The Racket

A contemporary of Federer, Nadal and the Williams sisters brings us inside the strange and fascinating world of pro tennisWhen Conor Niland was 16, he got the chance to hit with Serena Williams at Nick Bollettieri's famed tennis academy. Conor, the Irish junior number one, was feeling a bit homesick. Serena, also 16, already owned her own house beside the academy.Conor Niland knows what it's like when Roger Federer walks into the dressing room ('Ciao, bonjour, hello!'), and he has had the exquisitely terrible experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the world's biggest tennis stadium - while suffering from food poisoning. But he never reached the very top.The Racket is the story of pro tennis's 99%- the players who roam the globe in hope of climbing the rankings and squeaking into the Grand Slam tournaments. It brings us into a world where a few dozen super-rich players - travelling with coaches and physios - share a stage with lonely touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses. Painting a vivid picture of the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the shadows cast by gambling and doping, The Racket is a witty and revealing underdog's memoir and a unique look inside a fascinating hidden world.

As elegant and powerful as a Federer backhand … It’s Kitchen Confidential for tennis -- Ed Caesar
A brilliant, unvarnished look at a brutal sporting life. -- Michael Foley Sunday Times
An entertaining behind-the-scenes glimpse at life on the global tour Telegraph Best 50 Books of the Year
Conor Niland may only have managed a career-high ranking of 129 – only? that is some achievement in itself! – but The Racket, his account of how he managed this, is up there with the best half-dozen books on tennis ever written. -- Geoff Dyer
A thoughtfully constructed memoir … plenty of self-deprecating humour, poignancy and insight to make this a page-turner The Times
A visceral, melancholy and often self-lacerating book … History is usually written by the winners, but this intelligent, unvarnished, emotionally draining memoir shows why an also-ran’s perspective can be just as valuable -- Andrew Lynch Business Post
A crushing reminder of the grist from which sporting greatness emerges The Economist
One of the best Irish sports books of the last decade -- Kieran Shannon Irish Examiner
A fascinating, self-deprecating insight into the life of a tennis professional who isn’t one of the prize-grabbing elite The Telegraph
A stone-cold classic. The story of Conor Niland’s life in professional tennis … recently became the third Irish book ever win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. And deservedly so. -- Malachy Clerkin Irish Times

Conor Niland grew up in Limerick, and was Ireland's top-ranked tennis player for much of his youth and all of his adult career. As a youth player he beat Roger Federer - and he still has his coach's notes on the match. His career peaked in 2011, when he reached the main draw of both Wimbledon and the US Open. He lives in Dublin with his wife and two children.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.