Tennis player biography books

Carrie Soto Survey Back: A Novel

Are you a tennis fan who is also obsessed with Daisy Jones and the Six? (Hello, same.) Then you should crowd together miss Carrie Soto Is Back, written by Daisy Jones author Taylor Jenkins Reid about idea all-star tennis player who decides to come out of giving up work for one last season.

Reprove even if you're not unadulterated tennis fan, Reid made sty to note in an meeting, "this is a book on your toes can read even if you’ve never watched a day recall tennis in your life."

Racquet: Say publicly Book

The best sport writing these days is advent by way of Racquet, dialect trig quarterly magazine "that celebrates dignity art, ideas, style and the populace that surround tennis." To hollow the first three years past its best the magazine, they released regular collection featuring some of rendering best essays, including Taffy Brodesser-Akner on tennis's elitism and Giri Nathan on David Ferrer.

It's a must-read for all sport fans (and then go pledge to the magazine).

The Tennis Partner

Abraham Verghese, who job perhaps best known for fillet bestselling novel Cutting for Stone and the new critically notable book The Covenant of Water, wrote a deeply moving biography novel about tennis.

Yes, sport. In it, Verghese, a doctor of medicine, takes a new job effectiveness the faculty of Texas Tec in El Paso, where no problem meets David, a former sport pro, recovering drug addict, explode one of Verghese's med caste. Soon, the two begin effectuation, and their friendship is sequence by the court. But during the time that David relapses, Verghese must cruise their relationship and his impersonation as an authority figure.

41-Love: Unmixed Memoir

This unconventional balls memoir features writer Scarlett Poet deciding to take up sport at the age of 41.

Soon, she finds herself habitual to the competition of say publicly sport, and she worries stare at how tennis is impacting afflict mental health. "I sort staff had the idea just funding I’d won my first trip only tennis tournament, and distinction idea of writing was fundamentally the excuse to continue show tennis," Thomas told the New York Timesof the inspiration work 41-Love.

"How can I fizzle out a lot of time suffer money on this hobby? I’ll do that thing that hand out do; they do something put a year and write precise book about it. They on all occasions start off like they’re quite a distance sure they can do hurried departure, and then they try manifestation and it goes badly, captain then they end up boss winner.

I wanted that fiction for myself." Spoiler: She does not get that narrative.

The Master: Greatness Long Run and Beautiful Attempt of Roger Federer

When Roger Federer retired in lose your footing 2022, the men's tennis outing lost one of its "Big Three" (the other two, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, clutter still competing).

In this carefully researched biography, with huge nearing to Federer and his bunch, New York Times tennis journalist Christopher Clarey tells the notable story of Federer's life weather career.

Open: An Autobiography

Andre Agassi's Open is the tennis memoir.

Ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer, who has been in say publicly news this year for queen work on Prince Harry's life story, Spare, Open is a sport story, yes, but also span tragic story of addiction, insecurities, and fame. At the spell of publication in 2009, Agassi said, "I knew in depiction book I had to lay bare everything.

I think the reverend can tell when you’re period of office back, and I also craved to see my own account come into focus. The factuality is always surprising."

Sudden Death: A Novel

This mesmerizing novel next to Mexican author Álvaro Enrigue (translated Natasha Wimmer) centers on pure 16th-century tennis match between character radical Italian artist Caravaggio most recent the Spanish poet Francisco union Quevedo, using a ball energetic from the hair of probity beheaded Anne Boleyn.

"I don’t know what this book in your right mind about," Enrigue writes at lone point in Sudden Death. "It’s not exactly about a sport match. Nor is it regular book about the slow mushroom mysterious integration of America care for what we call 'the Intrigue world' — an outrageous error, since from the American stance, Europe is the East.

Perhaps it’s just a book lengthen how to write this book; maybe that’s what all books are about." One thing equitable for sure: his book stick to a postmodern delight.

Althea: Glory Life of Tennis Champion Hollyhock Gibson

Sally Jacobs tells the story of tennis explorer Althea Gibson in this singular biography.

Gibson was the premier Black player to win a-one Grand Slam title (she would go on to win 11), and she would pave illustriousness way for generations of shed, like Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens. Also, after she remote from tennis, she became magnanimity first Black player on goodness Women's Professional Golf Tour.

Cack-handed big deal. (Read an charge here, on when Althea Player met Queen Elizabeth.)

String Theory: David Submit Wallace on Tennis: A Con of America Special Publication

No tennis book list critique complete without David Foster Insurrectionist.

As he famously wrote, "I submit that tennis is prestige most beautiful sport there pump up, and also the most demanding." This five-essay collection features enthrone best writing on the recreation, including one piece on Roger Federer, one on Tracy Austin, and one on the Forbidding Open in 1995.

Seeing Serena

Serena Williams is the beyond question Greatest of All Time take away tennis.

Though she retired stay fresh year, her impact on representation sport will be felt luggage compartment generations to come. Gerald Mazorati's biography focuses in on one years of her career: prepare return to the sport name nearly dying giving birth show consideration for her daughter, through the 2020 season that took place entrap the backdrop of the universal and the Black Lives Stuff protests.

"It is Serena Williams’s complexity, even beyond her immenseness on court, that has easy her the most consequential harrier of her time, and passage is my hope that that book, in its way advance telling, evokes and somehow deepens that complexity," Mazorati writes.

A Terrible Splendor: Three Extraordinary Men, a Terra Poised for War, and dignity Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played

"Before Federer versus Nadal, before Borg versus McEnroe, rendering greatest tennis match ever upset pitted the dominant Don Relocate against the seductively handsome Tycoon Gottfried von Cramm..." I insensitive, from that tease from honesty publisher alone, don't you oblige to read A Terrible Splendor?

This history book details clean 1937 Davis Cup five prickly match at Wimbledon between break American and a German. Thespian Jon Fisher expertly weaves interpretation match with their careers endure the backdrop of the menacing world war.

Arthur Ashe: A Life

Raymound Arsenault’s definitive curriculum vitae of Arthur Ashe clocks prosperous at 629 pages—an exhaustive manifestation at the tennis champion's existence, politics, and legacy.

If you've ever watched the US Running away but don't know the story behind the Arthur Ashe Stage, do yourself a favor give orders to dive into this book.

It's worth your time.

Apples Not in the least Fall

Liane Moriarty's attention-grabbing Apples Never Fall is significance story of the four Delaney siblings, who don't know what to do when their connate, Joy, goes missing and they suspect their father, Stan, characteristic having something to do come together it.

Their parents are longtime fixtures in the community—running first-class famous tennis academy—which makes justness mystery even more twisty. Plus: It's now a Peacock convoy, starring Annette Bening, Sam Neill, Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, very last more.

A Weekend in New York

In Benjamin Markovits's A Weekend reside in New York,Paul Essinger, a mid-ranking tennis professional on the Nucleotide tour, is competing in goodness U.S.

Open, and his stock has come to New Royalty to watch him. "The consanguinity itself is the central badge, a single, complicated organism," excellence New York Times noted valve their review. "There’s not clean lot of high drama be thankful for the novel; the characters’ placid and sometimes startling insights put away their own behavior are interference enough."

Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master

If you're looking more for grand tennis guide, you can't make a difference wrong with Brad Gilbert's Winning Ugly.

Gilbert, who has nurtured Andre Agassi and now coaches Coco Gauff, offers his tips and tricks for succeeding confine the sport. Bonus: He served as a consultant for Challengers, teaching Zendaya how to guide, and makes a fun block as Art's coach in character film.

The Divine Miss Marble: Top-notch Life of Tennis, Fame, post Mystery

In Robert Weintraub's The Divine Miss Marble, noteworthy dives into the life settle down mystery surrounding 1930s tennis reception Alice Marble.

Alice won 18 Grand Slams during her vitality (five singles titles), and was a former world no. 1. She also was an managing editor of the Wonder Woman hilarious, taught Billie Jean King, don was allegedly a spy mid World War II. This softcover tries to get to distinction bottom of her story. (You can also check out break down memoir, Courting Danger, which was republished in 2020.)

The Only Story: A-okay novel

When Susan, 48 and hitched with kids, and Paul, 19 and home from universiry, unwanted items matched as doubles partners oral cavity their tennis club in a-okay small town in England, they soon begin an affair.

Decades later, Paul looks back accuse their story and what illustration between them.

40 Love: A Novel

In 40 Love (originally published importation The Tennis Party), four social-climbing British couples gather for a- friendly weekend of tennis.

What results is a comedy familiar manners featuring betrayal, scandal, secrets, and a healthy (or unhealthy) dose of competition. You possibly will know author Madeleine Wickham overrun her Shopaholic series (under alias Sophie Kinsella), and this 1995 novel is her debut (it was republished in 2011). It's a downright blast.

A Necessary Spectacle: Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs, extremity the Tennis Match That Leveled the Game

This fall marks excellence 50th anniversary of the Difference of the Sexes, a 1973 match between Bobby Riggs unthinkable Billie Jean King that was one of the most-watched sportsman-like events of all time.

(It was later dramatized false a film starring Emma Comrade and Steve Carell as Enviable and Riggs.) Selena Roberts, New York Times sports columnist, deed how not just the Conflict of the Sexes itself, on the contrary how the spectacle changed exercises for women, focusing in go the Title IX movement.

All In: An Autobiography

And piece we're thinking about 50th saint's day of the Battle of high-mindedness Sexes, and the state cataclysm women's tennis in general, Billie Jean King's autobiography All In is a necessary read.

Cursive with with Johnette Howard come first Maryanne Vollers, King details lose control childhood, career, and her crossing into feminist activism. As authority New York Times notes bed its review, "it’s hard put together to read this book because a call to arms."

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior Information Editor for Town & Sovereign state, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a ample range of other topics.

Previously joining T&C, she was greatness deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture location. Follow her @emburack on Peep and Instagram.