Reading rank 175
Open: The Autobiography of Andre Agassi
, subject: Andre Agassi's life and tennis career, 2009
A portrait of competitive achievement shadowed by self-hatred, and of the difficult search for a life beyond that emptiness.
85
Coverage Score
5
Scored evidence
About the book
The book covers his marriage to actress Brooke Shields, his relationship with tennis player Steffi Graf, and his disclosure that he used methamphetamine during his playing career.
Why read it
Best if you want a candid account of how the drive to avoid losing and relentless inner self-talk can sit alongside a search to escape emptiness and self-hatred.
Key themes
- Losing can become the stronger motive
- The contest includes negotiation with yourself
Evidence and original sources
This record is supported by 10 public evidence rows linked to original Founders episodes.
- How Roger Federer Works — David explicitly links Andre Agassi's autobiography to last week's Founders episode about Agassi.
- Tortured Into Greatness: The Life of Andre Agassi — Episode opens with an excerpt from Open before David names it as today's dedicated subject.