Open
an autobiography
by Andre Agassi · first published 2009
75% recommend19% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
A candid, well-written tennis memoir about the loneliness, struggles and price of competing at the top, with frank self-insight. Easy to read and enjoyable even for readers who don't follow tennis or like biographies.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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-f
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2009–2019The power of less
Leo Babauta
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 64 recommend · 6 mention4 recommend · 64 recommend
2010–2021Neuropath
R. Scott Bakker
Recommended by 6 · mentioned by 76 recommend · 7 mention6 recommend · 76 recommend
2010–2026Shadow Divers
Robert Kurson
Recommended by 18 · mentioned by 2218 recommend · 22 mention18 recommend · 2218 recommend
2007–2026They made America
Harold Evans
Recommended by 5 · mentioned by 85 recommend · 8 mention5 recommend · 85 recommend
2009–2025How the Mighty Fall
Jim Collins
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 98 recommend · 9 mention8 recommend · 98 recommend
2009–2023The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown
Recommended by 1 · mentioned by 141 recommend · 14 mention1 recommend · 141 recommend
2009–2023The consolations of philosophy
Alain De Botton
Recommended by 11 · mentioned by 1111 recommend · 11 mention11 recommend · 1111 recommend
2016–2026But What If We're Wrong?
Chuck Klosterman
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 98 recommend · 9 mention8 recommend · 98 recommend
Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi I'm not even a fan of bios and seriously this is one of the best books I've read this year (so far, I'm halfway through).
on “Ask HN: What are you reading right now?” ↗Open: An Autobiography (Andre Agassi) http://www.amazon.com/Open-An-Autobiography-Andre-Agassi/dp/...
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite non-technical books?” ↗…Orson Scott Card - The Elephant In The Brain - Robin Hanson & Kevin Simler - Good Strategy Bad Strategy - Richard Rumelt - Gridiron Genius - Michael Lombardi - The Longevity Diet - Valter Longo - Open - Andre Agassi - Warriors & Worriers - Joyce Benenson - Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker - World After Capital - Albert Wenger
on “Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?” ↗Open by Andre Agassi. Intriguing to read on the struggles of a tennis legend which were concealed at the time. He provides great detail and insights. It is a great follow up from 'The inner game of tennis',…
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?” ↗I'm a fan of reading biographies and Open, Andre Agassi's biography, was a very intriguing, enjoyable, and surprisingly well-written book. The only other book I read this past year that stood out to me was GK Chesterton's The Man Who was Thursday.…
on “Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009?” ↗I was more in the Sampras camp - I liked Agassi's rebellion but hated his fashion sense ;) That said, he's aged well and I read his autobiography, Open, a few years ago. Really blown away by his candor, insight into himself and the price to compete. Recommended reading even if you aren't a tennis nut.
on “Pete Sampras: Letter to My Younger Self” ↗If you're looking for a good tennis autobiography, I can recommend Agassi's Open. I've even seen people not interested in tennis read and like it. For a more technical one I can also recommend Sampras's Champion's Mind. An amazing tennis memoir.
on “How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart (1994) [pdf]” ↗Andrea Agassi - Open, if you love tennis and ever wondered whether Sampras was in fact as tight as they say then this explains it all.
on “Ask HN: What are you reading right now?” ↗…article has caught your interest, it is definitely worth having a read of Pete's biography (A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis). I would add that it is also worth reading Agassi's biography (Open: An Autobiography). Together, these books provide a unique insight into life at the top of the game - and the impact this has on their lives. As a bonus, the views are from two players who were very…
on “Pete Sampras: Letter to My Younger Self” ↗I’m really enjoying Open Andre Agassi’s autobiography. It’s beautifully written and makes me think about what it really means to want something. You can definitely get very far hating what you do.
on “Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?” ↗Andre Agassi spent the 9th most time as #1 tennis player in the world and in his book, Open, he says multiple times how lonely of a sport tennis is. I think the loneliness of tennis affects the whole spectrum of the ranks, not just the bottom. FWIW, Open is one of my favorite books and a very…
on “The loneliness of the low-ranking tennis player” ↗Agassi's autobiography, "Open" is fantastic, by the way.
on “Geniuses of the past were aristocratically tutored” ↗Wow, these first few paragraphs are terrible. "opening message... , Open." Anger leading to resentment, leading to, uh, rage? Hm. Snorting meth "with the speed of a U.S. Open serve"? When I read that, I went to see when Agassi had died, since I thought…
on “The Price of Discipline” ↗…a lot more unique than they are now. In terms of pure ability I still think that Federer at his peak was the greatest tennis player ever, but overall I think that era was the most fun to watch. [1]'Open: an autobiography' ISBN: 978-0307388407
on “Pete Sampras: Letter to My Younger Self” ↗…Business Strategy - Hamilton Helmer American Wolf - Nate Blakeslee Atomic Habits - James Clear Conspiracy - Ryan Holiday Courage To Be Disliked - Ichiro Kishimi How To Change Your Mind - Michael Pollan Open - Andre Agassi Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker World After Capital - Albert Wenger Fiction: Chocky - John Wyndham Convenience Store Woman - Sayaka Murata The Eight Mountains - Paolo Cognetti The…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗