These captivating books showcase both epic rivalries and intimate reflections for an entertaining read that offers raw emotions and tactical insights.
Arthur Ashe’s memoir takes readers on an impressive journey from segregated Richmond to athletic greatness, while chronicling his struggles with AIDS. This stunning work expertly blends history, biography, event and personality.
The History of the Game
Tennis literature may be smaller than baseball literature, but the sport holds a special relationship to literature. Writers tend to be entranced by it regardless of their own playing status and can describe exchanges across the net with undeniable verve. Examples include Lionel Shriver’s Double Fault and David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest but others such as Martin Amis or Ellen Gilchrist can be found as well as others like Martin Amis or Ellen Gilchrist’s In the Land of Dreamy Dreams can all contribute significantly.
Major Walter Clopton Wingfield first invented modern tennis for country weekend garden parties at his estate in Llanelidan, Wales in 1874; its origins lie with real tennis which had been played centuries earlier. Englishman David Jones, an expert writer on games, helped make sense of Wingfield’s unusual invention by setting forth rules and protocols which still prevail today.
McEnroe’s biography was an eye-opener, delving deeper than usual statistical recitations into his life and sport, painting an engaging and heartbreaking portrait of both McEnroe himself and his sport as it happened. A must read! Gallwey provides invaluable advice about calming Self-1 (ego mind ) so as to enable natural talent and become channel for it through yourself as a player. A must read!
The Rules of the Game
No matter your level, a good tennis book can help improve your game. Books that teach fundamentals and techniques offer step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and tips on executing proper grip, footwork, serve, volley as well as scoring points, determining an opponent’s weaknesses, and formulating winning strategies.
Books about tennis strategy provide an insightful view into how top players think and plan during a match, providing advice for how best to adapt your strategy based on surface type or opponent type.
As an ideal gift for any tennis fan, this collection of essays by an esteemed writer and former pro tennis player offers insightful thoughts about everything from training rigors to handling mental pressures associated with tennis – making this essential reading for both fans of both sports and literature alike.
The Techniques of the Game
David Foster Wallace’s String Theory stands out among sports books written by novelists because it offers an intimate view into the complex world of tennis. Wallace unflinchingly explores its layers of strategy and psychology – exploring how one player’s psychology ties inextricably to their style of play, and showing how even an occasional mistake can ruin an otherwise perfect match.
This book goes beyond traditional sports narratives by using tennis as an allegory for wider social issues. The author explores racism and sexism within tennis – such as how black players are treated by opponents to how white players treat black counterparts; drawing parallels between tennis and sexualized abuse of power for an intriguing perspective on a sport often seen as theatre for self-torture performances.
Rita Mae Brown’s Delicate Wives and Brad Gilbert’s Winning Ugly are two notable novels that utilize tennis as a vehicle for exploration. Both books take us deep inside the world of professional tennis, offering readers insight into its raw emotions, tactical insights and indefatigable spirits of its greatest icons.
The Psychology of the Game
From training books for new players, to memoirs by legendary ones, these books explore every facet and depth of tennis – ideal for both aspiring players and fans.
Tennis has long been the subject of several great novels and short stories. John Updike’s Delicate Wives features Lisa as its protagonist; her “perky tan, freckled year round from sports and women’s tennis” is as integral to who she is as eating or sleeping.
David Foster Wallace reveals himself to be deeply passionate about string theory in String Theory, to the extent that no other sport could come close. Its aesthetics – with rackets, nets and bright balls criss-crossing each other like rackets; nets; and bright balls permeating his fiction like English language itself.
Tennis is an ongoing source of conflict in these novels. Courts belong to players as a theoretical matter; however, its free-flowing ball often disturbs ownership claims – thus giving rise to the phrase ‘the ball is in your court’ which describes this feeling of ambiguity between half courts.
Rafael Nadal’s memoir explores both his life on and off of the tennis court. It explores what it takes to reach the pinnacle of such a competitive sport; readers will be inspired by Nadal’s experiences overcoming obstacles and realizing his goals.
The Myths of the Game
Tennis’ captivating combination of thrilling games, epic rivalries and personal journeys have produced some of the greatest athletes ever seen on court. From Bill Gates’ “best book on tennis” to intimate memoirs by champions and rising stars alike, this collection of captivating books offers raw emotions, tactical insights and indomitable spirits which have defined this sport with unique appeal and allure.
One of the enduring myths about tennis is that good technique will come naturally to a player, as if their potential would suddenly unlock itself at some point during play. Unfortunately, this misconception ignores the reality that tennis techniques must first be learned through coaching or self-study and then practiced repeatedly until second nature.
As is often the case in tennis, some players struggle with understanding “inner game” theory, which contends that many of the obstacles to success in tennis – and life in general–are psychological rather than physical. This book details strategies a player can employ to manage their thoughts and emotions for peak performance.
John McEnroe has become known for his off-court antics and unpredictable on-court personality, yet in this revealing autobiography he provides readers with insight into his storied career and its challenges – such as dealing with demons he had to confront head on. It provides readers with an eyewitness account of McEnroe’s inner strength as a transformative force who transformed himself from tennis player into respected businessperson and author.
The Legends of the Game
The game’s greatest players have written memoirs. Through them, one can explore their lives – their ups and downs in career terms, fierce rivalries between themselves, as well as struggles for breakthrough. Even non-fans find these books compelling – whether the author describes Federer’s famous topspin lob that won Wimbledon or how the sport’s “unimaginable angles” inspired their writing style.
Few writers have used tennis as the centerpiece of their fiction, such as Lionel Shriver in Double Fault which used it as the catalyst of an emotionally charged love affair and marriage that features searing poetry. David Foster Wallace and Vladimir Nabokov used tennis as an allegory for modernist literature in their novels Infinite Jest and Lolita respectively.
Bill Gates calls The Best Book on Tennis I Have Ever Read,” but avid tennis fans have many more excellent choices: from an easy-to-read guide that Bill Gates calls “the best book on tennis I’ve ever read” to intimate portraits of its most iconic players — Roger Federer, Andre Agassi and Serena Williams among them — you can learn how to recognize legendary players by their tattooed arm! For additional inspiration try Our Grand Slam A-Z of All Time Greatest Players which provides history lessons as well as fun ways of impressing friends!