Open

“I’m a young man, relatively speaking. Thirty-six. But I wake as if ninety-six. After three decades of sprinting, stopping on a dime, jumping high and landing hard, my body no longer feels like my body, especially in the morning. Consequently my mind doesn’t feel like my mind.”

In the opening pages of the memoir, Agassi thematically emphasizes The Physical and Emotional Toll of a Professional Tennis Career. His actual age, 36, dramatically contrasts with the age he feels, 96. The observation underscores the irony that the physical fitness and endurance demanded of professional athletes inevitably lead to premature deterioration of their bodies. Furthermore, the physical pain this causes has a detrimental effect on emotional well-being.

“I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have.”

The author articulates the central contradiction of identity and career. Although his life has been devoted to tennis, he has always disliked and resented the sport. Agassi’s repetition of the verb “hate” underscores the strength of his feelings. This controversial statement distinguishes Open from most sports biographies, which celebrate the subject’s love of their profession. In addition, Agassi’s admission signals his determination to be honest and open in his account.

“It’s no accident, I think, that tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature.”

Agassi uses analogies throughout the memoir to compare life to tennis. He highlights how the unpredictable nature of the game, in which a player’s performance tends to peak and trough, mirrors life’s highs and lows. The battles Agassi describes experiencing on the tennis court echoed the misfortunes and triumphs of his life, and the author emphasizes that resilience is a key factor in both.