5 reasons why "Open" is a book that every tennis fan should read

2. It gives an understanding the toughness of the game

Agassi concludes in his autobiography that tennis requires players to be extremely tough, especially on the mental front. They are also completely alone and vulnerable in the heat of the battle, which makes competing even tougher.

There are numerous quotes in the book that talk about these two aspects. Here is the most striking of them:

“Only boxers can understand the loneliness of tennis players - and yet boxers have their corner men and managers. Even a boxer's opponent provides a kind of companionship, someone he can grapple with and grunt at. In tennis you stand face-to-face with the enemy, trade blows with him, but never touch him or talk to him, or anyone else. The rules forbid a tennis player from even talking to his coach while on the court.

"People sometimes mention the track-and-field runner as a comparably lonely figure, but I have to laugh. At least the runner can feel and smell his opponents. They're inches away. In tennis you're on an island. Of all the games men and women play, tennis is the closest to solitary confinement....”

3. It gives an insight into the mentality of a champion

Just like Kyrgios from the current lot, Agassi was never liked by any of his peers when he was playing and he openly admits that fact in his book. He is vocal about how others poked fun at him occasionally, especially Boris Becker, who would often say that Agassi was given special treatment in spite of his poor performance.

Agassi was never happy with winning. Unlike Pete Sampras, he never intended to be the greatest player of all time, as he took to the sport only because of his father.

Agassi and Sampras at US Open 1990

Instead of looking at the big picture, Agassi always tried to fill in the little gaps that were created by people around him. He won titles just out of sheer grudges, and he won Majors because his father wanted to.

This confusing attitude of Agassi towards the game and life in general is eye-opening.