteen, banished to a Florida tennis camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning fast return. And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world's best, his greater confusion as he starts to win.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match, and every public relationship.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlongside vivid portraits of rivals, Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 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. With 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike Agassi's game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed and power.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003ePaperback | Publication: 10 Aug 2010, HarperCollins \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9780007281435\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eExtent: 400 pages\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David's Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57262889042302,"sku":null,"price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/0892\/5225\/files\/9780007281435.jpg?v=1776345633","url":"https:\/\/www.davids-bookshops.co.uk\/products\/open-an-autobiography-by-andre-agassi","provider":"David's Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}