Agassi’s Grudge List: Dad, Bolletttieri, Sampras

Joe Samuel Starnes — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:08:29 +0000

Beyond the stories of crystal meth and his mullet toupee, here is the serious tennis fan’s summary of what Andre has to say: His dad was an insane tyrant (this is the most convincing, believable part of the book); Nick Bollettieri took over as warden/slave driver (and doesn’t really know jack about tennis strategy or coaching); Pete Sampras is dull and stingy (even as he drubbed him in all the big Grand Slam matches); and Andre’s gushy love for Steffi Graf is mildly nauseating (bringing to mind the Drive by Trucker’s song, “Don’t Be in Love Around Me.”) For you celebrity obsessed, by the way, the relationship with Barbra Streisand, 28 years his senior, was platonic (he says); the least surprising information is that Brooke Shields was a shallow, solipsistic actress who didn’t care about his career.

Unlike all other sports biographies that give the ghostwriter credit for transcribing the recorded interviews and molding it into a book, Agassi instead takes a standalone byline. But J.R. Moehringer’s literary stamp, whom Agassi gives a cursory thank you in the acknowledgements, is all over this memoir, according to an excellent review by Janet Maslin in today’s New York Times. Whatever you say about it, on day one the $5 million presidential level advance is paying off thus far. It sits at #4 on the Amazon top seller list (one spot behind Sarah Palin’s still unrealeased book) as of this writing.

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Agassi’s Grudge List: Dad, Bolletttieri, Sampras