Andre Agassi struggled despite his unrivalled wealth, fame and eight Grand Slam titles to find true happiness. His story can be read with great interest; its telling provides a remarkable look into an extraordinary and fascinating individual.
Rafael Nadal discusses his life both on and off of the tennis court in this insightful memoir co-written with John Carlin. Providing details about training, diet and family.
Chris Evert
Chris Evert grew up surrounded by tennis. Her father, Jimmy Evert, was an accomplished professional player and coach, so Chris began taking lessons early on from him. At 14 she became the top-ranked under-14 girl in the United States and began competing in senior tournaments; by 15 she reached the semifinals of her inaugural US Open tournament held in Fort Lauderdale Florida; upstaging three seeded opponents along the way!
Evert was one of the greatest female players ever seen on tennis courts between the 1970s and ’80s, holding 13 Grand Slam singles championships at 13 different Grand Slam tournaments and creating one of sports history’s greatest rivalries in her long battle with Martina Navratilova – often called one of “Martina vs Evert.”
Evert was an inspirational role model to young girls looking to pursue sports careers themselves. She stressed the importance of hard work and determination over talent; always prepared to fight for her goals; she held strong beliefs in personal integrity as key components to both tennis success and life success.
Evert was known for being unflappable on the court and earning herself the nickname of “Ice Maiden”. Evert told her fans that remaining calm helped her understand opponents better and overcome any deficiencies they might present.
Evert was faced with her greatest challenge yet in 2022: ovarian cancer. Chris knew this form of the illness had claimed Jeanne’s life two years prior, and knew Evert carried a BRCA1 genetic mutation that increased her risk for it.
Chris Evert beat cancer and underwent a preventive hysterectomy in order to lessen her chances of recurrence, remaining active in professional tennis and supporting women’s health initiatives, advocating the importance of family and friendship in life, writing several books including her autobiography published by Simon & Schuster in 1982 titled CHRISSIE: MY OWN STORY which features 24 pages of color photos.
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova is one of the greatest female tennis players ever and holds many records, including holding onto most Grand Slam singles titles, most Grand Slam doubles titles, and consecutive appearances in Wimbledon women’s singles final. Her aggressive physical play style inspired generations of tennis players and has changed how the sport is played today. As an advocate for equal rights as well as environmental protection and animal cruelty issues as well as women’s issues she is also an engaging keynote speaker and has written multiple books.
After winning Wimbledon women’s singles in 1975, Martina Navratilova went on to dominate tennis for decades. She reached 12 Wimbledon finals – nine of them as winner – winning nine. One of only three players (Margaret Court and Doris Hart being the others) who managed to capture all major singles and doubles tournaments (Navratilova being an exception); she became the oldest person ever to claim a Grand Slam title by winning mixed doubles at 2006 US Open when she took victory aged 50!
At an early age, she lived with her family in Czechoslovakia – an oppressive communist country where communication between citizens was monitored by government, with arrest being possible simply for speaking out against anything or anyone. While school life made her feel like an outsider and made it hard for her to express herself freely or stand out among peers; tennis gave her confidence and allowed her to shine out loud; eventually moving her family out of Czechoslovakia into America.
After her career ended, Martina Navratilova continued her involvement with public life by working as a sports commentator and writer. She has written numerous nonfiction books including her autobiography Martina as well as Shape Your Self (which covers personal fitness and healthy eating). Furthermore, she created Jordan Myles – an ex-professional tennis player turned private investigator.
After retiring from competitive tennis, Navratilova became an advocate for various causes relating to women’s rights, LGBT rights and environmental protection. She established the Martina Youth Foundation which provides rackets, balls and court time for kids who might otherwise not have the chance to learn the game of tennis.
Monica Seles
Monica Seles was one of the greatest female tennis players ever, winning nine Grand Slam singles titles and dominating women’s tennis before she was tragically cut short when stabbed by Steffi Graf fan in 1993. Although she came back and won more tournaments post-injury, Monica never quite recovered her former glory and finally retired in 2008.
Monica Seles began playing tennis at six in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia under her father’s guidance and later participated in various junior tournaments coached by him – winning most of them! Attracted by Nick Bollettieri’s academy in Florida for training purposes he invited Monica’s mother as well; both agreed and moved there permanently.
Bollettieri was impressed by Seles’ natural talent and encouraged her to keep playing and improving. He taught her to use her speed and power on court for their maximum effect; over time, Seles adopted an aggressive playing style which resulted in greater success on court.
At 19 years old, Monica Seles was leading a quarterfinal match against Magdalena Maleeva in Hamburg, Germany when during a changeover break an unscrupulous fan rushed onto the court and attacked Seles with a boning knife, shocking spectators and forcing the establishment to review security measures during matches. This incident had lasting ramifications: security measures would need to change significantly moving forward.
Seles took two years off tennis following her injuries, returning with renewed strength in 1995 to win her first tournament back at the Canadian Open before crushing Amanda Coetzer 6-0, 6-1 in the final. She continued her winning ways all through 1996 before reaching the US Open final only to lose out to Graf.
Seles was an incredible source of motivation and inspiration to other young players like Venus and Serena Williams as well as Lindsay Davenport. Her style of play often included grunting and screaming during matches while her powerful backhand was her vehicle for success – something which earned her recognition as “the first power player in women’s tennis”. Many young players today look up to Seles for her legacy as an influencer on their style of play; Venus and Serena Williams in particular often refer back to her as being an influence.
Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi’s memoir is an unforgettable account of an extraordinary athlete. Since childhood, his father groomed him to become one of the greatest tennis players of all time; winning eight Grand Slam titles along the way. But off the court was where Andre struggled most as he battled feelings of frivolity which were draining away his essence; eventually the book follows Andre as he comes to understand that his talents weren’t meant solely for himself but were intended for those around him too.
From his early days in a Florida tennis camp that felt like prison to dropping out of ninth grade and flirting with Brooke Shields of tabloid fame, Andre’s life was one long odyssey. A rebellious spirit with an affinity for fashion and music, Andre soon adopted punk rock styles such as dyeing his hair black and wearing punk rock clothes; soon thereafter his talent and style made him an icon of the 1980s scene.
Andre was understandably bewildered when his performances against more logical players like Jim Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer became less predictable; further compounded by marital tensions, prescription drug dependency and his ranking sliding downward. Rock bottom came when he was caught using illegal stimulants that resulted in his ranking slipping to number 141.
After reaching his lowest point, Agassi realized what he needed to move forward: to set himself a new goal – regaining his number one ranking. Finding purpose in this challenge, and in Steffi Graf, was what gave him motivation to return and dominate on the courts once more. Agassi’s life serves as a testament to finding meaning and purpose no matter your age or achievements; having an open heart and helping those in need can give strength when facing life’s obstacles.