Tennis Books

Book SynopsisThe wildly entertaining Sunday Times bestseller''This book deserves to be seeded No. 1'' Daily MailFifteen years after his massive bestseller Serious, John McEnroe is back and ready to talk.Who are the game''s winners and losers? What''s it like playing guitar onstage with the Rolling Stones, hitting balls with today''s greats, breaking bread with his former on-court nemeses, getting scammed by an international art dealer, and raising a big family while balancing McEnroe-sized expectations?But Seriously is a richly personal account, blending anecdote and reflection with razor sharp and brutally honest opinions. This is the sports book of the year: brilliantly funny, surprisingly touching, and 100% McEnroe.Trade ReviewThe follow up volume to 2002's best-selling Serious, and every bit as entertaining. McEnroe is just as brash and as opinionated as you might expect, but he has a saving grace: behind all the bluster, he seems to be a genuinely nice bloke -- Marcus Berkmann * DAILY MAIL *The tennis legend and TV pundit is rarely short of an opinion, and here he sounds off on modern art, rock stars, Richard Branson's Necker Island, guitar playing, Donald Trump, beer, the BBC and Adam Sandler. Oh yes, and tennis * MAIL ON SUNDAY *McEnroe has forged a second career as an opinionated, well-informed and indeed pre-eminent commentator and analyst. But it should not be forgotten just how scintillating a player he was, especially on grass. For those with fond memories of those days, McEnroe provides some telling sketches of his old rivals -- Nick Pitt * SUNDAY TIMES *He has proved an excellent commentator during big tournaments, as he'll remind us this fortnight at Wimbledon -- Simon Kuper * THE SPECTATOR *McEnroe has established himself as perhaps the most distinctive voice in tennis punditry -- Andrew Anthony * OBSERVER *The one-time enfant terrible of the Centre Court has not mellowed with age if his recent pronoucements on Serena Williams are any measurement * RTE GUIDE *Who can forget the shouty bad boy, infamous for his temper! Now a respected elder statesman of tennis, his fascinating memoir reveals all * BEST *

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Book SynopsisThe most in-depth and revealing biography of Andy Murray, Wimbledon champion

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Book Synopsis One of the most influential sportsmen of the late 20th century, Johnny F. Bassett''s marketing wizardry belied his impact on professional hockey and football. A Canadian showman with a Barnumesque flair for spectacle, Bassett challenged the orthodoxy of sports, building sporting utopias in the fatally flawed World Football League, World Hockey Association, and United States Football League. He catered to the common fan, demanded fair treatment of athletes, and forced the sporting establishment to change the way it did business, often to his own detriment. Drawing on archival research and interviews with Bassett''s contemporaries, this comprehensive biography chronicles his life in and around professional sports: his quixotic attempt to compete with the Maple Leafs; his stunning coup in signing three members of the reigning Super Bowl champions for his WFL team; his battles with the Canadian government over American football; his audacious marketing of hockey in Alabama;Table of ContentsAcknowledgments viiiPreface 1Introduction 3One—Young Bassett and the Show Business of Sports 7Two—Show Business Leads to Sports Business 15Three—Battle for the Hockey Heart and Soul of Toronto 27Four—No Defense, No Discipline, No More Toronto 36Five—No, Canada: The WFL Northmen and Canadian ­Anti-Americanism 45Six—Bassett Becomes a Political Football 57Seven—The Best of a Bad League 76Eight—Too Good for the WFL, Not Enough for the NFL 89Nine—Selling Hockey in Alabama 103Ten—Emancipation of the Canadian Juniors 119Eleven—Tennis, the USFL and the Bandits 131Twelve—­Bandit-Ball 152Thirteen—The Model USFL Franchise 165Fourteen—The Death of the USFL and Bassett 179Fifteen—Conclusion 197Chapter Notes 207Bibliography 223Index 231

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Book SynopsisThe Little Green Book of Tennis Wisdom celebrates the beloved lifelong sport of tennis. From New York to Roland Garros, London, Australia, and everywhere in between, fans from all over the world will enjoy the musings contained within this book. Some of the many past and present stars quoted here include:• Andre Agassi• Arthur Ashe• Billie Jean King• Serena Williams• Rafael Nadal• Roger Federer• Steffi Graf• Pete Sampras• Novak Djokovic• Venus Williams• John McEnroe• And hundreds of others!Whether you’re a seasoned singles or doubles player or someone who stays up late to watch a Grand Slam tournament, you will enjoy the words of wisdom contained in this book.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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Book SynopsisAt the heart of the men’s tennis game for some years have been the Big Four: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal. Since 2006, only three other players have won a Grand Slam Tournament, and no one else has been ranked world No. 1. But since 2013, the dominance of the Big Four has come under sustained and increasing pressure. New players are challenging Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Nadal. The rivalry between the old guard and (mostly) young contenders makes this the golden age of tennis. Nick Kyrgios beat Nadal in the fourth round of 2014 Wimbledon. In 2017, David Goffin beat Djokovic in Monte Carlo; Dominic Thiem beat Murray in Barcelona; Sascha Zverev beat Federer in Montreal; and Denis Shapovalov beat Nadal, also in Montreal. In The Future of Tennis Philip Slayton and Peter Figura examine a selection of the players outside of the Big Four and introduce the reader to the great depth of field in the men’s game and the personalities that enliven the sport. Complete with stunning photography by Figura, this book will answer questions about who some of the other players on the tour are, what drives them, their foibles and eccentricities, and more. The perfect gift for tennis aficionados!Trade Review“This book is perhaps the best tonic for any tennis fan who fears for the future of the game in the inevitable, post-Roger Federer era. A delightful marriage of photography and graceful prose.” --Peter Bodo, ESPN.com tennis columnist and author of The Courts of Babylon: Tales of Greed and Glory in the New Age of Professional Tennis “A compelling combination of original photography and insightful commentary.” --Andrei Medvedev, 1999 French Open finalist, Team Ukraine Davis Cup captain "A great book. It charts the future of men's tennis in perceptive and engaging prose, illustrated profusely by some of the best tennis photography I have ever seen." -- Karl Hale, Tournament Director ATP World Tour 1000 Masters Toronto "This book advances a fascination for a new era in tennis. After Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray other myths will rise and flourish, but not immediately: after all it takes at least a decade to create a legend, but the book casts intriguing and intimate portrayals of the champions who will have to emerge from the shadow of the Four. Portraits and excellent images, which offer a glimpse into the future." --Gianni Merlo, President of International Sports Press Association, reporter at La Gazzetta dello Sport“This book is perhaps the best tonic for any tennis fan who fears for the future of the game in the inevitable, post-Roger Federer era. A delightful marriage of photography and graceful prose.” --Peter Bodo, ESPN.com tennis columnist and author of The Courts of Babylon: Tales of Greed and Glory in the New Age of Professional Tennis “A compelling combination of original photography and insightful commentary.” --Andrei Medvedev, 1999 French Open finalist, Team Ukraine Davis Cup captain "A great book. It charts the future of men's tennis in perceptive and engaging prose, illustrated profusely by some of the best tennis photography I have ever seen." -- Karl Hale, Tournament Director ATP World Tour 1000 Masters Toronto "This book advances a fascination for a new era in tennis. After Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray other myths will rise and flourish, but not immediately: after all it takes at least a decade to create a legend, but the book casts intriguing and intimate portrayals of the champions who will have to emerge from the shadow of the Four. Portraits and excellent images, which offer a glimpse into the future." --Gianni Merlo, President of International Sports Press Association, reporter at La Gazzetta dello Sport

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Book SynopsisSUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERSue Barker first walked through those famous wrought-iron gates aged 13 in 1969 to play in the National Schools event. What Sue didn''t know then, was that every year for the next half century, she would be back in some capacity. As a junior, aged 15, as a semi-finalist and Grand-Slam winner ranked No.3 in the world, as a broadcaster leading the BBC coverage for thirty years and for the first time, as a fan in 2023.And now she returns as a storyteller.The magic has stayed the same,but times have changed. With her first-hand insight and perspective, Sue paints an intimate portrait of the place, past and present, full of behind-the-scenes details drawn from her own experiences as well as personal conversations with her former mentors, contemporary players, friends and colleagues - giants of the game such as Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Roger Federer, Venus Williams and many others. They share poignant memories with her and some startling revelations, from Sampas''s deep regret that he didn''t involve his parents more in his Centre Court triumphs to Borg divulging that McEnroe was always the quietest presence in the locker room ... You cannot be serious!From the most talked-about matches and famous rivalries to the fashions and trends, from the stunning breakthroughs, to the near wins and gut-wrenching disappointments, Sue''s personal history of Wimbledon is touched throughout by Championship stardust and is as tightly packed with stories as the courts are with blades of grass.

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Book SynopsisRecord-breaking, trend-setting, polarizing, and controversial, Serena Williams often sparks conversation and debate. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has a team, an entourage, celebrity groupies, and a band of fans who call themselves “Serena’s army.” When not winning titles, Williams finds time to run her own fashion line, endorse luxury and financial brands, and fund schools for girls in Africa and Jamaica. Serena Williams transcends sports. More than a biography, Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, Sports Legend, and Cultural Heroine not only tells the story of her upbringing and remarkable career but also looks at Williams as a sports pioneer. Merlisa Lawrence Corbett explores Williams’ influence on cultural and political issues such as body shaming, gender equality, and racism in sports and society. Corbett also analyzes Williams’ impact on discussions of feminism, the sports celebrity, and the marketing of female athletes. Williams is one of the most intriguing and influential figures in sports, and this book is the first to provide a fully-rounded portrait of a tennis icon.

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Book SynopsisRecord-breaking, trend-setting, polarizing, and controversial, Serena Williams often sparks conversation and debate. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has a team, an entourage, celebrity groupies, and a band of fans who call themselves ?Serena?s army.? When not winning titles, Williams finds time to run her own fashion line, endorse luxury and financial brands, and fund schools for girls in Africa and Jamaica. Serena Williams transcends sports.More than a biography, Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, Sports Legend, and Cultural Heroine not only tells the story of her upbringing and remarkable career but also looks at Williams as a sports pioneer. Merlisa Lawrence Corbett explores Williams? influence on cultural and political issues such as body shaming, gender equality, and racism in sports and society. Corbett also analyzes Williams? impact on discussions of feminism, the sports celebrity, and the marketing of female athletes. Williams is one of the most intriguing and influential figures in sports, and this book is the first to provide a fully-rounded portrait of a tennis icon.

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Book SynopsisTake Your Doubles Game to the Next Level!Whether you''re trying to improve your doubles game or are just getting started playing tennis with a partner, The Art of Doubles is the book for you. Author Pat Blaskower is your personal coach, guiding and encouraging you and your partner to play winning tennis by showing you how to:   • choose a compatible partner   • determine your jobs on the court   • learn poaching skills   • communicate with each other and opposing teams   • maintain mental toughness   • use various formations and strategies   • pick your shots intelligently   • decide where to play: tournaments or leagues   • and much, much more! The book also includes detailed court diagrams that show you how to execute offense, defense, and tactical plays; checklists that summarize the most important points of each chapter; and on-court drills to help you improve and refine your skills. The Art of Doubles is loaded with practical, proven tennis strategies that you can put to work immediately to see improvements in your own doubles game!

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Book SynopsisI Remember Arthur Ashe"", by Mike Towle, is filled with personal recollections of the people who knew tennis star Arthur Ashe best. In this book his peers, friends, and many others close to him offer new and expanded remembrances of a great man and champion whose legacy is very much alive today.""

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Book SynopsisCorrect preparation is important in all aspects of life, but if you fail to warm up properly before playing tennis it could land you in the hospital for weeks. Just look how often professional tennis players are getting injured—sometimes bringing an early end to a promising career—and consider that these athletes are in peak physical shape. So just imagine the risk you are putting yourself at when you venture out for your weekly tennis match.With images illustrating the exercises to accompany the text, Safe Tennis teaches you how to avoid these injuries and how to properly prepare yourself with detailed warm-up plans and exercises that specifically strengthen you for the sport of tennis. This includes stretching exercises that are designed by physical therapists who specialize in sports medicine. You will also learn the correct way to cool down after your match because injuries can arise if you let your body cool too quickly. Without the worry of nagging injuries, your time on the court will be that much more enjoyable.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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Book SynopsisUPDATED EDITION Roger Federer’s incredible 2017 comeback – which saw him winning Grand Slams in his mid-thirties and reaching new heights most had thought impossible – has confirmed his place in the history books as the greatest male tennis player of all time. In this innovative graphic biography, Federer’s tennis is explored like never before: stunning graphics illustrate his serving patterns and superb footwork, detail the spin and speed of his shots, as well as showcase his astonishing records – no man has won more majors, or spent more weeks as the world number one. Drawing on Mark Hodgkinson’s conversations with the Swiss and exclusive interviews with those closest to him, this is the ultimate celebration of the genius of Roger Federer.

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Book SynopsisBritain's tennis players are often regarded as gallant losers and also-rans. There was a painful 76-year gap between the grand slam triumphs of Fred Perry and Andy Murray, and most Brits perennially fail to progress beyond the early rounds at Wimbledon. But in this first detailed account of Britain's place in world tennis from the Victorian period to the present day, historian Kevin Jefferys shows that British players have a surprisingly strong record. He traces the fluctuations in the nation's tennis fortunes - with barren spells counterbalanced by periods of ascendancy - and looks beyond the domestic obsession with Wimbledon to highlight British successes at other grand slam tournaments, in the Davis Cup and in Olympic tennis. The author also focuses on key individuals, providing fresh profiles of his selection of the best British players of all time: the men and women who have delivered most on the international stage, from the time of the Renshaw brothers in the 1880s to Andy and Jamie Murray today.

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Book SynopsisFirsts, Lasts & Onlys is a tennis fan's delight, chock-full of astonishing events, time-honoured anecdotes and extraordinary facts. The book takes a light-hearted but authoritative look at every major tennis tournament in the world, including the Wimbledon Championships. Discover how the first championships - held in 1877, the same year as the first cricket Test match - were almost an afterthought. Did you know that no women were allowed in the first tournament? Or that the All England Club was actually founded to promote croquet? The book is packed with fascinating trivia that will tantalise and enthral. When did strawberries and cream become a Wimbledon staple? Who was the first man to win all four major titles in the same year? Who is or was Roland Garros? Filled with bizarre curiosities from the sport's past - from the heir to the throne whose death was caused by tennis, to the vicar who won Wimbledon, to the murderer who reached a final - this is a book every tennis fan should own.

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Book SynopsisMiss Truman to Serve Christine Truman, now Dr Christine Truman Janes MBE, was born in 194 and brought up in Woodford Green Essex. Her first ambition was to be as good at tennis as her older siblings, hoping to join their mixed doubles. It never happened. Instead she achieved some of her dreams, including a ranking of No.2 in the world, aged 18, in 1959. She won the Grand Slam title in Paris at 18, the youngest Brit since the war. She holds the record at 16 of being the youngest British semi­ finalist at Wimbledon since Lottie Dod in 1887. 135 years ago! Also US finalist 1959 and Wimbledon finalist 1961. ‘If tennis was easy, why aren’t all the people walking up and down Oxford Street playing at Wimbledon?’ Billie Jean King ‘Work lasts longer than you do…’ Mother ‘Talent will out.’ Father ‘Champions know they will win!’ ‘Play the ball, not opponents!’ Coach Norman Kitovitz ‘It’s the tennis girl, dear!’ Clementine to Winston Churchill, 1959

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Book SynopsisIn Pursuit of the Slam: My Year Travelling to Tennis’s Top Four Tournaments tells the story of the author’s year out between jobs during which he attended all four of tennis’s Grand Slam tournaments. Unhappy in his corporate job, tennis fan Mark Cripps decided to pack it all in and start again. But a chance sighting of an old friend in an in-flight magazine led to an idea: Why not take some time out to travel, organising the trip around tennis’s Grand Slam tournaments? He made a plan to attend the 1992 French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open and then, returning to Australia in early 1993, where he had been based with American Express, the Australian Open. On the way, he would visit places of interest, catch up with old friends and visit other tournaments in the build up to each Slam, including the Italian Open in Rome. The book describes how the author organised the visits to each Slam, once there, securing tickets and watching the tennis daily. A club tennis player, the book also tells how the author entered a tournament on the new British Tour and the experience of facing opponents of a much higher standard. Following the US Open, a week spent at a tennis fantasy camp helped confirm the next steps he needed to take when his trip was over. In Pursuit of the Slam: My Year Travelling to Tennis’s Top Four Tournaments is told in an anecdotal style including the story of the author’s childhood introduction to sport, where his mother’s love of Wimbledon was so infectious. A nostalgic look back at the professional tennis tours through the prism of a round-the-world trip, the book will appeal to those interested in tennis, especially the professional game back in the nineties and the history of British tennis in general; those keen on travel; anyone needing a change of job or career; or those who just want to make the most of their interests.

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Book SynopsisFrom beginnings on a gravel court on a farm in rural South Africa, Gordon Forbes went on to travel the world with his long-time tennis partner Abe Segal during the late 1950s and early 60s: the glory days of Fred Perry, Roy Emerson and Virginia Wade. In this delightful insider's account of tennis on the international circuit, Forbes looks back with laughter at his tennis playing years through a varied, successful and often outrageous career on the world's courts. This newly published edition of A Handful of Summers brings back a cult classic, revealing an era populated by the most colourful tennis players of all time. More about the hilarious escapades of players than the game itself, the book begins with a short series of vignettes from Forbes's childhood on an Eastern Cape farm in South Africa, then takes the reader on a tennis tour – into locker rooms and restaurants, narrow streets and small hotels, and onwards to the lawns of Wimbledon and the caramel coloured clays of Roland Garros. A player of international repute, Gordon Forbes has managed to capture the irresistible charm of an era while telling the story of a young man striving to follow signposts on the winding roads of life. This is the first of Forbes's memoirs, followed by Too Soon to Panic and I'll Take the Sunny Side. With an original Foreword by Peter Ustinov.

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Book SynopsisCompiled by the world’s foremost tennis historian and journalist, this book is the ultimate collection of historical tennis information, including year-by-year recaps of every tennis season and biographical sketches of every major tennis personality, as well as stats, records, and championship rolls for all of the major events. This third edition is updated with the latest history-making records and covers the recent achievements of a galaxy of stars—including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Serena Williams—without forgetting the contributions of some of the foundational names in the sport, such as Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Andre Agassi. Collins highlights his own personal relationships with the sport’s biggest names, offering insights into the world of professional tennis that can’t be found anywhere else.

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