The obvious question here is, why have I written a review of a book that was published 14 years ago? The answer is, it’s the best sports book I have ever read. I am not alone in this opinion. It reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list, and was selected as Best Book of the Year by the Washington Post, Forbes, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
One of the reasons why it’s so good is, Agassi got some help from J.R. Moehringer, author of The Tender Bar. However, Moehringer’s name does not appear on the cover, because he insisted that it was Agassi’s story.
This book covers a lot of territory. We learn about how he was forced into a pro tennis career by an overbearing father. That he had only an eighth-grade education (that’s an amusing story), but later funded a charter school in Las Vegas. There’s another amusing story about how he was able to continue to use Prince racquets after his manager, without his knowledge, signed a contract with Donnay. We learn that he hated the “image is everything” Canon ad campaign. And that he referred to clay court specialists as “dirt rats”.
There are great evaluations of all the people he played against, and I’m pleased to report that he has the same opinion of Jimmy Connors that I do. He didn’t care much for Michael Chang, either. There’s a lot of talk of tennis strategy, useful to anyone who plays competitive tennis. There are great discussions of his coach, Brad Gilbert, and his trainer, Gil Reyes.
The part I liked most, though, was his courtship and eventual marriage to Stephanie (he always calls her Stephanie, not Steffi) Graf. One thing that we learn about her is, she was also forced into a pro tennis career by her father.
Two more things: if you hold the belief that Serena Williams is the Greatest Woman Tennis Player of All Time, no, it’s Steffi Graf. I’m right, and you’re wrong. And the second-best sports book I’ve ever read? The Last Coach, by Allen Barra, about Bear Bryant.
