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. Agassi’s incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By 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. After 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 relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. 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. He reveals a shattering loss of confidence. 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. 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. Inspired by her quiet strength, he fights through crippling pain from a deteriorating spine to remain a dangerous opponent in the twenty-first and final year of his career. Entering his last tournament in 2006, he’s hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis, from nonconformist to elder statesman, from dropout to education advocate. And still he’s not done. At a U.S. Open for the ages, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of the most stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena. 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. Like Agassi’s game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed, and power.

他是历史上最受欢迎的运动员之一，也是网球场上最有天分的运动员之一——但是从小时候起，安德烈•阿加西就讨厌网球。还在摇篮里的时候，就被骗着拿起了球拍；还在小学的时候，就被迫每天挥拍数百次。即使他勤学苦练成为了网坛一代天才，心中仍对那源源不断的压力充满了怨愤。他是一个内心充满矛盾的人。现在，在这本自传里，阿加西用优美的、难以忘怀的文字讲述了他充满矛盾、冲突，在自我毁灭和自我完善间摇摆不定的人生。 阿加西让我们感觉到了那个拉斯维加斯的七岁小男孩在粗暴的父亲监管下，每天不断练习的痛苦。我们看到了那个十三岁的小男孩被抛弃在像监狱一样的佛罗里达网球训练营时的无助。在孤单和恐惧中，九年级就中途退学的他，像风一样叛逆地活着。正因为这样，他也成为了八零后的偶像。他染发、打耳洞，做朋克摇滚的打扮。在他十六岁成为职业选手之前，他的新形象就预示着在网球中将刮起新的风潮，就像快如闪电的回球一般。 而且，尽管他很早就凭自己的天分崭露头角，他的痛苦挣扎也从那时就开始了。我们能切实感觉到，他输给世界第一时的困惑。而随着他赢得越多，他的困惑也就越大。当阿加西三次杀入大满贯决赛、又三次遗憾败北之后，阿加西终于在1992年的温布尔登网球公开赛上一举夺冠。这次比赛震惊了全世界，也震惊了他自己。至此一役，一夜之间阿加西成为了大街小巷谈论的对象。 阿加西以细腻的笔触详细地讲述了他生命里每一场至关重要的比赛和每一段备受关注的恋情。从来没有人如此精准地描述过网球比赛同公共宣传之间的关系。同时，他还评述了与他相匹敌的几代网球天王——吉米•康纳斯、皮特•桑普拉斯、罗杰•费德勒——阿加西直言不讳地披露了自己与芭芭拉•史翠珊的短暂接触，以及自己跟波姬•小丝不幸的婚姻。他坦陈了那些令自己自信心深受打击的挫折，和那个几乎毁掉他一切的错误。最后，他讲述了经历过低谷后，1999年史诗般的法网夺冠，和经过一路拼搏与跋涉成为世界上最老的世界排名第一的网球选手的历程。 阿加西用行云流水般的文字表达了他对自己忠实的哥哥、明智的教练、温柔的训练员以及所有重新帮他找回自我的人的感激与赞美。而他也找到了自己终生的至爱斯特凡尼•格拉芙 。她的安静的力量是他源源不断的动力，使他在职业生涯的最后一年、也就是第二十一年，在脊柱损伤严重、疼痛不断加剧的情况下，依旧是战场上可怕的对手。 2006年的他，形象已经完全转变，从一个叛逆不羁的孩子到一个成熟的活动家；从一个中途辍学的学生到一个支持教育的慈善家。但是，他做的不仅仅是这些。这些年来，在美国公开赛屹立不倒的他，最后以震撼世界的绝美姿势完成了最后一役，离开了赛场。 极快的节奏、自然的坦率，公开赛会永远铭记于人们的心里。这本书绝对会令你着迷，不论你是广大热爱阿加西的球迷，还是对网球一窍不通的普通读者。就像阿加西的比赛一样，它重新界定了风度、风格、速度和力量。