Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas has expressed her admiration for autobiographies, revealing that tennis legend Andre Agassi’s book Open stands out as her favorite. Thomas praised the Andre Agassi Open memoir for its candid and motivating storytelling, highlighting how it deeply resonated with her.
Andre Agassi is widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes of all time, and his autobiography Open has earned acclaim far beyond tennis circles. The memoir explores Agassi’s personal challenges and inner conflicts throughout his career, providing readers with an honest glimpse into his journey. Agassi holds the unique achievement of being the first man to win a Super Slam, which includes all four Grand Slam titles, an Olympic gold medal, and the year-end championship.
Recently, during an appearance on The Squeeze podcast, Gabby Thomas spoke about her passion for reading life stories and noted that she rarely reads fiction now. She described Open as “the best of all time” and mentioned that she is currently reading Keke Palmer’s autobiography.
“I’m a big autobiography nerd. It’s probably my number one book genre. I don’t even read fiction anymore. I’m just obsessed with other people’s life stories. Best of all time is Open by Andre Agassi. I think it’s truly the best memoir. It’s incredible. Highly recommend. I’m reading Keke Palmer’s right now.” —Gabby Thomas, Olympic Champion
On the track, Thomas recently competed at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships, finishing third in the 200 meters with a time of 22.20 seconds. This performance secured her spot on Team USA for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Melissa Jefferson won the event, with Anavia Battle placing second.
Gabby Thomas Reflects on the Title She Would Choose for Her Memoir
Already a dominant figure in track and field, Gabby Thomas has won three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 200 meters, the women’s 4×400 meters relay, and the women’s 4×100 meters relay. Her 200-meter win marked her as the first American woman since Allyson Felix in 2012 to claim Olympic gold in that event.
At 27 years old, Thomas has achieved remarkable success. When asked during the interview what title she would give her own autobiography, she offered an insightful answer that reflected her identity both as an athlete and a person.
“I think, off the bat, it would be something like Stronger. It definitely speaks to what I do, fitness and sports, but also to resilience, growing through different stages of life, and coming back stronger. So, that would be it.” —Gabby Thomas, Athlete
Looking ahead, Thomas is set to compete next at the 2025 World Championships. At the 2023 Worlds, she earned a silver medal in the 200 meters and a gold medal as part of the 4×100 meters relay team.
Gabby Thomas’s endorsement of the Andre Agassi Open memoir underscores the book’s lasting impact on athletes and readers alike, shining a light on the power of resilience and self-reflection. Her own story of strength and perseverance, coupled with her literary interests, suggests a promising future both on and off the track as she continues to inspire.