Eventually, Mike Agassi found the right house, with the right sized backyard. Mike dragged his family to numerous properties, and no matter how nice the house was, if it didn't have a big enough yard, it wasn't going to work. At age five, his father pulled him out of kindergarten to go to the welding shop to create the fearsome ball machine. Andre Agassi was also born with an Olympian boxer Mike Agassi for a father, a father, who perhaps created as much pressure as his back condition.Īt age seven, Andre Agassi faced hours and hours in front of the ball machine that he nicknamed 'the dragon.' In fact, the creation of the dragon is one of his earliest memories. I keep begging myself to stop, and I keep playing, and this gap, this contradiction between what I want to do and what I actually do, feels like the core of my life.'Īndre Agassi was born with spondylolisthesis, which is a back condition that can cause severe pain.

No matter how much I want to stop, I don't. 'I hate tennis, hate it with all my heart, and still I keep playing, keep hitting all morning, and all afternoon, because I have no choice. We'll also look at some of the book's lessons about success, determination, and true grit. We'll briefly delve into Andre Agassi's fascinating story, and how he became a tennis legend that defined a generation. I can't imagine all these people trying to be like Andre Agassi, since I don't want to be Andre Agassi.' Fans copied his signature look, and he made tennis 'cool.' However, as Agassi says, 'I'm flattered by the imitators, embarrassed, thoroughly confused. It's an insightful look into the life of one of the most beloved athletes of a generation, his battle with secret dragons, and his crippling identity crisis.Īndre Agassi was dubbed a 'punk,' and the rebel of the tennis scene. Open is the captivating autobiography by tennis legend Andre Agassi. How do you muster enough determination to persevere with something that you loathe? Does passion fuel success? And, when is it too late to get off the path that's been laid out in front of you?

Brooke shields andre agassi book