Review: Agassi “Opens” Up

CBS news is probably the last news broadcast and network I would ever watch. For a multitude of reasons, but mainly because I don't fancy Katie Couric. Not in the least. Her move from morning show talk and news to serious journalism never worked in my mind, and still doesn't. I'm sure she would disagree, but hey, it's my opinion.

But just the other night, I found myself turning on CBS to watch Katie. Not because I found her suddenly interesting, but because Andre Agassi was about to give his first one-on-one interview to Couric on "60 Minutes." I was very curious to see how close she would come to a serious question or if she would throw him a series of softballs.

Agassi was appearing to talk about his new autobiography, "Open," which comes right in time for the holiday season. I just finished reading it, and I must say it was an interesting read. After reading many of the passages, I immediately flashed to moments over the past two decades where I had the opportunity to meet, interview, or just talk with him. Now it all makes sense. "Open" challenges everything you thought you knew about the renegade youth who turned into tennis' most loved champion.

Most of the media, and especially Katie Couric, continues to focus on his admission that he used crystal meth. Katie asked him several times, maybe several more then she should have, about how many times did he use meth. Clearly, Agassi was uncomfortable revealing the explicit details, however, he honestly answered that he used it for about a year. It was 1997, the year that wasn't for Andre. Everyone knows that was the year after his marriage to Brooke Shields when his ranking fell from the top all the way to 141. For most of us, we thought that might be the cause of the ranking drop.

There are numerous examples where top athletes get married or enter a serious relationship and their performance drops or they have slumps. So for Andre to have suffered an athletic slip after the marriage would not have raised too many eyebrows ... initially. But Andre started to slip more and more. His playing schedule became sporadic, and he only made one major tournament appearance. I now remember seeing him in Miami that year and thinking that something was wrong. Maybe his marriage was on a rocky start. I remember what my marriage was like in the early years, especially with me traveling so much. So the look in his eyes, his look of edgy exhaustion, I could explain away.

I now look back at seeing him play Kenny Flach in D.C. in July a few months later. I remember how off he looked, how to me something more had to be going on. I had talked with several tennis insiders I knew back then, and while we all agreed that he certainly wasn't the Andre we had all known before, I am pretty sure none of us could have imagined he was deep into crystal meth usage. I was going to look at pictures of him that year for this article, but thought better of it. What good would it do? I now know what was the real cause of his fall.

I am not condoning his drug use, not in the least. I also won't be like his compatriots and become high and mighty. Unlike Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Marion Jones, and a host of other high-profile, highly-paid athletes, Andre didn't use performance-enhancing drugs. I am pretty sure crystal meth is not something one uses to improve themselves physically. If you aren't convinced, take a look at former gold medal-winning figure skater Nicole Bobek after her arrest for running a meth ring and using it regularly.

Marat Safin, Martina Navratilova, and just about any tennis player who would talk has been asked about the revelation, and most have responded to it like he had used performance-enhancers. Sorry, Marat. First, Andre dealt with his personal hell poorly, but then came back with a vengeance. He personally went back down to the tennis minors and worked his way back up from the bottom. Maybe if you had done that, well, you might have had a better overall career. And Martina, how long did it take you to admit you were gay?

But Marat, you were right in your thoughts that Andre's admission now doesn't make up for his lying then. I personally feel for all the players who beat him that year, as his admissions now cheapens the victories. My fellow New Jerseyan, Justin Gimelstob, was one of those who beat him that year. Justin may be the only player who has no issues with Andre now that the truth is known. At least that is what he has stated publicly. Good for you, Justin.

I have to ask, what would any of us do if we were raised as Andre was, had only an eighth grade education, knew nothing beyond tennis, and were trapped in a personal hell? Most of us probably would have turned out much worse. I haven't ever walked in Andre's shoes, but after reading this book, I feel like I know those shoes.

"Open" is a very candid book, something that I always thought Andre was, but now know in many ways he wasn't. Andre reveals his life as one personal hell, not of his choosing — from him having no choice to start in tennis, hating the game almost from his first days on the court, his younger years living a renegade lifestyle that was completely opposite his internal personality, staying in a marriage that maybe from the beginning he knew was wrong, all the way to being conflicted to this day by his feelings for the one thing that made him who he is today and has earned him the life he has.

The story is fascinating, yet sad, frustrating and angering, yet endearing, as well. I don't want to call this a book about tennis because it is not. Tennis dominates many of the pages because that was the only life he ever knew, but this book is so much more then just a life between the net and the baseline.

I read a dozen or so biographies and autobiographies a year, and maybe over 150 in my lifetime. This one is in my top three. I am not sure I have ever come across a personal story as candid as this one. I can't find anything in between the lines that is not genuine. There is no hidden agenda. He clearly doesn't need the money. What he has revealed has not endeared him more, but has instead caused a very negative personal backlash. Agassi wrote the book as his personal confessional.

So, Andre, you are brave. You have more courage than I and most of your contemporaries. I hope the book gives you the relief you seek. I hope everyone goes out and reads your story. You are no longer an idol. You are now a life lesson.