Open: An Autobiography
I didn’t have this on my radar at all, but I’m glad I stumbled across it. Open: An Autobiography came to my attention after David Senra reviewed it on the Founders podcast, stepping outside his usual focus on business owners and entrepreneurs. His deep dive was compelling enough to make me want to hear more, and while he touched on many of the complex elements of Agassi’s life, you need to go to the book for the full depth.
From the outside, it’s easy to assume that elite sports stars have everything. Anyone who’s spent time studying high level performance knows how much sacrifice, repetition, and relentless pressure it takes to reach the top though. Agassi opens the book with the maybe surprising admission that he hates tennis. While the intensity of his upbringing is perhaps more extreme than most, I can imagine many professionals wrestle with the same tension of excelling at something that they come to hate over time.
As a child of the 90’s the book brought back memories of famous matches and rivalries from my younger years, along with many of the great players of that era. What I wasn’t aware of if I’m entirely honest was just how complex Agassi’s personal life and career really were. The highs were intense, but the lows were equally so, both professionally and personally. Despite this, he somehow ends his career exactly where he wants to be, though not without paying a heavy price along the way.
In that sense, the book serves as both a cautionary tale and an honest reflection on what it takes to make it and survive at the very top. It requires enduring internal battles as well as navigating fragile or complex relationships along the way.
I’m a big fan of biographies, so this very much sits within my wheelhouse. That said, Agassi wasn’t someone I had particularly high on my list before this. I’m grateful Founders covered it, and even more glad I took the time to listen.
Who’s it for?
Fans of autobiographies, especially sports related ones, will enjoy this. Tennis fans will find it even more engaging, but you don’t need to be deeply into the sport to appreciate it. If you enjoy autobiographies that explore the complex realities of success at the highest level, and you have at least a passing familiarity with Agassi, this is well worth your time. It’s also a relatively easy listen or read, making it a good option for a holiday or trip away.