Agassi: The Punk Kid, but more much more than a "haircut and a forehand"

He is the only tennis player to win a career grand slam (winning Wimbledon, The French, US and Australian opens) and Olympic Gold Medal.

He precipitously fell from #1 in Tennis in 1995 to #141. He could have quit then at age 27 and dealt with his demons off the court.

No, he chose--he had no other choice-but to face his demons square face to face-on the very turf that generated them. He battled his addiction to crystal meth, his hatred of the game, his hatred of his dad Mike (who shoved a tennis ball in his crib before he turned 1, and was evidently behind Andre's winning $500 from Jim Brown in 3 sets at age 9!) and his self disgust

No he did not give up; he played the qualifying circuit all over again, practiced day and night, with a passion for the game that propelled him to the top of the tennis world again. And he won more slams after the late age of 29, than before.

He learned to love the game, love his dad, love the fans who adored him; he found the elusive peace he sought within himself

He accumulated over $100 million from tennis and is now giving much of it back: he has established a tuition free charter school in Las Vegas for 623 disadvantaged/at risk kids. His foundation has raised over $70 million so far for these kids

Andre should know the value of an education gathered painfully by experience --he got his education the hard way-- by pushing back, by rebelling at the often brutal, aggressive upbringing at the hands of his dad; his denim court wear and his mullet style hairpiece and his short lived tumultuous marriage to Brooke Shields were the outward signs of internal turmoil.

He is one 9th grade dropout who is paving the way for other 'at risk' kids with more formal schooling. The first graduates are now off to college.

Why did he write his autobiography, Open, when he could have avoided the limelight? In an interview with Jim Chairusmi of the Wall Street Journal, Andre says, "...anything worthwhile in life comes with work and risk. This was part atonement, as well. I had something that most people don't get, which is a second chance. Everyday has been a form of atonement. And this book is that."

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